Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy / en ‘Think against yourself’: Panel discussion on civil discourse draws students to U of T’s Hart House /news/think-against-yourself-panel-discussion-civil-discourse-draws-students-u-t-s-hart-house <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">‘Think against yourself’: Panel discussion on civil discourse draws students to U of T’s Hart House </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-09/2024-09-18-Hart-House-Panel-%2819%29-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=M65BtHuV 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-09/2024-09-18-Hart-House-Panel-%2819%29-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=3UzpOmsJ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-09/2024-09-18-Hart-House-Panel-%2819%29-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=8A_RbDRp 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-09/2024-09-18-Hart-House-Panel-%2819%29-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=M65BtHuV" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-09-24T13:38:08-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 24, 2024 - 13:38" class="datetime">Tue, 09/24/2024 - 13:38</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Students ask questions during a recent panel discussion about civil discourse on university campuses that was hosted by Professor Randy Boyagoda (photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/english" hreflang="en">English</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/religion" hreflang="en">Religion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vic-one" hreflang="en">Vic One</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/victoria-college" hreflang="en">Victoria College</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Hugh Considine</strong>&nbsp;got a crash course in discussing polarizing topics almost immediately upon arriving at the Ƶ.&nbsp;</p> <p>The second-year student studies religion in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science – a subject, he says, that can be about as controversial as it gets.&nbsp;</p> <p>“People have an unimaginable amount of investment in it,” says Considine, 19, a member of Innis College. “Depending on who you ask, it’s literally your soul at hand – the ultimate thing that could be risked.”</p> <p>He credits his professors for creating an environment where students feel unafraid to speak their minds, encouraging them to comment, ask questions and generally “poke and prod” one another so we “would actually think about what’s being said.”</p> <p>It’s a microcosm of what campus life is supposed to be all about: a diverse group of people coming together to expand their worldviews through study, debate and discovery – and it’s a message that was reinforced during a recent event for Victoria College students in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vic.utoronto.ca/future-students/vic-one/">Vic One program</a>.</p> <p>The hour-long panel discussion, held at Hart House on Sept. 18, focused on the critical role of civil discourse on university campuses. It brought together two high-profile U of T academics and authors –&nbsp;<strong>Ian Williams</strong>&nbsp;of the department of English and&nbsp;<strong>Janice Stein</strong>&nbsp;of the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy – and&nbsp;New York Timescolumnist&nbsp;<strong>Pamela Paul</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <p>The first in a series of planned events and initiatives on the topic, the talk was moderated by Professor&nbsp;<strong>Randy Boyagoda</strong>, the university’s&nbsp;<a href="/news/randy-boyagoda-appointed-u-t-s-provostial-adviser-civil-discourse">provostial adviser on civil discourse</a>&nbsp;and chair of its&nbsp;<a href="https://memos.provost.utoronto.ca/announcing-the-working-group-on-civil-discourse/">Working Group on Civil Discourse</a>, and is part of a broader effort to strengthen the culture of civil discourse on campus. That includes cultivating dialogue across different points of view and the discussion of challenging subjects.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-09/2024-09-18-Hart-House-Panel-%289%29-crop.jpg?itok=gChD753t" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Hundreds attended the event at Hart House, including Hugh Considine at bottom right</em>&nbsp;<em>(photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The discussion, which drew about 150 attendees, touched on everything from today’s increasingly polarized political and cultural environment to the risks faced by universities – and society at large – if open discussion and debate of difficult topics are frowned upon or crowded out.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, the panel members each had a unique take on the nature of the threat and what should be done about it.&nbsp;</p> <p>Paul, for example, said she was especially concerned about a culture of self-censorship, saying she opted to become an opinion writer after years editing the&nbsp;New York Times Book Review&nbsp;upon recognizing the bulk of discussion about politics and culture was taking place only at extreme ends of the spectrum.</p> <p>“What you had was this growing vacuum in the middle where nuance and complexity lived and no one was speaking up,” she said.</p> <p>Stein, however, said that not all forms of self-censorship are necessarily undesirable, noting that she refrains from vocalizing thoughts she deems unnecessarily rude.&nbsp;</p> <p>“When we’re in a learning community together, we have to say things in a way that people can hear,” said Stein, the Munk School’s founding director and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/complete-list-university-professors/">University Professor</a>&nbsp;and Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management in the department of political science. She added that what matters is why we self-censor – do we do it out of fear or out of consideration for others?</p> <p>Williams, a professor of English and author who has published acclaimed books of poetry, essays and works of fiction, warned against viewing debate as simply an opportunity to persuade someone else of your views.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“The more interesting way of having these conversations [is not to] focus on converting a person to a team, but saying, ‘Here’s how my ideas have changed over time.’”</p> <p>There were several other takeaways for the largely student audience, which included several first-years.&nbsp;</p> <p>Paraphrasing French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, Boyagoda, a writer, professor of English and vice-dean, undergraduate in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, urged students to “think against yourself ” by creating their own counterarguments as an intellectual exercise. Similarly, Paul spoke about the value of engaging with those who don’t share your opinions.</p> <p>Stein and Williams also emphasized the U of T community’s shared responsibility to create an environment where people can ask questions and test out ideas. And if you find yourself amongst people who refuse to grant that space? “Just take that conversation elsewhere, rather than burying it or self-censoring it,” Williams said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Following the talk, students asked questions about the “paradox of tolerance,” or the idea that creating a tolerant society requires being intolerant of intolerance, and how to cope with the repercussions of being ostracized for expressing an unpopular view, among other things.</p> <p>Considine, one of four undergraduate student members of the civil discourse working group, said he was pleased to see so many students engaging with the topic.&nbsp;</p> <p>“That’s something that, as one of the student representatives – and as the youngest student representative – I'm very conscious about.”&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:38:08 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 309572 at What Now? AI, Episode 5: This Is Not Real /news/what-now-ai-episode-5-not-real <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">What Now? AI, Episode 5: This Is Not Real</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>mattimar</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-05-23T15:33:08-04:00" title="Thursday, May 23, 2024 - 15:33" class="datetime">Thu, 05/23/2024 - 15:33</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-youtube field--type-youtube field--label-hidden field__item"><figure class="youtube-container"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PsWmUTAfluE?wmode=opaque" width="450" height="315" id="youtube-field-player" class="youtube-field-player" title="Embedded video for What Now? AI, Episode 5: This Is Not Real" aria-label="Embedded video for What Now? AI, Episode 5: This Is Not Real: https://www.youtube.com/embed/PsWmUTAfluE?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </figure> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/what-now-ai" hreflang="en">What Now? AI</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/schwartz-reisman-institute-technology-and-society" hreflang="en">Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-information" hreflang="en">Faculty of Information</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/political-science" hreflang="en">Political Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Artificial intelligence presents new opportunities to strengthen democracy even as it threatens to cast a shadow over election integrity and further the spread of misinformation.</p> <p>In the fifth episode of&nbsp;What Now? AI, Ƶ hosts <strong>Beth Coleman</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Rahul Krishnan</strong> are joined by experts <strong>Harper Reed</strong> and <strong>Peter Loewen</strong>, who is also from U of T, to explore the impact of AI on the political realm. &nbsp;</p> <p>Listen to episode five on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-now-ai/id1635579922" target="_blank">Apple</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6E0YlC5Sw59q7Al5UAWOP8?si=795f1fa38c2b4812" target="_blank">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://soundcloud.com/universityoftoronto" target="_blank">SoundCloud</a>,&nbsp;<a href="/news/what-now-ai-episode-4-ai-and-creativity#:~:text=%2C%E2%80%AFSoundCloud%2C%E2%80%AF-,iHeartRadio,-%E2%80%AFand%E2%80%AFAmazon.%20Watch%E2%80%AFepisode" target="_blank">iHeartRadio</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/news/what-now-ai-episode-4-ai-and-creativity#:~:text=%2C%E2%80%AFiHeartRadio%E2%80%AFand%E2%80%AF-,Amazon,-.%20Watch%E2%80%AFepisode%20four%20on">Amazon</a>. Watch episode five on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsWmUTAfluE">YouTube</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Loewen, director of U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy and a professor in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, explains how AI removes the human touch from politics, potentially making the public uneasy.</p> <p>“We still don't like the fact that it might be a machine that we're talking to,” said Loewen, who is also the associate director of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society.</p> <p>“But then if you layer on this dimension of not knowing if this is actually the campaign that’s doing it, I think that’s probably orders of magnitude worse because what it does is it takes us from the realm of kind of feeling uneasy about something into feeling like this thing is corrupted.”</p> <p>Reed, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/harper-reed-obama-campaign-microtargeting/" target="_blank">spoke about his experience</a> as the chief technology officer on former U.S. president Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012.