President visits Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore

President Feridun Hamdullahpur and several other senior University leaders are in the midst of a 2-week trip to Asia that will see them visit South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Hamdullahpur is travelling with a delegation that includes Ken McGillivray, Vice President, Advancement, Nello Angerilli, Associate Vice-President International, Stephen Shapiro, Senior Executive Director, Global & Regional Development, Eva Cairns, director of the Hong Kong Foundation, and Pearl Sullivan, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.

The tour begins with a week-long trip to the Republic of South Korea to explore opportunities for further collaboration with several institutions and government agencies in the country.

President Hamdullahpur's itinerary includes delivering the distinguished lecture at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), and a meeting with Professor Yongmin Kim, president of POSTECH. He will visit Yonsei University in Seoul to renew an existing agreement and discuss new areas for collaboration. The president of the National IT Promotion Agency (NIPA) will also host him for a meeting.

Meetings with the Vice Minister of Education, Dr. Shinho Kim followed by Dr. Jeonyoung Lee, president and CEO of the Seoul Business Agency, will also take place to discuss the relationship involving cooperative education, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Back in September, the University of Waterloo signed memoranda of understanding with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) when the presidents of both institutions visited Waterloo. The signings allow Waterloo to explore research collaborations in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, chemical engineering and quantum computing and nanotechnology.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the president will be participating in panel discussions and presenting an invited paper at the Global HR Forum 2014. Hamdullahpur will speak as part of the "Youth Start-Ups and Job Policies" discussion and the "Start-Up Education for Creative Talents in Korea" discussion alongside a group of international speakers drawn from government and academia.

On Friday, November 7, the delegation will arrive in Hong Kong. President Hamdullahpur will speak at a Hong Kong Alumni Chapter Dinner that will feature guest speaker Jason Chui of Cherrypicks. Following a day of meetings, Hamdullahpur will attend a Hong Kong Presidential Dinner on Saturday. On Sunday, the delegation will lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in Hong Kong's Statue Square. A meeting with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is also set to be scheduled.

Next, the delegation will travel to Singapore, where Hamdullahpur will meet with the president of the National University of Singapore. Later, Hamdullahpur will speak at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore at a lunch event on November 12. Following the lunch, the delegation will meet with Bertil Andersson, president of Nanyang Technological University. A Presidential Dinner has been scheduled for the evening.

 

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Nominations open for Co-op Student of the Year

by Julie Funk.

It’s that time of year again.

Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA) is looking for nominees for the Co-op Student of the Year Awards. There’s an award for one student from each faculty.

If you or a colleague has hired an impressive Waterloo student for any 2014 work term, you can put forward their name. Students can also apply for the award themselves, though supporting documents from employers are required.

Recipients of the award showcase the Waterloo spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship with the amazing work they accomplish for their co-op employers. The 2013 winners—Sorina Chiorean, Akash Kapoor, Melanie Chanona, Perakaa Sethukavalan, Josh Bradshaw, and Natalie Sham—are pictured above.

A successful nominee should have:

• One or more outstanding evaluation in the calendar year of the award, and preferably excellent in any other previous work terms;
• Academic excellence, with a minimum overall average of 75 per cent; and
• Involvement in volunteer and community activity.

What does the award offer students?

• A framed recognition plaque
• Professional photo shoot
• A UWaterloo Retail Services gift card
• A greater likelihood of being chosen for interviews by employers
• The opening of doors to provincial and national co-op of the year awards

What did last year’s co-ops of the year achieve?

Applied Health Sciences: Published four articles on new prostate cancer research based off of a study which she designed and reviewed.

Arts: Managed a new client’s tax return from beginning to end –something usually only done by experienced associates or managers - while working for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Engineering: In first year Systems Design, increased his employer’s client capacity by 60% by changing their most important codebase to a self-learning autonomous system.
Environment: In Planning, developed and published a Sustainable Housing Rehabilitation Index (SHRI). The paper was published and presented internationally.

Mathematics: In her first two months of the work term, found evidence supporting a long-standing theory related to the nature of certain types of black holes. She submitted three research endeavours for publication.

Science: Learned and performed tests involving radioactivity and immunology which helped to optimize current research methods and lower their cost and time.

The deadline for the 2014 Waterloo Co-op Student of the Year Award is Thursday December 11 by 5:00 p.m.  Submission details and guidelines can be found on the Co-operative Education student site.

