August 2006
Research leaders note alarming drop in interest - need to engage young people
Looking for the "Wayne Gretzkys of engineering"
While there is an alarming reduction in the numbers of young people entering fields of research, the solution may be in embracing technology to transform the way we teach and learn science, suggests Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, keynote speaker at the 2006 Ontario Research and Education Summit in Toronto, June 5 and 6.
CHIR President Dr. Alan Bernstein
"There is a noticeable falling off of the interest of young people in pursuing careers in scientific research. We all need to be worried about that," he said.
"The way science is taught today has not changed. It is still taught as a collection of facts," he said, calling on leaders in research and education to embrace new and innovative ways of teaching science. He suggests the solution may lie in changing the way we educate young people and enlisting informational technology "in an intelligent, interactive and engaging way."
Promoting a "cultural change" to drive research and innovation was a recurring theme throughout the Summit.
"We need to promote the Wayne Gretzkys of engineering, of science, entrepreneurship and of art," said Dr. Adam Chowaniec, Chair of the new Ontario Research and Innovation Council, addressing the Summit June 6.
Providing some of his first public insights on the role and mandate of the new Council, Dr. Chowaniec noted that the group faces "an immense undertaking" as is looks to ways to leverage Ontario's strengths in science and research to drive economic prosperity. He emphasized the need for a "social and cultural shift in thinking and experience so that all the sectors in the economy view themselves as part of the growing knowledge-based economy."
The two keynotes were among the more than 40 speakers and panellists participating at the Summit, with sessions ranging from innovations in health care to new interactive education technologies.
The Summit attracted close to 200 people from throughout Ontario. Staging the event at the MaRS Discovery District proved popular with attendees. MaRS CEO Dr. Ilse Treurnicht welcomed participants to the state-of-the-art MaRS Collaboration Centre, while MaRS senior staff led tours of the facilities.
Participants heard from Deputy Minister of Research and Innovation, Dr. Alastair Glass, who outlined the importance of research and innovation to the Ontario government's economic strategy. Dr. Louis Fox, head of Internet2's K20 Initiative travelled from Seattle to illustrate how advanced networks and new technologies are transforming education and learning in the United States and around the word.
Eugene Roman, Group President, Systems & Technology, Bell Canada touched on the digital revolution that is driving new opportunities for research and calling on leaders to embrace collaboration and nurture new and fresh ideas.
Among the highlights, CANARIE, Canada's advanced Internet development agency presented a state-of-the art live multi-point demonstration of "lightpath" technology with Dr. Michael Jemtrud and his staff at Carleton University in Ottawa and colleagues in Montreal, to stage a live demonstration of an innovative collaborate design environment.
Leading discussions on how next-generation tools and applications are quickly transforming the research and education landscape was Sara Diamond, president of the Ontario College of Art and Design, who chaired a thought-provoking session on the future of art and design through new tools and collaborative technologies.
The Summit, first launched in 2003, has become an important annual gathering of research and education leaders in Ontario. The MaRS Collaboration Centre has already been confirmed for the location of the 2007 Summit, which will be held June 4 and 5, 2007.
Most of the presentations, several video streams and a photo gallery can be downloaded from the Summit web site.
View video streams at ORION’s new e-Presence Archive.
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