</p> <p>“The technology we built was not about convincing someone at the time that Mitt Romney was a bad person or a good person,” said Reed during a conversation with Coleman about AI and democracy that was filmed live at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society’s annual conference <a href="https://absolutelyinterdisciplinary.com/" target="_blank">Absolutely Interdisciplinary</a>, a portion of which was used in the podcast episode.</p> <p>“The tech was more about making sure you got to vote.”</p> <p>When asked about the biggest threats to AI and democracy, Reed emphasized that he is less worried about the technology itself and more with ensuring it’s beneficial to societal use.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I’m worried about who has access to it and how they are using it.”</p> <h4>About the hosts:&nbsp;</h4> <p><strong>Beth Coleman</strong>&nbsp;is an associate professor at U of T Mississauga’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/iccit/" target="_blank">Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology</a>&nbsp;and the Faculty of Information. She is also a&nbsp;research lead on AI policy and praxis&nbsp;at the&nbsp;<a href="https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/" target="_blank">Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society</a>. Coleman authored&nbsp;<a href="https://k-verlag.org/books/beth-coleman-reality-was-whatever-happened/" target="_blank"><em>Reality Was Whatever Happened: Octavia Butler AI&nbsp;and Other Possible Worlds</em></a>&nbsp;using art and generative AI.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Rahul Krishnan</strong>&nbsp;is an&nbsp;assistant professor in U of T’s department&nbsp;of computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science&nbsp;and&nbsp;department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. He is a Canada CIFAR Chair at the Vector Institute, a faculty affiliate at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and a faculty member at the&nbsp;<a href="https://tcairem.utoronto.ca/" target="_blank">Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education in Medicine&nbsp;(T-CAIREM)</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Note: The artwork in the background of Peter Loewen’s interview belong to the Mirvish Family’s private collection. The large image, titled&nbsp;Floating Free, is by K.M. Graham. The smaller image is untitled and by the same artist.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 23 May 2024 19:33:08 +0000 mattimar 307908 at Jordan Jacobs on AI’s ‘profound’ implications, responsible development – and why he backed Cohere /news/jordan-jacobs-ai-s-profound-implications-responsible-development-and-why-he-backed-cohere <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Jordan Jacobs on AI’s ‘profound’ implications, responsible development – and why he backed Cohere</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-04/Jordan-Jacobs_profile_pic-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=PQEc9otd 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-04/Jordan-Jacobs_profile_pic-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=H2SuLWnC 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-04/Jordan-Jacobs_profile_pic-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=rCkqC_Aa 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-04/Jordan-Jacobs_profile_pic-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=PQEc9otd" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-04-04T18:39:50-04:00" title="Thursday, April 4, 2024 - 18:39" class="datetime">Thu, 04/04/2024 - 18:39</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo courtesy of Cohere)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vector-institute" hreflang="en">Vector Institute</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The managing partner of Radical Ventures, a venture capital firm, will be at U of T's Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy to discuss artificial intelligence during the Future of Money conference</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A key figure in Canada’s burgeoning artificial intelligence scene,&nbsp;<strong>Jordan Jacobs</strong>&nbsp;boasts a track record of backing ventures at the vanguard of AI development – and the Ƶ often plays a prominent role.</p> <p>Jacobs and U of T alumnus&nbsp;<strong>Tomi Poutanen</strong>&nbsp;have co-founded some of the most influential entities in Canada’s AI ecosystem, including&nbsp;<a href="https://layer6.ai/" target="_blank">Layer 6</a>, which was acquired by TD Bank Group in 2018; the&nbsp;<a href="https://vectorinstitute.ai/" target="_blank">Vector Institute</a>, a world-renowned AI research hub that counts U of T among its early partners; and venture capital firm&nbsp;<a href="https://radical.vc/" target="_blank">Radical Ventures</a>, where Jacobs currently serves as managing partner.&nbsp;</p> <p>He’s also a founding investor and board director of <a href="https://cohere.com" target="_blank">Cohere</a>, a leading developer of enterprise-focused AI technologies <a href="/news/startup-launched-u-t-alumni-helps-companies-computers-talk-customers-globe-and-mail">founded by former U of T computer science students</a>&nbsp;<strong>Aidan Gomez</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Nick Frosst</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Ivan Zhang</strong>&nbsp;– and backed by AI luminaries <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a> Emeritus&nbsp;<strong>Ƶ</strong>&nbsp;and Professor&nbsp;<strong>Raquel Urtasun</strong>.</p> <p>Now, Jacobs is sharing his insights at the <a href="https://www.thefutureofmoney.ca/" target="_blank">Future of Money</a>&nbsp;conference, co-produced by Cohere and U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy, where he’ll take part in an AI-focused fireside chat alongside Cohere chief product officer and U of T alumnus&nbsp;<strong>Jaron Waldman</strong>.</p> <p>U of T News&nbsp;caught up with Jacobs ahead of the event to discuss how companies like Cohere are tapping into the deep pool of talent at U of T and beyond to forge AI-powered solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.</p> <hr> <p><strong>We’ve seen some incredible advancements in AI over the last year or so and heard some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9cW4Gcn5WY">alarming warnings about the risks it could pose</a>. What’s your take on how AI is evolving?</strong></p> <p>Over the next decade, virtually every bit of software will be replaced by artificial intelligence or embedded with it. The implications for our world and the global economy are profound.</p> <p>Traditional software is hard-coded and static. Once shipped and deployed, it never improves until the next version is shipped and replaces it. Soon, all software will be powered by AI that learns and improves, often in real-time. Built around learning algorithms that adapt to new situations, AI software is more efficient and effective. This is particularly true for generative AI, which can create new data or software code on its own, without the need for human input.&nbsp;</p> <p>This coming software replacement cycle will have an extraordinary impact on our economy. In addition, AI will help unlock new discoveries across science. These are Industrial Revolution-sized opportunities – happening simultaneously and enabled by one technology.</p> <p>One of my personal motivations for starting Radical was to invest in companies that would help solve the biggest challenges facing humanity. When we were thinking of selling our AI company, Layer 6, to focus on building the leading AI investment firm, I said to my Radical co-founder and Ƶ alum,&nbsp;Tomi Poutanen: “AI will help cure cancers. Let’s help cure cancer.”&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>How would you describe venture capital’s role when it comes to responsible AI development?</strong></p> <p>Venture capital is an essential driver of economic value and innovation. Only half of one per cent of public companies received venture funding, but VC-backed companies account for 40 per cent of total U.S. market capitalization. VC plays a disproportionate role in the economy, especially when it comes to the development of new technologies such as AI.&nbsp;OpenAI, Cohere and the startups behind the large language models that helped bring AI to the mainstream over the past year received multiple rounds of funding from venture capital firms. Google and Meta –&nbsp;whose industrial labs created some of the biggest AI breakthroughs of the last decade – were, at one time, fuelled by venture capital.&nbsp;</p> <p>At Radical, we are committed to developing AI technologies and applications that improve the future for all, and we believe that the venture capital industry – the underwriters of tomorrow’s innovations – must approach investments in AI with a sense of shared responsibility. Last year, in partnership with the Vector Institute, we launched the&nbsp;<a href="https://radical.vc/underwriting-responsible-ai-venture-capital-needs-a-framework-for-ai-investing/" target="_blank">Responsible AI for Startups (RAIS) framework</a>&nbsp;– an open-source resource for investors evaluating investments in AI technologies. RAIS is a practical tool to help VCs assess early-stage AI companies and technologies across responsibility and safety considerations.</p> <p><strong>Let's talk about Cohere, a startup that has numerous U of T ties and several high-profile backers, including yourself. How is it different from other companies developing large language models?</strong></p> <p>Cohere is one of a cohort of companies, including OpenAI and Google DeepMind, that is developing the world’s most sophisticated large language models. Unlike most competitors in the space, Cohere’s focus is offering a cloud-agnostic, privacy-preserving solution for enterprise customers, which include Oracle and McKinsey.&nbsp;</p> <p>Cohere’s founders are three Canadian entrepreneurs [and former U of T computer science students]:&nbsp;Aidan Gomez, the company’s CEO and one of the authors of the groundbreaking transformers paper that ushered in the era of modern generative AI;&nbsp;Nick Frosst, protege of deep learning pioneer and [University Professor Emeritus]&nbsp;Ƶ, and their classmate&nbsp;Ivan Zhang. Today, the team includes many of the inventors of some of the most widely used modern AI techniques.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>How would you describe Cohere's growth to date — and where do you see it heading in the future?</strong></p> <p>Radical was deeply engaged with Cohere prior to company incorporation and invested the very first cheque into the company in 2019. Since then, Cohere has developed world-class language models that compete directly with the best models in the world, grown the team to more than 200 people across offices in Toronto, San Francisco, New York City and London, and signed many global enterprises as customers. It is now one of the most valuable AI companies in the world. Given the technical complexities of working with cutting-edge AI models, there are few companies that have the experience and expertise to push the field forward while also delivering huge value to industry. Cohere leads the pack.</p> <p><strong>What advice would you give researchers or students who are keen on building a company in the AI space?</strong></p> <p>Tackle the most important problems. Building a business aimed at making incremental&nbsp;advances on existing technologies may find a market in the near-term. However, in the long run, these businesses are vulnerable to competition or commodification by existing AI solutions. Whether it’s tackling climate change, increasing business productivity or curing cancer, AI is a technology capable of taking on many of the world’s biggest challenges.</p> <p>It’s also important to remember that we are still in the very early innings of the AI revolution. The field will continue to evolve and change. There’s a very real opportunity right now for young entrepreneurs to shape the future of this important technology.