Gift supports Israel exchange program

from the UW media relations office

A new academic and research exchange program in computer science has been developed between UW and the University of Haifa in Israel, expanding study opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as research possibilities for faculty at both universities.

The Waterloo-Haifa International Experience Program has been made possible by a $500,000 gift to Campaign Waterloo from Canadian business leaders Gerry Schwartz, chairman and CEO of Onex Corporation, and Heather Reisman, president and CEO of Indigo Books and Music. The couple's donation, to be spread over five years, will annually fund more than a dozen academic and research exchanges involving undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty members in computer science at both institutions.

Schwartz and Reisman were honoured at the Friday night gala dinner that launched Entrepreneur Week in Waterloo Region, sponsored by Communitech. The UW-Haifa project was announced during that event.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Gerry and me to expand and enrich the educational experiences of young people," said Reisman. "We are extremely pleased to be able to support this very important initiative involving two first-class academic institutions. Initiatives such as these strengthen and celebrate the important bond between Canada and Israel."

"We thank Heather and Gerry for their generous gift," says UW president David Johnston, "believing that one of the best gifts one can give a young person is the opportunity to study abroad, at another university, in another culture. Over the next decade we would like to greatly expand these opportunities for UW students around the world, building their knowledge and their understanding of other languages and cultures."

The Reisman/Schwartz initiative will be unique among UW's 280 international agreements in 56 countries that promote collaborative research, joint academic programs and 115 separate student-exchange opportunities. Very few of these agreements have funding associated with them to help cover the significant costs incurred by students and faculty. As well, the UW-Haifa exchange incorporates a valuable research experience for undergraduates.

The memorandum of understanding calls for two main components: undergraduate student exchanges and faculty or graduate student exchanges. Both will involve members of UW's faculty of mathematics, the Cheriton School of Computer Science, and Haifa's department of computer science and Caesarea Rothschild Institute.

Non-Hebrew-speaking UW students with little personal experience of Israel will live in that country for a four-month research term and have the opportunity to attend a four- or five-week Hebrew language program. English-speaking undergraduate students from the University of Haifa will spend one study term and one research term at UW.

Four to six graduate students and faculty members will be visiting scholars at the participating institutions, taking part in key research projects for approximately four weeks. The links they establish will form the basis for expanded research connections, perhaps involving other universities in Israel.

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United Way goal $165,000 this year

The annual United Way campaign runs on campus all this month, looking to raise $165,000 for local charitable and service agencies, and it's off to a running start. Even before the calendar said it was October, "we're over 10 per cent of our goal already," Karen So of the United Way office reported at the end of last week.

Those early gifts will have been based on the pledge packages that reached staff and faculty members across campus by mail a few days ago. Cheques and payroll deductions from employees make up the bulk of UW givings to the United Way each year, although some money is also raised by special events, retiree contributions and student donations.

Every Friday in October will be a Dress Down Day in support of the campaign, she said — meaning that staff and faculty are encouraged to dress as they choose, in return for a United Way cash gift. Among special events that will take place this week is a silent auction in the civil and environmental engineering department on Thursday and Friday.

This year's goal is the same figure that was used last year, and represents a share of the $5.75 million to be raised across Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas by the United Way of K-W, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich. The United Way supports programs and services of more than 40 member agencies across the community. Organizers explain that "When you invest in the United Way, you help strengthen our community in five impact areas: Promoting Children and Youth to Succeed, Strengthening Families, Supporting Basic Needs of Promoting Self-Sufficiency, Building Inclusive Neighbourhoods and Communities, and Supporting Seniors and People with Disabilities."

Some of the agencies that share in United Way funding include Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Kitchener-Waterloo; the Canadian Red Cross Society; Catholic Family Counselling; Community Justice Initiatives; Epilepsy Waterloo Wellington; Focus for Ethnic Women; Food Bank of Waterloo Region; K-W Multicultural Centre; the Multiple Sclerosis Society; the Social Planning Council; and the YMCA.

Pat Cunningham of the dean of mathematics office is returning as staff co-chair of the campaign. She's joined by Richard Wells of the kinesiology department as faculty co-chair, taking over that role from Winston Cherry of statistics and actuarial science, who has retired.

The donation form that was distributed last week includes a note from UW president David Johnston, who has a long background in United Way fund-raising, as chair of Centraide during his years living in Montréal. Says Johnston: "Regardless of how well our community seems to be doing, there are always people who fall through the cracks and come to need our help. I urge you to find it in your hearts to give."

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Planning for UW ads, 'work' conference

an announcement from Communications and Public Affairs

Karalee Clerk (left), marketing co-ordinator in Co-operative Education & Career Services, has taken on a special assignment which will see her splitting time between CECS and UW's Communications and Public Affairs office. Under the direction of senior administration and CPA, Clerk will focus on developing a series of external advertisements and promotions to coincide with UW’s 50th anniversary in 2007. This work will complement existing planning that's going on across campus under the guidance of the 50th anniversary steering committee.

The first sampling of UW ads will appear this Thursday in The Record’s Technology Spotlight, a popular promotional insert that appears every year about this time. Clerk will also help develop a series of national ads due to start publication in January. The series will focus on the university’s Sixth Decade Plan and tie into the 50th anniversary.

"This coming year is a great opportunity to showcase significant elements of the university to the external community across Canada," says Martin Van Nierop, CPA director. "Karalee has extensive experience with this type of work, including the 'Spirit of Why Not' series that she was instrumental in developing last fall.”

In addition to the ads, she will also be working on next spring's Communitech leadership conference which will feature UW and elements of the 50th, as well as a major UW conference that will explore the future for work in our society.

Planning is well underway for the "work" conference, planned for three days in early October, with the working title "2017: The Workplace". Among the themes the event will likely focus on are the effects of the growth of the knowledge economy, globalization, changing demographics, increasing worker mobility and the potential impact of the priorities and expectations of the millennial generation on tomorrow's workplace. The conference will create an opportunity for business, government and academic leaders to identify major work-related issues facing society and the contribution each sector can provide in facing these challenges.

Speakers and experts will include well-known author and New Yorker columnist Malcolm Gladwell, a native of the Waterloo area. Tentative plans call for the first day to focus on an academic component with a call for papers on work-related topics. The second will feature prominent speakers — including Gladwell —and is aimed at CEOs and top level business leaders. And the third day will focus on co-op into the future.

Says Peggy Jarvie, executive director of CECS, where planning for the conference is based: “I’m excited about the conference and Karalee’s lead role in developing the conference theme and a roster of outstanding speakers. The conference complements the co-op program, the great work being done in the faculties, and demonstrates through action UW’s connection to the world of work.”

CAR

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