Industry partners and representatives from Conestoga welcomed the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Industrial Research Chairs for Colleges from institutions across Canada at a two-day Best Practices Workshop on October 10 and 11.
The Conestoga community welcomed Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Industrial Research Chairs for Colleges from institutions across Canada for a two-day Best Practices Workshop.
The theme for the event was equity, diversity and inclusion in research, and included facility tours as well as a series of presentations and roundtable discussions.
As part of the workshop, Conestoga employees were invited to an event called Minute Madness where chairs were provided with just two minutes to present highlights and progress updates on their industry-focused applied research.
Among the presenters was Patrice Aubertin of the National Circus School in Montreal who is the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Circus Arts. Aubertin helps foster the development of Canadian circus by conducting research and innovation activities that contribute to the enhancement of circus practices. Aubertin said the research is the first of its kind in Canada.
Luc Faucher, of Cégep de Sept-Îles, is the NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Railway Operations and Maintenance. Faucher said the institution is the only college in eastern Canada to provide training in the railway industry -- his research program focuses on railway operations involving the use of long, heavy trains in isolated northern areas.
Other areas of research presented included the northern electric energy industry, agroforesty extraction, and bioprocess and fermentation technology.
As part of the workshop Dr. Veronique Boscart and Dr. Hamid Karbasi also delivered industry sector showcase presentations and tours to highlight the focus of their research.
Boscart, Conestoga’s CIHR/Schlegel Industrial Research Chair for Colleges, works in collaboration with researchers, health care professionals and the community to develop innovative education, improve workforce development and strengthen care practices in order to support care for seniors and their families.
Karbasi, Conestoga’s NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Advanced Recycling Technologies for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, engages in research activities that will commercialize innovative recycling technologies and processes to improve recycling processes and equipment. These new technologies will provide electronics manufacturers and recyclers with more cost-effective and efficient e-waste recycling solutions.
NSERC, the federal research funding agency, supports post-secondary students in their advanced studies, promotes and supports discovery research, and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.