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 04 Apr 2024 22:39:50 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 307215 at Remembering Brian Mulroney: Munk School's Peter Loewen reflects on the former prime minister's legacy /news/remembering-brian-mulroney-munk-school-s-peter-loewen-reflects-former-prime-minister-s-legacy <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Remembering Brian Mulroney: Munk School's Peter Loewen reflects on the former prime minister's legacy</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/GettyImages-80132655-crop.jpg?h=91cca144&amp;itok=aS0oj2xr 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/GettyImages-80132655-crop.jpg?h=91cca144&amp;itok=xpu3KFKX 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/GettyImages-80132655-crop.jpg?h=91cca144&amp;itok=qXpZjjW9 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/GettyImages-80132655-crop.jpg?h=91cca144&amp;itok=aS0oj2xr" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-21T10:34:33-04:00" title="Thursday, March 21, 2024 - 10:34" class="datetime">Thu, 03/21/2024 - 10:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>U of T will lower its flags to half-mast in memory of former prime minister Brian Mulroney’s state funeral (photo by Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/michael-wilson" hreflang="en">Michael Wilson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/politics" hreflang="en">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">"He’s one of the world’s great storytellers, but woven within those stories are some pretty important political lessons about focusing on the long term and taking on big challenges"</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As Canadians prepare for former prime minister&nbsp;<strong>Brian Mulroney</strong>’s state funeral on March 23, the Ƶ is remembering his legacy and will lower flags on all three campuses for the event.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Mulroney, the Conservative leader who served as the country’s 18th prime minister&nbsp;</span>from 1984 to 1993,<span style="font-size: 1rem;">&nbsp;visited U of T on numerous occasions over the years. That includes the G7 summit in 1988, when he met with U.S. president </span><strong style="font-size: 1rem;">Ronald Reagan</strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> and British prime minister </span><strong style="font-size: 1rem;">Margaret Thatcher</strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> at Hart House alongside other world leaders.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/HH003266_economic_summit-crop.jpg?itok=J8XQJsaO" width="750" height="517" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(courtesy of Hart House)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>He also made several public appearances at U of T after retiring from politics, including&nbsp;taking part in a <a href="https://www.history.utoronto.ca/publications/contemporary-antisemitism-canada-and-world">conference on antisemitism in 2003</a>&nbsp;and a <a href="/news/personal-relationships-key-successful-diplomacy-mulroney">conference on diplomacy in the digital age in 2011</a>. More recently, in September 2022, Mulroney visited the Rotman School of Management for <a href="/news/brian-mulroney-hails-legacy-michael-wilson-former-finance-minister-and-u-t-chancellor">an event celebrating the legacy of <strong>Michael Wilson</strong></a>, U of T’s 33<sup>rd</sup> chancellor, who served as finance minister in Mulroney’s government.</p> <p>A week after the Rotman event, Mulroney visited the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy for <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/conversation-rt-hon-brian-mulroney">a conversation with Professor <strong>Peter Loewen</strong></a>, director of the Munk School, during which he reflected on his prime ministerial tenure and discussed Canada’s role in the world and the future of democratic societies.</p> <p>U of T News spoke with Loewen about Mulroney’s achievements and the legacy of his leadership.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/UofT89839_2022-09-13-Brian-Mulroney-Pamela-Wallin-%288%29-crop.jpg?itok=Y9hLl-zh" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Sen. Pamela Wallin and Brian Mulroney at the Rotman School of Management (photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <hr> <p><strong>You recently wrote <a href="https://theconversation.com/brian-mulroneys-tough-stand-against-apartheid-is-one-of-his-most-important-legacies-224915">an article in The Conversation</a> in which you described Brian Mulroney’s stance against apartheid in South Africa as one of his biggest achievements. Why?</strong></p> <p>This was, in Mulroney’s telling, and the telling of many others, one of the greatest achievements of his prime ministership. Brian Mulroney, in concert with Canadian mainstream opinion, was deeply opposed to apartheid. He thought it was an unacceptable form of racial separation within South Africa and was unbecoming of a democracy. That opposition, by the way, went all the way back – several governments – to <strong>John Diefenbaker</strong>’s Conservative government which opposed the imposition of apartheid when he was prime minister.</p> <p>Mr. Mulroney became prime minister at a time when the issue was really coming to a head. It was deeply dividing South African society. The imprisonment of <strong>Nelson Mandela</strong> and many other political prisoners was, by that point, widely recognized internationally as unacceptable. So for Mulroney, it was an opportunity in foreign policy for Canada to play a role in trying to right one of the great wrongs of the world.</p> <p>He was opposed in that effort, though, by two of his otherwise closest allies and, indeed, closest political friends: Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, who opposed opposing apartheid ostensibly for anti-communist reasons. They felt that the ANC [African National Congress] was an ally of communists and they still saw themselves locked deeply in the Cold War. So, this made it difficult for Mulroney – and yet he took up the challenge of opposing it. He was joined in that opposition by most Canadians indeed and by other Commonwealth leaders, including <strong>Bob Hawke</strong> in Australia.</p> <p><strong>How did Mulroney enlist global organizations in the fight against apartheid?</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/GettyImages-96494999-crop.jpg?itok=iKjNayeA" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>South African anti-apartheid leader and African National Congress (ANC) member Nelson Mandela arrives in Ottawa for an official visit June 17, 1990 (photo by Renaud Giroux/AFP via Getty Images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Mulroney’s international leadership was key. In 1987-1988, Mulroney had positioned himself to hold the chairmanship of three different organizations: the Commonwealth, the Francophonie (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie)&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1rem;">and the G7. When you hold the chairmanship of those organizations, you’re in a position to set the agenda for the things to be talked about.</span></p> <p>It was at that point that he brought the Commonwealth nations together as well as G7 countries – minus the United Kingdom and the United States – to really bring the full pressure of a sanctions regime on the South African government. And this eventually led to much economic difficulty and really squeezed the South Africans so that they had to release Mandela.</p> <p>[Then-president of South Africa] <strong>F.W. De Klerk</strong> announced in February 1990 that he would unilaterally release Mandela without conditions. Mandela was released seven days later and one of the first phone calls he made internationally was to Brian Mulroney; indeed, the first parliament he visited after his freedom outside of South Africa was the Canadian Parliament, where he thanked not only Mulroney but all Canadians.</p> <p>This was a moment of great international leadership by Mr. Mulroney. It’s one in which he marshaled all the support of Canadian public opinion. He often ran against public opinion – in this case he was on the right side of it and he marshaled all that support to this great international action.</p> <p><strong>What are some other examples of how Mulroney operated on the world stage?</strong></p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/GettyImages-515305916-crop.jpg?itok=yjBqx1Hl" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>The North American Free Trade Agreement was initialled in San Antonio on Oct. 7, 1992, with U.S. president George H.W. Bush (centre), Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari (left) and Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney (right) in attendance.&nbsp;Michael Wilson, Canada's minister of international trade, is seen seated in front of Mr. Mulroney</em>&nbsp;<em>(photo by Bettmann/Getty Images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>During the first Gulf War – Operation Desert Storm, the American-led mission to push back <strong>Saddam Hussein</strong>’s Iraq out of Kuwait – Mulroney was very influential in using multilateral relationships to set the terms of engagement for that war. He made it largely possible for other countries like Canada and Australia to have conditions under which they could join that alliance.&nbsp;</p> <p>Then there’s the other sets of things which weren’t multilateral initially, but bilateral – that is, his agreements with the United States over free trade in 1987 and 1988 that then led to the multilateral NAFTA, which has set the framework for North American trade across all of the Americas. It’s taken a longer time for that vision to be realized, but that template of bilateral and then trilateral trade agreements has really formed the basis for a lot of the trade agreements that Canada now holds throughout the Americas.</p> <p><strong>How do you reflect on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV3UKnrQBnQ">your conversation with Mulroney at the Munk School</a> in 2022?</strong></p> <div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-oembed-video field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"><iframe src="/media/oembed?url=https%3A//youtu.be/WV3UKnrQBnQ%3Fsi%3DJL-bAoHgBQ_qlPht&amp;max_width=0&amp;max_height=0&amp;hash=sLpnglYligvaIlD761NgdGuIKbko4lLrZdLZDeZr1PA" width="200" height="113" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="Munk School: Peter Loewen in conversation with The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney"></iframe> </div> </div> <p>It was a thrill to have spent the time with him. He’s one of the world’s great storytellers. But woven within those stories are some pretty important political lessons about focusing on the long term and taking on big challenges.</p> <p>I reflected with [TVO journalist] <strong>Steve Paikin</strong> – we were chatting after Mulroney’s passing – that I think I may have been the only person to have ever asked Mulroney a question in a public interview that stumped him. I asked him essentially whether there were things he wished he had spent more time on. He couldn’t answer the question.</p> <p>I don’t know if it was an unfair question, but I think the answer was very telling in that Mr. Mulroney didn’t waste a minute when he was in office. And I think he left with no regrets over all the things that he got done. And that’s a lesson to political leaders today: that you have to really grasp that unfailing minute, and if you don’t make use of all 60 seconds of it, that you will have regrets in your career – but I think Brian Mulroney had none.