Think you've got the chops for Canada Day?

The University of Waterloo's 2013 Canada Day Celebration is looking for someone to sing the national anthem on July 1, and that somebody could be you!

The event organizers are running a contest, open to any legal resident of Canada, with the winning individual or group being selected to perform their rendition of the national anthem in front of thousands at the University of Waterloo 2013 Canada Day Celebration.

To enter the contest, record your rendition of the national anthem, upload the video to YouTube, and provide a link to the video via the online submission form.

The deadline to enter is Monday, June 17, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.

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Dubai holds send-off dinner to thank employers

by Livia Fama

The University of Waterloo UAE campus co-hosted a networking dinner in association with the Canadian Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates and partnership with the German-Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce on April 16 to thank participating co-op employers and close the chapter on Waterloo’s presence in Dubai.

Many local employers and Canadian ex-pats attended the event at the H Hotel, which included an opening address by Director Peter Douglas, who thanked employers for their cooperation in hiring and mentoring students – many of whom had no prior work experience.

Douglas is pictured above right with the Canadian Business Council's Colin Beaton with a plaque that includes Waterloo UAE as one of the council's sponsors.

The event also included a keynote speech by Shane Phillips, managing director of Shane Phillips Consultants and Host of Dubai Eye’s 103.8 ‘Eye on Careers’ who shared tips and strategies on leveraging social media for recruitment purposes.

"This dinner was a useful opportunity to network with others in the region; the highlight was the talk by Shane Phillips, whose energy and enthusiasm was as infectious as it was inspiring,” said Shivash Bhagaloo, consulting actuary at Dubai-based Lux Actuaries.

Bhagaloo has hired two UAE co-op students, and touted their value in assisting him with the daily tasks of running a fast-paced actuarial firm. "This program was of tremendous value to our company in allowing us to have access to bright young minds that are the future leaders of our industries,” he said. “The University provided us with an exceptional candidate which proved to be an asset to our growing organization -- we look forward to working with them again."

During its four-year run, the UAE campus’ co-op program saw students work across various sectors in the country, namely business, finance and engineering.

Veena Desa, Director of the Canadian Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and a UAE co-op employer said, “It takes much time and resources for a business to build a reputation in the UAE and UW strategically leveraged its partnership with the Canadian Business Council in Dubai to promote brand awareness and tout its unique co-operative education program.”

Desa is looking forward to working with a UAE co-op student this summer. “Based on my personal experience, I had secured my first ‘full-time’ role after an internship,” she said.  “The co-operative education program is a win-win.  This May will be my first recruitment experience with a UW intern, and I am looking forward to working on several projects together.”

This September, first and second year students in the Dubai program will shift to Canada for the fall and winter terms as the Dubai-based academic programs are consolidated to the main Waterloo campus.

Photographs courtesy of The Canadian Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

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Perimeter director to speak about AIMS

Neil Turok (right), director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, will be speaking on campus on Tuesday, May 28 about the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and its Next Einstein initiative.

Turok founded AIMS in 2003 as a partnership among three South African universities and three European universities (Cambridge, Oxford, and Paris Sud XI). AIMS recruits the strongest mathematics undergraduates throughout Africa and provides them with 10 months of intensive graduate training.

AIMS is committed to building 15 mathematical centres across Africa and currently operates centres in South Africa, Senegal and Ghana. AIMS also solicits applications from faculty to teach three-week short courses in mathematics or applied areas, with all costs being covered.

Turok will talk about the goals and accomplishments of AIMS and opportunities for involvement. AIMS alumni and Waterloo faculty members who have taught at AIMS centres will also be on hand to share their experiences.

All are welcome at the event, which takes place at 3:30 p.m. in MC 5158.

Questions may be directed to Steven Furino.

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