 

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More on sex positions for bad backs

Women with bad backs have renewed hope for better sex lives now that a groundbreaking study from the University of Waterloo has revealed the best way to minimize back pain during sex.

Newly published findings—part of the first-ever study to document how the spine moves during sex —outline which sex positions are best for women suffering from different types of low back pain.

“Traditionally, spooning was recommended by physicians to all individuals with back pain because it was thought to reduce nerve tension and load on the tissues,” said Natalie Sidorkewicz, a PhD candidate in Waterloo’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences who led the study. “But when we examined spine motion and muscle activity, we found that spooning can actually be one of the worst positions for certain types of back pain.”

The best sex positions for women suffering from back pain

• For women who are extension-intolerant, meaning those whose back pain is made worse by arching their backs or lying on their stomachs, the missionary position with low-back support from a pillow, is best.
  
• For women who are flexion-intolerant, typically those whose back pain is made worse by touching their toes or sitting for long periods of time, the atlas recommends two positions - spooning and doggy-style sex where the woman is supporting her upper body with her hands, not her elbows.
  

Published in European Spine Journal, the female findings debunk the popular belief that spooning— where couples lie on their sides curled in the same direction—is the best sex position for all women with low back pain. The new recommendations follow on the heels of comparable guidelines for men released last month.

The pioneering research combined infrared and electromagnetic motion capture systems, like those used by filmmakers for full computer graphic character animation, to track how 10 couples’ spines moved when attempting five common sex positions. The findings were used to create an atlas, or illustrated set of guidelines, that recommends different sex positions based on what movements trigger a patient’s pain.

“What we know now is that sex positions that are suitable for one type of back pain are not appropriate for another kind of pain,” said Sidorkewicz. “These guidelines have the potential to improve quality of life—and love-life—for many couples.”

Four out of five people will experience back pain

According to Statistics Canada, four of every five people will experience at least one episode of disabling low-back pain in their lifetime. Up to 84 per cent of men with low-back pain and 73 per cent of women report a significant decrease in the frequency of intercourse when suffering back pain.

“Primary care physicians report it is common for couples to seek their advice regarding how to manage their back pain during and after sex. Many couples will remain celibate because the pain resulting from one night of love-making lasts months,” said Professor Stuart McGill of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. “Now doctors have solid science to guide their recommendations.”

The next phase of the study will involve recruiting patients with different categories of back and hip pain, as well as additional sex positions, to further develop the recommendations.

 

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A Long Night Against Procrastination

For those of you thinking of putting off until tomorrow what you should be getting done today, a coalition of campus partners is inviting you to the first Long Night Against Procrastination, which will be held on Thursday, November 6 from 8:00 p.m. to midnight in the Student Life Centre.

"Get started on your writing, with experts on hand to help you with your time-management, research, and writing questions," says the event description. "Get tips and strategies for managing stress and your workload."

The event consists of four optional workshops: Time Management (presented by the Student Success Office), Starting to Research (presented by the Library), Writing from Start to Finish (presented by the Writing Centre), and Sleep Yoga (presented by Athletics).

There will be prizes, coffee, and snacks for participants throughout the evening.

This event is being organized by the Writing Centre, the Library, FEDS, Athletics, Counselling, and Health Services.

 

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Wednesday's notes

Retail Services' Waterloo Store is erecting a Pop-Up Shop in the Student Life Centre's Multipurpose Room today from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. that will feature exclusive items, $3.99 Waterloo t-shirts, and free gifts.

Microsoft's Executive Vice-President, Technology & Research Harry Shum will be delivering a talk on campus entitled "Image Understanding: A Practical Perspective from Bing" on Thursday, November 6 at 3:30 p.m. in DC 1302.

Shum is executive vice president of Microsoft’s Technology and Research group and is responsible for driving the company’s overall technical directions, including mid-term and long-term technology strategy and forward-looking research and development efforts. He oversees Microsoft Research, one of the world’s premier computer science research organizations and its integration with the engineering teams across the company.

"In celebration of World Town Planning Day 2014, we’re organizing a “Discover Planning” morning on campus on Thursday, November 6," writes Shelley Knischewsky of the School of Planning. "The aim of this event is to bring in high school students and challenge them in an interactive Lecture and Charette exercise that will help to expand their understanding of urban planning. Groups of university students and faculty will work with teams from participating schools."

 

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