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:34:33 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 306838 at Four AI trends to watch in 2024 /news/four-ai-trends-watch-2024 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Four AI trends to watch in 2024</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1933427591-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=bWQQfFcH 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1933427591-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=xSzVRTv8 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1933427591-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=5GUAZclT 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1933427591-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=bWQQfFcH" alt="A person dressed like a monk stands in front of a sign that reads The Future is AI on a crowded street in Davos"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-01-19T12:02:40-05:00" title="Friday, January 19, 2024 - 12:02" class="datetime">Fri, 01/19/2024 - 12:02</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>AI was a hot topic at this week’s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (photo by Andy Barton/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jovana-jankovic" hreflang="en">Jovana Jankovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-secondary-author-reporter field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/daniel-browne" hreflang="en">Daniel Browne</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/schwartz-reisman-institute-technology-and-society" hreflang="en">Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-information" hreflang="en">Faculty of Information</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">“The advancement of AI is moving quickly, and the year ahead holds a lot of promise but also a lot of unanswered questions”</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As artificial intelligence continues to develop rapidly, the world is watching with excitement and apprehension – as evidenced by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/01/18/davos-ai-world-economic-forum/">AI buzz in Davos this week at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting</a>.</p> <p>Ƶ researchers are using AI to <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">advance scientific discovery</a> and <a href="https://tcairem.utoronto.ca/">improve health-care delivery</a>, <a href="/news/who-owns-your-face-scholars-u-t-s-schwartz-reisman-institute-explore-tech-s-thorniest-questions">exploring how to mitigate potential harms</a> and finding new ways to ensure the technology <a href="/news/achieving-alignment-how-u-t-researchers-are-working-keep-ai-track">aligns with human values</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The advancement of AI is moving quickly, and the year ahead holds a lot of promise but also a lot of unanswered questions,” says <strong>Monique Crichlow</strong>, executive director of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI). “Researchers at SRI and across the university are tackling how to build and regulate AI systems for safer outcomes, as well as the social impacts of these powerful technologies.”</p> <p>“From health-care delivery to accessible financial and legal services, AI has the potential to benefit society in many ways and tackle inequality around the world. But we have real work to do in 2024 to ensure that happens safely.”</p> <p>As AI continues to reshape industries and challenge many aspects of society, here are four emerging themes U of T researchers are keeping their eyes on in 2024:</p> <hr> <h3>1. AI regulation is on its way</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1754158756-crop.jpg?itok=IvlN2HdV" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris applauds as U.S. President Joe Biden signs an executive order on the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence on Oct. 30, 2023 (photo by Brendan Simialowski/AFP/Getty Images)&nbsp;</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>As a technology with a wide range of potential applications, AI has the potential to impact all aspects of society – and regulators around the world are scrambling to catch up<span style="font-size: 1rem;">.</span></p> <p>Set to pass later this year, the <a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/innovation-better-canada/en/artificial-intelligence-and-data-act"><em>Artificial Intelligence and Data Act </em></a>(AIDA) is the Canadian government’s first attempt to comprehensively regulate AI. Similar attempts by <a href="https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/global-ai-safety-and-governance">other governments</a> include the European Union’s <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence"><em>AI Act</em> </a>and the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6580/text"><em>Algorithmic Accountability Act</em></a> in the United States.</p> <p>But <a href="https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/ai-regulation-in-canada-is-moving-forward-heres-what-needs-to-come-next">there is still much to be done</a>.</p> <p>In the coming year, legislators and policymakers in Canada will tackle many questions, including what counts as fair use when it comes to training data and what privacy means in the 21st century. Is it illegal for companies to train AI systems on copyrighted data, as <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/new-york-times-openai-lawsuit-copyright-1.7069701">a recent lawsuit</a> from the <em>New York Times</em> alleges? Who owns the rights to AI-generated artworks? Will Canada’s new privacy bill sufficiently <a href="https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/to-guarantee-our-rights-canadas-privacy-legislation-must-protect-our-biometric-data">protect citizens’ biometric data</a>?</p> <p>On top of this, AI’s entry into other sectors and industries will increasingly affect and transform how we regulate other products and services. As&nbsp;<strong>Gillian Hadfield</strong>, a professor in the Faculty of Law and the Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society, Policy Researcher <strong>Jamie Sandhu</strong>&nbsp;and Faculty of Law doctorial candidate <strong>Noam Kolt</strong> explore in <a href="https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/cifar-ai-insights-policy-regulatory-transformation">a recent policy brief for CIFAR</a>&nbsp;(formerly the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research),&nbsp;a focus on regulating AI through its harms and risks alone “obscures the bigger picture” of how these systems will transform other industries and society as a whole. For example: are current car safety regulations adequate to account for self-driving vehicles powered by AI?</p> <h3>2. The use of generative AI will continue to stir up controversy</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1889111776-crop.jpg?itok=_v5Nv_QX" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Microsoft Bing Image Creator is displayed on a smartphone (photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Getty Images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>From AI-generated text and pictures to videos and music, use of generative AI has exploded over the past year – and so have questions surrounding issues such as academic integrity, misinformation and the displacement of creative workers.</p> <p>In the classroom, teachers are seeking to understand how <a href="https://magazine.utoronto.ca/campus/education-is-evolving-in-the-age-of-ai/">education is evolving in the age of machine learning</a>. Instructors will need to find new ways to embrace these tools – or perhaps opt to reject them altogether – and students will continue to discover new ways to learn alongside these systems.</p> <p>At the same time, AI systems <a href="https://journal.everypixel.com/ai-image-statistics">created more than 15 billion images last year</a>&nbsp;by some counts – more than the entire 150-year history of photography. Online content will increasingly lack human authorship, and some researchers have proposed that by 2026 <a href="https://thelivinglib.org/experts-90-of-online-content-will-be-ai-generated-by-2026/">as much as 90 per cent of internet text could be generated by AI</a>. Risks around disinformation will increase, and new methods to label content as trustworthy will be essential.</p> <p>Many workers – including writers, translators, illustrators and designers – are worried about job losses. But a tidal wave of machine-generated text could also have negative impacts on AI development. In a recent study, <strong>Nicolas Papernot</strong>, an assistant professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering and an SRI faculty affiliate,&nbsp;and his co-authors found <a href="/news/training-ai-machine-generated-text-could-lead-model-collapse-researchers-warn">training AI on machine-generated text led to the system becoming less reliable</a> and subject to “model collapse.”</p> <h3>3. Public perception and trust of AI is shifting</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1933427856-crop.jpg?itok=WipX3hEz" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>A person walks past a temporary AI stall in Davos, Switzerland (photo by Andy Barton/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Can we trust AI? Is our data secure?</p> <p>Emerging research on public trust of AI is shedding light on changing preferences, desires and viewpoints.&nbsp;<strong>Peter Loewen&nbsp;</strong>–&nbsp;the director of the <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a>, SRI’s associate director and the director of the Munk School’s&nbsp;<a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/pearl">Policy, Elections &amp; Representation Lab</a> (PEARL) – is developing an index measuring public perceptions of and attitudes towards AI technologies.</p> <p>Loewen’s team conducted a representative survey of more than 23,000 people across 21 countries, examining attitudes towards regulation, AI development, perceived personal and societal economic impacts, specific emerging technologies such as ChatGPT and the use of AI by government. They plan to release their results soon.</p> <p>Meanwhile, 2024 is being called <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2024/01/03/2024-is-the-biggest-election-year-in-history-here-are-the-countries-going-to-the-polls-this-year/?sh=6c930f8265f9">“the biggest election year in history,”</a> with more than 50 countries headed to the polls, and <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/01/03/2024-elections-ai-tech-social-media-disinformation/">experts expect interference and misinformation to hit an all-time high</a> thanks to AI. How will citizens know which information, candidates, and policies to trust?&nbsp;</p> <p>In response, some researchers are investigating the foundations of trust itself.&nbsp;<strong>Beth Coleman</strong>, an associate professor at U of T Mississauga’s Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology and the Faculty of Information who is an SRI research lead, is leading <a href="https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/call-for-applicants-trust-working-group">an interdisciplinary working group</a> on the role of trust in interactions between humans and AI systems, examining how trust is conceptualized, earned and maintained in our interactions with the pivotal technology of our time.</p> <h3>4. AI will increasingly transform labour, markets and industries&nbsp;</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1546723736-crop.jpg?itok=oLMOosKv" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>A protester in London holds a placard during a rally in Leicester Square (photo by Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Kristina McElheran</strong>, an assistant professor in the Rotman School of Management and an SRI researcher,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>and her collaborators may have recently found <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/wide-gap-ais-hype-use-business-rcna127210">a gap between AI buzz in the workplace and businesses who are actually using it</a>&nbsp;– but&nbsp;there remains a real possibility that labour, markets and industries will undergo massive transformation.