The University of Waterloo's Arts Faculty: A Hub of Interdisciplinary Research
The University of Waterloo's Faculty of Arts is a bustling hub of interdisciplinary research, with a new initiative focusing on five projects that address societal issues. The initiative is part of the Emerging Schools Interdisciplinary Research Projects program, which aims to build new research partnerships and develop interdisciplinary projects that can compete for future external funding.
The five projects are led by faculty members from the newly established School of Critical and Creative Humanities (SCCH) and the School of Social, Political and Historical Research (SSPHR). The projects are:
- Contested Expertise: Medical Advocacy in Polarized Publics, led by Smita Misra-Latty, Heather Love, and Jennifer Liu
- The Politics of Naming: Place Names in Southwest Ontario, led by Grit Liebscher, Andrew McMurry, and Susan Roy
- Wampum as Living Archive: Interdisciplinary Material Knowledge and Rematriation, led by Talena Atfield, Logan MacDonald, and collaborators
- Freebirth and the Limits of Reproductive Autonomy, led by Alana Cattapan, Katy Fulfer, and Jennifer Liu
- Sites of Enslavement, Sites of Re(PAIR): Toward an Integrated Methodology for Diasporic Research, led by Christopher Taylor, Jasmin Habib, Naila Keleta-Mae, and team
The projects are designed to push traditional disciplinary boundaries and engage in transformative research that can have a real impact on society. The initiative is a testament to the University of Waterloo's commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.
Generative AI: Ethical, Legal, and Societal Questions
In a separate development, Professor Dan Brown from the Cheriton School of Computer Science has been discussing the ethical, legal, and societal questions surrounding generative AI. Professor Brown's research focuses on computational creativity, a field that explores how AI systems can generate works that, if created by humans, would be considered creative.
In a recent Q&A, Professor Brown discussed the opportunities and limitations of generative AI, as well as the ethical, legal, and societal questions these technologies raise about creativity, copyright, and the future of creative work.
Professor Brown highlighted concerns about the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI systems and the potential impact of these technologies on creative professionals, particularly writers and creators from minoritized communities. He also discussed the question of whether generative AI systems are genuinely creative, and the potential copyright and intellectual property challenges these systems pose.
Robotics: A Made in Canada Success Story
In another development, the University of Waterloo is home to a thriving robotics industry, with Clearpath Robotics, now part of Rockwell Automation, being a notable success story. Clearpath was co-founded by Ryan Gariepy, a Waterloo alumni, and his co-founders, who launched the company immediately after graduating with degrees in engineering from Waterloo.
Clearpath's initial idea was to give researchers better tools to experiment with real robots operating in real environments. The company's proximity to the University of Waterloo proved critical, allowing it to draw on interdisciplinary expertise, test ideas quickly, and maintain close relationships with researchers and students.
Clearpath has since grown alongside Waterloo's emerging robotics and entrepreneurial ecosystem, supporting spaces such as RoboHub and Velocity. The company's success is a testament to the University of Waterloo's commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration in the field of robotics.
