Regina, SK – Advanced Education Minister Scott Moe joined Mitacs CEO, Alejandro Adem along with students, university representatives, and business leaders for a roundtable in Regina today.
The discussion, hosted by Mitacs, examined the importance of connecting Saskatchewan companies with universities for research internships and skills training in order to stimulate the economy and job growth. The benefits of international research collaborations — the exchange of research knowledge and innovation — were also discussed.
Since 2008, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested $1.44 million in Mitacs Accelerate, which has amounted in 176 internships. Mitacs has successfully leveraged the Province’s investment to create $4.5 million in projects thanks to industrial and federal contributions.
Among the attendees was Credell Simeon, a Mitacs Accelerate intern in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Regina. In partnership with ISM Canada, Credell is using data from police incident reports in Saskatchewan and GPS-tagged tweets to develop models that can be applied to detect and track criminal activity. The goal of the project is to have a better understanding and practical approach in utilizing social media to predict criminal activities in the province.
Attendees:
- Scott Moe, Minister of Advanced Education, Government of Saskatchewan
- Alastair MacFadden, Assistant Deputy Minister of Labour Market Development, Ministry of the Economy, Government of Saskatchewan
- Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs
- Thomas Chase, Provost and Vice-President (Academic), University of Regina
- Randal Rogers, Associate Dean (Acting) of Graduate Studies, University of Regina
- Michelle Beitel, Manager, Research Grants, University of Regina
- Howard J. Hamilton, professor, University of Regina
- Mehdi Sadeqi, Mitacs Accelerate intern, University of Regina
- Credell Simeon, Mitacs Accelerate intern, University of Regina
- Jim Basinger, Associate Vice-President Research, University of Saskatchewan
- Dwight Newman, professor, University of Saskatchewan
- Elisa Caballero, Mitacs Globalink intern, University of Saskatchewan
- Wendy Ortega Pineda, Mitacs Globalink intern, University of Saskatchewan
- Mark MacLeod, President and CEO, ISM Canada
- Laurie Collins, Director, Evraz
Quotes:
Dr. Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs
“The roundtable showcased the exceptional research taking place in Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions that will have a significant impact on Canada. Strong collaboration between businesses and academia will improve performance in learning and training, and place Saskatchewan at the forefront of innovation.”
Scott Moe, Minister of Advanced Education, Government of Saskatchewan
“Mitacs enables Saskatchewan student researchers to gain valuable practical experience in industries directly related to their areas of inquiry, and provides opportunities for businesses to attract and retain top research talent as their business grows. It is critical for businesses to take part in educating, training, and developing a skilled workforce that they can draw on to be successful and contribute to the prosperity of Saskatchewan.”
Thomas Chase, Provost and Vice-President (Academic), University of Regina
“The University of Regina’s new strategic plan has identified research impact as one of our three strategic priorities. We are excited to be working with Mitacs and industry to strengthen research and create a more innovative Canada.”
James F. Basinger, Associate Vice-President Research, University of Saskatchewan
“Mitacs internships provide for experiential learning opportunities that lead to strong and positive influences on the career choices available to our students. At the same time, the Accelerate internships greatly enhance the impact of research by faculty at the University of Saskatchewan through their collaborative engagement with industry partners.”
Mehdi Sadeqi, Mitacs Accelerate intern, University of Regina
“Mitacs Accelerate builds the bridge between academic and industry by giving graduate students a chance to work with more experienced researchers, and provides exposure to research in real world settings.”
Quick facts:
- Mitacs is a national, not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in Canada for 15 years.
- Working with 60 universities, thousands of companies, and both federal and provincial governments, we build partnerships that support industrial and social innovation in Canada.
- Mitacs’ Accelerate program connects graduate students with industry partners for research internships supervised by faculty. In 2013–2014, Mitacs supported 2,240 Accelerate internships.
- Open to all disciplines and all industry sectors, projects can span a wide range of areas, including manufacturing, business processes, IT, social sciences, design, and more.
Links:
For information about Mitacs and our programs, see mitacs.ca/newsroom.
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Photo: From left to right, Alastair MacFadden, Assistant Deputy Minister of Labour Market Development, Ministry of the Economy, Government of Saskatchewan; Thomas Chase, Provost and Vice-President (Academic), University of Regina; and Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs.