<br> <br> U of T researchers who have published books on how AI will transform industry include: Rotman faculty members <strong>Ajay Agrawal</strong>, <strong>Joshua Gans</strong>&nbsp;and <strong>Avi Goldfarb</strong>, whose <a href="https://www.predictionmachines.ai/power-prediction"><em>Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence</em></a> argues that “old ways of doing things will be upended” as AI predictions improve; and the Faculty of Law’s <strong>Benjamin Alarie</strong> and <strong>Abdi Aidid</strong>, who propose in <a href="https://utorontopress.com/9781487529420/the-legal-singularity/"><em>The Legal Singularity: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Law Radically Better</em></a> that AI will improve legal services by increasing ease of access and fairness for individuals.</p> <p>In 2024, institutions –&nbsp;public and private – will be creating more guidelines and rules around how AI systems can or cannot be used in their operations. Disruptors will be challenging the hierarchy of the current marketplace.&nbsp;</p> <p>The coming year promises to be transformative for AI as it continues to find new applications across society. Experts and citizens must stay alert to the changes AI will bring and continue to advocate that ethical and responsible practices guide the development of this powerful technology.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 19 Jan 2024 17:02:40 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 305503 at U of T constructing Canada’s tallest academic timber building /news/u-t-constructing-canada-s-tallest-academic-timber-building <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T constructing Canada’s tallest academic timber building</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-01/Academic-Wood-Tower---Renderings---02-crop.jpg?h=cd2f3849&amp;itok=x2igJcaS 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-01/Academic-Wood-Tower---Renderings---02-crop.jpg?h=cd2f3849&amp;itok=8i1mGNDm 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-01/Academic-Wood-Tower---Renderings---02-crop.jpg?h=cd2f3849&amp;itok=I5YANOL0 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-01/Academic-Wood-Tower---Renderings---02-crop.jpg?h=cd2f3849&amp;itok=x2igJcaS" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-01-18T13:18:33-05:00" title="Thursday, January 18, 2024 - 13:18" class="datetime">Thu, 01/18/2024 - 13:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>The Academic Wood Tower has started to take shape in the Bloor Street cultural corridor, where it will serve as a beacon for green architecture – and provide high-quality spaces for three of the university’s faculties and schools (Rendering courtesy of Patkau Architects + MJMA)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/advancement-staff" hreflang="en">Advancement Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-palmer" hreflang="en">David Palmer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utogether" hreflang="en">UTogether</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/goldring-centre" hreflang="en">Goldring Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Ƶ has begun raising a new 14-storey mass timber building that will set a precedent for sustainable design.</p> <p>Once complete, the tower is expected to be the tallest academic timber structure in Canada and one of the tallest mass timber and steel hybrid buildings in North America.</p> <p>U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T, which was recently <a href="/news/u-t-named-most-sustainable-university-world">named the&nbsp;world’s most sustainable university by QS World Rankings</a>, is committed to furthering its role as a global model with projects like these.</p> <p>“This inspiring piece of architecture will provide our students, faculty and staff with state-of-the-art spaces for research, learning and community engagement,” said&nbsp;<strong>Meric Gertler</strong>, president of the university. “It will stand as a testament to U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T’s global leadership in sustainability, as well as our commitment to city-building. It will also showcase Canada’s leadership in wood construction technologies and the forest products industry. We are very grateful to our donors and to all those helping us to realize this incredibly exciting vision.”</p> <h4>State-of-the-art spaces for three U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T faculties and schools</h4> <p>Located near the intersection of Devonshire Place and Bloor Street on U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T’s St. George campus, the tower will provide high-quality spaces for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/">Rotman School of Management</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Polic</a>y&nbsp;in the <a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://kpe.utoronto.ca/">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a>.</p> <p>Widely considered one of the world’s most innovative business schools, Rotman is home to a unique ecosystem of labs and research centres that provide cutting-edge thought leadership. The top five floors of the Academic Wood Tower will house Rotman’s specialized executive education programs.</p> <p>“The Academic Wood Tower will provide ample space to inspire our program’s participants as they work to explore and transform themselves, their organizations and their communities,” said&nbsp;<strong>Susan Christoffersen</strong>, dean of the Rotman School of Management. “Carefully designed to set a precedent in sustainability, space configuration and educational technologies, the tower will equip researchers and learners with the tools and forward-thinking design to educate the leaders of tomorrow on pressing business topics.”</p> <p>The Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy is a world-renowned hub for dialogue and debate, highly sought after for its thought leadership on the most pressing issues of our time. It hosts hundreds of high-impact events each year that engage scholars from across U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T and around the world.</p> <p>“I’m delighted that the Munk School’s faculty and students will be part of the Academic Wood Tower community,” said&nbsp;<strong>Melanie Woodin</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. “This new building will provide much-needed space as our experts continue to provide timely research guidance on current events and train tomorrow’s leaders in public policy.”</p> <p>“We look forward to bringing together students, faculty and other community members in this inspiring space,” added&nbsp;<strong>Peter Loewen</strong>, professor in the department of political science and director of the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy.</p> <p>The tower will be directly connected to the Munk School Observatory building and the <a href="https://kpe.utoronto.ca/facility/goldring-centre-high-performance-sport">Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport</a>, one of the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education’s main facilities. The new floors will allow the faculty to continue to expand its work as one of the world’s top-ranked sports science programs of its kind, which includes facilitating the university’s massive slate of co-curricular physical activity and sports programs.</p> <p>“The Academic Wood Tower will provide critical additional space for our faculty,” said&nbsp;<strong>Gretchen Kerr</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education. “Its proximity to the Goldring Centre and Varsity Stadium will provide us with a fantastic – and convenient – set of facilities as we continue to support healthy living through our teaching, research and programming.”</p> <h4>A highly watched case study in sustainable design</h4> <p>Even prior to construction, the Academic Wood Tower was attracting significant attention for its innovative design.</p> <p>Designed by award-winning Canadian firms Patkau Architects and MJMA Architecture &amp; Design with consulting from Blackwell Structural Engineers and Smith+Andersen, the Academic Wood Tower’s unique and sustainable structure has already won a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.</p> <p>The same team worked on U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T’s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, which included the tower’s foundation and basement as part of its construction. Now, with the first deliveries of mass-timber components to the site, construction of the Academic Wood Tower is proceeding under the management of industry leader Pomerleau. The university anticipates completing the building in 2026.</p> <p>The building is expected to serve as a case study for designers and engineers who can analyze this milestone achievement and potentially apply the tower’s best practices to their own projects.</p> <p>“U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T’s Academic Wood Tower proves that we can reduce emissions, responsibly construct new buildings and contribute to the vibrant architectural fabric of a dense city like Toronto,” said&nbsp;<strong>Sandra Hanington</strong>, vice-chair of the university’s Governing Council.</p> <p>Mass timber offers a wealth of structural advantages, including a high degree of fire safety and a low carbon footprint. Wood naturally absorbs carbon, taking it out of the atmosphere and reducing greenhouse gases. It is also one of the only major building materials that is a renewable resource.</p> <p>Many of the tower’s components can be manufactured prior to their arrival, which means that they can be assembled easily and efficiently once on site, minimizing the level of construction disruption in this busy area of the city.</p> <h4>Working together on a global issue</h4> <p>Funding the tower’s construction has been a collective effort with the federal government and numerous donors all making key contributions to bring this vision to life.</p> <p>The building has received significant support from the Government of Canada’s Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) program, which encourages the use of innovative wood-based building technologies in construction projects to help Canada reach its Paris Agreement commitments and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p>Canada is a leader in wood construction technologies and home to one of the largest forest industries in the world. Fittingly, the tower’s timber is homegrown, originating in Western Canada.</p> <p>“The Government of Canada’s Green Construction through Wood program is supporting more sustainable Canadian materials for the construction industry,” said&nbsp;<strong>Jonathan Wilkinson</strong>, minister of energy and natural resources. “The Ƶ’s Academic Wood Tower project is one of many examples of innovative technologies being used to create resilient and low-carbon buildings, while preventing carbon emissions. I congratulate all those involved in this important project.”</p> <p>“The Academic Wood Tower at U of T is a historic development that symbolizes where we are headed: a cleaner&nbsp;future where Canadian workers sustainably use Canadian materials to build more affordable and sustainable communities,” added&nbsp;<strong>Julie Dabrusin</strong>, parliamentary secretary to the minister of environment and climate change and to the minister of energy and natural resources.&nbsp;“The Government of Canada is pleased to help get this tower built, right&nbsp;here in Toronto.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The project’s commitments to sustainability and innovation are an example of the university’s&nbsp;<a href="http://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/">Defy Gravity&nbsp;campaign</a> priorities in action. Donor support has been critical to getting the tower off the ground.</p> <p>“U&nbsp;of&nbsp;T’s donors make projects of this scale a reality,” said&nbsp;<strong>David Palmer</strong>, vice-president, university advancement. “Their inspiring commitment has given the world a striking and practical blueprint for building sustainable design – tangibly demonstrating that we can create inviting, cutting-edge research and learning spaces while maintaining our commitment to sustainability.”</p> <h3><a href="https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/priorities/create-a-sustainable-future/">Explore related campaign priorities:&nbsp;Create a sustainable future</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 18 Jan 2024 18:18:33 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 305505 at U of T sustainability leaders head to Dubai for COP28 climate summit /news/u-t-sustainability-leaders-head-dubai-cop28-climate-summit <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T sustainability leaders head to Dubai for COP28 climate summit</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/GettyImages-1812568239-crop.jpg?h=4a5c3114&amp;itok=26P3QeB9 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-11/GettyImages-1812568239-crop.jpg?h=4a5c3114&amp;itok=1cNvBGaM 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-11/GettyImages-1812568239-crop.jpg?h=4a5c3114&amp;itok=up9aQgrj 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/GettyImages-1812568239-crop.jpg?h=4a5c3114&amp;itok=26P3QeB9" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-30T09:51:02-05:00" title="Thursday, November 30, 2023 - 09:51" class="datetime">Thu, 11/30/2023 - 09:51</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>The 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Dubai, runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 (photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/mariam-matti" hreflang="en">Mariam Matti</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-positive-energy" hreflang="en">Climate Positive Energy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-change" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sustainability leaders from the Ƶ are among the thousands of world leaders, legislators and climate activists attending COP28 in Dubai this year – highlighting the university’s commitment to advancing sustainability and research on a global scale.</p> <p>Beginning Nov. 30 and running until Dec. 12., the <a href="https://unfccc.int/cop28">28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference</a> will feature numerous discussions, presentations and other events aimed at mitigating and adapting to the ever-evolving challenges of climate change.</p> <p>That includes several panels hosted by U of T’s <a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/">Climate Positive Energy Initiative</a> – <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">an institutional strategic initiative</a> that supports sustainable energy and climate change initiatives across the university and beyond – and a roundtable discussion, evening reception and a networking event hosted by the U of T <a href="https://sustainability.utoronto.ca/ceccs-home/">President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change &amp; Sustainability</a> (CECCS).</p> <p><strong>Kristy Faccer</strong>, director of CECCS, says the committee is activating the university’s "third mission" – after <a href="/about-u-of-t/mission">education and research</a> – by taking action on climate change and sustainability.</p> <p>“At COP28, CECCS is meeting with Network and higher education leaders that are already involved in the global dialogue and innovating on climate, but so far are largely doing so with an ‘outside-in’ focus and operating in a largely uncoordinated manner outside of their own networks,” she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>“As co-convenor of the Network of Networks and roundtable at COP28, CECCS is turning this conversation ‘inside-out’ to work with leaders on how and where we can move the dial together, not by setting out a direction and next steps for one institution, or one network, but potentially thousands of institutions around the world, for the sector, and critically, with partners where it is needed most.”</p> <p>The CECCS roundtable discussion on Dec. 8 – an invite-only event co-hosted by Faccer – will feature remarks from the past COP26 president and <a href="https://climatechampions.unfccc.int/un-climate-change-high-level-champions/">UN Climate Change High-Level Champion</a> as well as the <a href="https://secondnature.org/initiative/uc3-coalition/" target="_blank">University Climate Change Coalition</a> (UC3), UN Climate Champions, <a href="https://www.u7alliance.org/">U7+ Alliance of World Universities</a>&nbsp;and the <a href="https://international-sustainable-campus-network.org/">International Sustainable Campus Network</a> (ISCN). An invite-only reception in the evening of Dec. 8 with a keynote from the co-president of the <a href="https://www.clubofrome.org/">Club of Rome</a> will also be co-hosted by CECCS.</p> <p>The panel discussion topics hosted by the Climate Positive Energy Initiative, meanwhile, will focus on everything from addressing gaps in climate innovation to the role of universities in ensuring no one is left behind in the transition to a net-zero future.</p> <p>On Dec. 8, a panel moderated by <strong>Shatha Qaqish-Clavering</strong>, director of strategy and operations at Climate Positive Energy, will focus on Western Canada’s plans to tackle climate change – in particular, the challenges and opportunities around meeting net-zero emissions reduction targets by 2050.</p> <p>“We will focus on clean energy innovation in Alberta and Saskatchewan,” Qaqish-Clavering says. “Our hope is that this conversation can inspire global collaboration, spark ideas for scalable solutions in other climates and countries, and foster shared optimism towards a clean and equitable energy transition worldwide.”</p> <p>A side event panel on Dec. 9 will discuss how universities are working with communities and industry to support 2050 net-zero emission reductions targets, with Qaqish-Clavering co-moderating and sharing U of T’s efforts. She says she intends to highlight U of T’s plans for a Grid Modernization Centre in Ontario, which would be the first of its kind in Canada and would see the university convene more than 50 industry partners to accelerate the adoption of renewable technologies into the grid. In addition to discussing innovation, policy-building and strategic partnerships, the panelists will also explore universities’ efforts to promote social justice, equity and youth leadership.</p> <p>A third panel – also moderated by Qaqish-Clavering – on Dec. 10 will focus on how universities can help communities and industry realize a net-zero future. That includes questions around adoption of new innovations, the gaps between universities and society more broadly on climate action and the role of fundamental and applied research in the field.</p> <p>Finally, on Dec. 11 – the same day that CECCS will co-host a networking event which will include guests from different universities – Qaqish-Clavering will participate on a panel about the role of academic institutions in a low-carbon transition organized by Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.</p> <p>Qaqish-Clavering says participating in COP28 showcases the university’s commitment to being a leader on climate change and sustainability.</p> <p>“The university is a global leader in climate research, and established the Climate Positive Energy Initiative to unite our climate and sustainability research experts so that we can work together towards achieving a net-zero future,” she says.</p> <p>“One of CPE’s goals is to help Canada become a global clean-energy model. Having CPE at COP28 allows us to showcase some of the research that is underway to transform our energy systems – and to bring forward future collaboration opportunities that can support equitable clean energy solutions not only in Canada, but around the world.”</p> <p>U of T’s collaborative approach to addressing climate change and other sustainability issues is longstanding. It is a member of ISCN and <a href="/news/u-t-joins-coalition-leading-universities-driving-climate-action">the University Climate Change Coalition</a> (UC3), and works to address global challenges such as climate change through the&nbsp; U7+ Alliance of World Universities.</p> <p><strong>Emma Lecavalier</strong>, a PhD student in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, is among four U of T students attending the conference. As a political scientist, she examines the role of transnational policy actors in promoting ambitious climate targets and building cities’ capacities to reach those targets.</p> <p>At COP28’s Local Climate Action Summit, she plans to interview policymakers to inform her research.</p> <p>“Attending the Local Climate Action Summit at COP28 will be a unique opportunity to observe the global dimensions of urban climate action,” she says.</p> <p><strong>Rohina Kabir</strong>, a master’s student studying European and Russian affairs at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy, says attending COP28 will allow her to connect with fellow researchers, governmental and non-governmental agencies, and technology companies engaged in climate change initiatives in Central Asia.</p> <p>She hopes to uphold the commitment of leaving no one behind, with a specific focus on countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and others.</p> <p>“Climate change knows no boundaries,” Kabir says, “making it even more imperative to address these issues.” &nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:51:02 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 304739 at First-year student arrives at U of T with a plan to improve Toronto’s transit /news/first-year-student-arrives-u-t-plan-improve-toronto-s-transit <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">First-year student arrives at U of T with a plan to improve Toronto’s transit </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/2023-08-24-Zarif-Ali_Polina-Teif-3-crop.jpg?h=a78a8132&amp;itok=1FRagoLT 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-08/2023-08-24-Zarif-Ali_Polina-Teif-3-crop.jpg?h=a78a8132&amp;itok=BLZy_f8c 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-08/2023-08-24-Zarif-Ali_Polina-Teif-3-crop.jpg?h=a78a8132&amp;itok=9tp9TTA0 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/2023-08-24-Zarif-Ali_Polina-Teif-3-crop.jpg?h=a78a8132&amp;itok=1FRagoLT" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-08-28T13:25:49-04:00" title="Monday, August 28, 2023 - 13:25" class="datetime">Mon, 08/28/2023 - 13:25</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>A member of New College, incoming first-year student Zarif Ali is hoping to study computer science and meet others who are passionate about improving transit and</em>&nbsp;“other things that ... could dramatically improve our quality of life” <em>(photo by Polina Teif)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tabassum-siddiqui" hreflang="en">Tabassum Siddiqui</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/back-school-2023" hreflang="en">Back to School 2023</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utogether" hreflang="en">UTogether</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/new-college" hreflang="en">New College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/transit" hreflang="en">Transit</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Zarif Ali says the idea for his rewards-focused app grew out of a Grade 9 geography project</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Zarif Ali</strong> is betting the Ƶ – and its culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in particular – can help him get where he wants to go.</p> <p>A recent graduate of the International Baccalaureate program at Scarborough’s Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate, Ali has been <a href="https://torontolife.com/city/our-city-is-addicted-to-cars-this-teens-transit-app-rewards-people-for-riding-the-ttc/">making media headlines</a> in recent months for <a href="https://www.zarifali.com/transit">Transit+</a>, his concept for an app that would incentivize public-transit riders through a rewards program while consolidating other features from existing apps, such as route and schedule information and digital fare payment.</p> <p>“It was originally part of our Grade 9 geography culminating project,” says Ali, 18, who will be starting first year in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science as a member of New College with an eye toward entering the computer science program in his second year. “Our teacher assigned us to create something that would improve the quality of life in Toronto.”</p> <p>He says had wanted to attend U of T ever since middle school and made up his mind when he discovered the university had <a href="https://artsci.calendar.utoronto.ca/program/asfoc1689h">a specialist program for designing computer interfaces</a>.</p> <p>“I was immediately interested, as that relates directly to how I want to thrive in my career. It was very clear to me from the beginning that U of T was going to be my top choice – and so I actually didn’t end up applying anywhere else.”</p> <p>Inspired by a transit-focused episode of comedian Hasan Minhaj’s talk show <em>Patriot Act</em> and his own burgeoning interest in computer science, Ali decided to focus on a digital solution to the issue of transit cuts and fare hikes due to transit agencies’ lack of revenue.</p> <p>“Transit+ is like Starbucks Rewards for your transit fare,” he explains. “The more you ride the TTC or Metrolinx using your Presto card, the more points you would be able to rack up – and at the end of the week or month, you could redeem them for a free bus ride or even a weekly or monthly pass. And if you wanted to incorporate small businesses around the city, you could have them do promotions within the app for you to redeem using Presto or your credit card.”</p> <p>Ali points to other transit agencies that have implemented similar systems over the years, such as the <a href="https://www.stm.info/en/press/press-releases/2013/the-stm-launches-a-one-of-a-kind-application-to-thank-its-clients">STM Merci loyalty program</a> in Montreal that was able to generate $100 million in additional revenue from new ridership over the course of its three-year pilot project, <a href="https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1281&amp;context=mti_publications">according to a study</a>, or Hong Kong’s Octopus smartcard and its rider perks.</p> <p>“Right now, the app is very focused on the rewards program – it’s meant to incentivize people who are either considering using transit, or already using it, to use it more frequently. If you're able to increase ridership, you increase the total revenue that the agency is able to bring in,” Ali says.</p> <p>Encouraged by his teachers and fellow classmates, Ali kept fine-tuning his idea for the Transit+ app throughout high school while continuing to learn more about computing by watching YouTube videos and taking a Grade 10 computer science course.</p> <p>“I’m interested in computer science because of how it enables you to create things that are accessible to so many people,” Ali says.</p> <p>He credits his experience at Wilfrid Laurier for helping him prepare to enter university.</p> <p>“The teachers there were absolutely wonderful in guiding everyone throughout our high school career – especially in the last two years in the IB program,” Ali says.</p> <p>“There was definitely a competitive atmosphere, but it just fueled everybody to try and do the absolute best they could in whatever field they wanted to get into. And happily, everybody in my friend group was able to get into their top choice for university.”</p> <p>Ali’s former geography teacher, <strong>Karen Pak</strong> – who graduated from the master's program at U of T's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 2017 – says the school project that led to Ali's app was based on principles from the <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/gii">Global Ideas Institute</a> at the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy, where she was formerly the mentor program manager. She says Ali's enthusiasm for learning will serve him well in university.</p> <p>“As an educator, you always hope that students will be sparked by something to make learning truly tangible and applicable,” Pak says.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Zarif deserves all the credit in taking this opportunity and turning it into a pathway for his creativity and intellect – a winning combination. I know he will go on to accomplish incredible innovations and inspire others to do the same.”</p> <p>As he gets ready to start at U of T in September, Ali is as focused on his academic goals as he was on building Transit+.</p> <p>“I’m hoping that I can meet the requirements to get into the computer science major. After second year, I want to go into the focus in human-computer interaction program, because that’s where you get to learn about design fundamentals.</p> <p>“And I’m hoping to meet like-minded people at U of T who are also as passionate about computer science and improving things like transit or looking at other things that could be very simple to implement, but could dramatically improve our quality of life,” Ali says, adding that he’s planning to join some of U of T’s entrepreneurship clubs and accelerators to help him further develop his app.</p> <p>For Transit+ to become a reality, Ali knows he’d need buy-in from TTC and Metrolinx – and has already reached out to local politicians, activists and transit staff who've offered feedback and even helped him refine his pitch.</p> <p>Ironically, Ali – who immigrated to Scarborough from Bangladesh with his parents in 2010 – has never been much of a transit rider himself. But that’s all about to change as he gears up for his daily commute to campus this fall.</p> <p>“I've always been lucky enough to have my schools or wherever I need to go really close by, so I never really rode transit that much,” he says. “But now that I'm coming downtown to attend U of T, I feel like having a program like Transit+ in place would be great.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-add-new-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Add new story tags</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/back-school-2023" hreflang="en">Back to School 2023</a></div> </div> </div> Mon, 28 Aug 2023 17:25:49 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 302742 at Curator focuses on personal objects and stories to share Holocaust survivors' experiences /news/u-of-t-alumna-curator-shares-holocaust-survivors-experiences <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Curator focuses on personal objects and stories to share Holocaust survivors' experiences</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/Sara-Jane-Vigneault-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8V8g1efS 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-07/Sara-Jane-Vigneault-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CvKoUpne 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-07/Sara-Jane-Vigneault-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Arpn2mlU 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/Sara-Jane-Vigneault-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8V8g1efS" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>siddiq22</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-07-10T16:00:35-04:00" title="Monday, July 10, 2023 - 16:00" class="datetime">Mon, 07/10/2023 - 16:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Sara-Jane Vigneault graduated from the Ƶ in 2021 with a master's degree in history (supplied image)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anne-tanenbaum-centre-jewish-studies" hreflang="en">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">For U of T alumna Sara-Jane Vigneault, museums can play a crucial role in the battle against misinformation</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A teddy bear belonging to Holocaust survivor Marianne Constantine is one of the many donated objects Ƶ alum<a href="https://twitter.com/JaneVigneault"><strong> Sara-Jane Vigneault</strong></a> has handled as a curator at the Montreal Holocaust Museum since earning her master’s degree in history through the&nbsp;<a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/ceres/news/ceres-alumna-sara-jane-vigneault-talks-about-her-experience-university-toronto">Centre for European, Russian &amp; Eurasian Studies</a>&nbsp;(CERES) at the <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://sgs.calendar.utoronto.ca/collaborative/Jewish-Studies">collaborative graduate program in Jewish studies</a>.</p> <p>“What I appreciate most about this job is meeting survivors and families and working with them to tell their stories,” says Vigneault, who graduated in 2021. “I’ll never take this for granted, because it’s a privilege to be there for them.”</p> <p>Vigneault notes that museums can play a crucial role in the battle against misinformation, whitewashing and conspiracy theories. A recent survey found that nearly a third of North American teens think the Holocaust is an exaggerated or fabricated event.</p> <p>“We need to continue creating spaces to analyze the personal experiences of communities targeted during the Holocaust. I also believe it is necessary to offer dialogue with other genocides and conflicts,” Vigneault says.</p> <p>These are important times of growth for Holocaust museums in Canada, with expansion of the&nbsp;<a href="https://museeholocauste.ca/en/">Montreal Holocaust Museum</a>&nbsp;and recent opening of the new&nbsp;<a href="https://torontoholocaustmuseum.org/">Toronto Holocaust Museum</a>, whose chief curator, <strong>Rachel Libman</strong>, is also an alum of U of T's Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and has collaborated closely with Vigneault.</p> <p>Although not Jewish, Vigneault was particularly attentive to questions about the Holocaust and its legacies while pursuing her coursework in the faculty's <a href="https://www.jewishstudies.utoronto.ca/">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a>&nbsp;and CERES.</p> <p>Her master’s project focused on Irène Némirovsky, author of&nbsp;<em>Suite Française,&nbsp;</em>and&nbsp;Némirovsky's daughters’ experiences of the war through their writings. Vigneault’s thesis,&nbsp;<em>Filling and Bridging the Gaps: Two Daughters’ Paths to Retrieve, Uncover and Recollect their Mother from Beyond Obliteration</em>&nbsp;considers Élisabeth Gille’s and Denise Epstein-Dauplé’s coping processes as they pieced together the memories of a mother that Vichy France seized from them.</p> <p>Vigneault&nbsp;considers literature as a site of continuity between Némirovsky&nbsp;– who was arrested as a stateless Jew and killed in Auschwitz&nbsp;– and her daughters.</p> <p>“I wanted to see how literature enabled them to reconnect and work through traumatic experiences,” says Vigneault, who contacted Némirovsky’s grandson as part of her research. She interviewed him and obtained permission to access crucial archives.</p> <p>“Sara-Jane frames the narrative theoretically and analytically yet always keeps sight of Némirovsky and her daughters as people&nbsp;– individual women with personalities, feelings, fears and needs. It is not easy to write history in this way,” says Vigneault's thesis supervisor <a href="https://www.history.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/doris-bergen"><strong>Doris Bergen</strong></a>, the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies in U of T's department of history.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-07/living-memorial-inside-crop.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Vigneault's research took her to Hungary's Living Memorial, where she explored the politics of memory and interviewed Holocaust survivors, scholars and activists (supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>“She tackled enormous questions about the nature of historical research, the limits and possibilities of the archives and the responsibility of a scholar to the people&nbsp;– living and dead – who are our sources and our subjects.”</p> <p>Experiential learning also bolstered Vigneault’s U of T experience, including a research trip to Budapest, Hungary, where she worked on the politics of memory. There she interviewed scholars, survivors and activists about the Living Memorial, a counter-memorial created in response to the Hungarian government’s refusal to acknowledge the country’s role in the Holocaust.</p> <p>Vigneault is currently pursuing her PhD in history at the University of Cambridge. She works on intimate contacts between French colonial soldiers and European women during the First and Second World Wars and investigates how French authorities tried to control racialized soldiers’ proximity to white women and maintain colonial borders.</p> <p>For Vigneault, her work as a researcher and at the museum serves to bring forward the stories of marginalized groups and encourages people to reflect on their individual and collective roles and learn from history.</p> <p>At the Montreal Holocaust Museum, Vigneault pursues that work alongside Jewish survivors like Marianne Constantine, who survived the Holocaust in Hungary with her mother and grandmother, only to be separated from them after the war. She reunited with her parents in Canada in 1952.</p> <p>As a child, Constantine’s one constant was the teddy bear she kept throughout the ordeal&nbsp;– the same teddy bear she entrusted to Vigneault and the museum more than 75 years later.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-add-new-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Add new story tags</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-european-russian-eurasian-studies" hreflang="en">Centre for European, Russian &amp; Eurasian Studies</a></div> </div> </div> Mon, 10 Jul 2023 20:00:35 +0000 siddiq22 302223 at Meet four of U of T’s latest global affairs and public policy grads /news/meet-four-u-of-t-latest-public-policy-grads <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Meet four of U of T’s latest global affairs and public policy grads</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-06/munk-grad-group-2023.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MffxpAFn 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-06/munk-grad-group-2023.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6tq5EW5f 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-06/munk-grad-group-2023.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=S9hN6L0u 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-06/munk-grad-group-2023.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MffxpAFn" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>siddiq22</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-06-19T16:14:30-04:00" title="Monday, June 19, 2023 - 16:14" class="datetime">Mon, 06/19/2023 - 16:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Clockwise from top left: Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy graduates Joaquin Espinosa Alarcón,&nbsp;Sara Duodu, Vedant Puthran and Hilda-Matilda Idegwu (supplied images)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/munk-school-staff" hreflang="en">Munk School Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6899" hreflang="en">Convocation 2023</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-stories" hreflang="en">Graduate Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/public-policy" hreflang="en">Public Policy</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Graduates from the Ƶ’s <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a> celebrated their convocation last week – a milestone as they look toward future careers on the international stage.</p> <p>The Munk School spoke with four new graduates about what they learned in their programs and how they plan to draw on their experiences at U of T as they prepare for further education and new roles in the global policy space.</p> <hr> <h3><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Joaquin Espinosa Alarcón</strong></span></h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_150_width_/public/2023-06/headshot_-_joaquin-square.jpg?itok=4RTyaLUM" width="150" height="150" alt="Joaquin Espinosa Alarcón" class="image-style-scale-image-150-width-"> </div> </div> <p><em>Up next: Research with the Citizen Lab</em></p> <p><strong>Joaquin Espinosa Alarcón</strong>’s journey to the Munk School’s <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/mga">Master of Global Affairs</a> (MGA) program had many stops along the way.</p> <p>Born in Quito, Ecuador, Espinosa Alarcón immigrated to the U.S. after finishing high school. He completed a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science at Bates College in Lewiston, ME, before moving to Washington, D.C. and working at the World Bank under the advisor on sexual orientation and gender identity as a point of contact for Latin American countries.</p> <p>“I didn't plan on doing this. But because I have been an immigrant since I was 18, I know there are geographic limitations or legal constraints as to what you can do. That experience, and my job at the World Bank, helped me realize that I am interested in global affairs,” he says.</p> <p>Espinosa Alarcón’s interest in 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and gender identity informed his time in the MGA program, where he was the director of <a href="https://sgdo.utoronto.ca/resource/spectrum-munk-school-of-global-affairs-public-policy/">Spectrum</a>, a student-led initiative that helps with the professional and career development of LGBTQ+ students and their allies.</p> <p>This summer, Espinosa Alarcón will collaborate with the <a href="https://citizenlab.ca/">Citizen Lab</a> team to produce a report on transgender rights, which will be presented in Costa Rica.</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><em>&nbsp;— Molly Gosewich</em></span></p> <h3><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Sara Duodu</strong></span></h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_150_width_/public/2023-06/sara_duodu-square.jpg?itok=hlRlySWl" width="150" height="150" alt="Sara Duodu" class="image-style-scale-image-150-width-"> </div> </div> <p><em>Up next:&nbsp;A career focused on environmental sustainability</em></p> <p>In starting her <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/mga">Master of Global Affairs</a> program at the Munk School, <strong>Sara Duodu</strong> knew she wanted to make an impact – during her studies and beyond.</p> <p>She credits a combination of her coursework, capstone project and leadership in student-led initiatives – including serving as co-editor of student publication <a href="https://www.munkgc.com/"><em>Global Conversations</em></a>, director of activities for the <a href="https://www.msbsa.ca/">Munk School Black Students Association</a> and coordinator for the school’s career exploration series – for her goal to pursue a post-graduation role focused on sustainability and innovation.</p> <p>Working on her capstone project, which involved developing and presenting recommendations for a more inclusive strategy to Sustainable Development Technology Canada, underscored Duodu’s interest in making ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) a key component of her future career.</p> <p>“I think there's a lot of room for working in the sustainability space and actually trying to have an impact there," she says.</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><em>&nbsp;— Claire Porter Robbins</em></span></p> <h3><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Hilda-Matilda Idegwu</strong></span></h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_150_width_/public/2023-06/hilda_idegwu-square.jpg?itok=ZTLNo_qj" width="150" height="150" alt="Hilda-Matilda Idegwu " class="image-style-scale-image-150-width-"> </div> </div> <p><em>Up next:&nbsp;Taking part in the federal Recruitment of Policy Leaders program</em></p> <p>At 16, <strong>Hilda-Matilda Idegwu</strong> came to the Munk School’s <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/gii">Global Ideas Institute</a> (GII) aspiring to change the world. After moving to Canada from the U.K. 11 years ago and growing up in a priority neighbourhood in Toronto, she became interested in community advocacy.</p> <p>After receiving a bachelor’s degree in international development studies from York University, Idegwu started the <a href="https://www.diasporalearningcentre.com/">Diaspora Learning Centre</a>, which provides affordable tutoring and mentorship to Black children and youth.</p> <p>Founding the organization gave her the confidence to apply to the Munk School, where she has kept busy as president of the <a href="https://www.msbsa.ca/">Munk School Black Students Association</a>, handling internal relations and operations for the <a href="https://www.publicgoodinitiative.ca/">Public Good Initiative</a>, contributing to the <em><a href="https://ppgreview.ca/">Public Policy and Governance Review</a></em> and participating in the Munk School’s Anti-Racism Working Group.</p> <p>Now the <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/mpp">Master of Public Policy</a> graduate is one of only a handful of people selected from thousands of applicants for Canada’s <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/recruitment/graduates/recruitment-policy-leaders.html">Recruitment of Policy Leaders</a> program, which trains participants for a career in the federal public service.</p> <p>Idegwu advises fellow graduates to remember the potential impact of their work.</p> <p>“It's important to remember that we do end up changing many lives,” she says. “We have to remember to serve people with all we have, and that what we have to offer is so valuable.”&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><em>&nbsp;— Adrienne Harry</em></span></p> <h3><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Vedant Puthran</strong></span></h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_150_width_/public/2023-06/picture1-crop.jpg?itok=If1Mzg0y" width="150" height="150" alt="Vedant Puthran" class="image-style-scale-image-150-width-"> </div> </div> <p><em>Up next:&nbsp;Working as an analyst with the RCMP</em></p> <p>Initially intending to become a lawyer, <strong>Vedant Puthran</strong> attended U of T's Faculty of Arts &amp; Science for his undergraduate degree in criminology with a focus on criminal justice policy before joining the Munk School.</p> <p>“For me, a career in policy seemed like the better fit for my goal of helping the public, rather than pursuing a career in law,” says Puthran, a <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/mpp">Master of Public Policy</a> graduate whose studies at the Munk School centred around immigration.</p> <p>During his two years at the Munk School, Puthran won <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/news/mpp-and-mga-students-compete-2021-policy-munk-fall-case-competition">public policy case competitions</a>, participated in a networking trip to Ottawa and landed an internship with the RCMP, where he hopes to keep working as an analyst after graduation.</p> <p>“My top advice for students and graduates is to take advantage of available resources and seek out opportunities on your own,” he says.</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><em>&nbsp;— Molly Gosewich</em></span></p> <h3><a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/news">Read the grads’ full stories at the Munk School</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 19 Jun 2023 20:14:30 +0000 siddiq22 302050 at