Peter Carr

Ima Okonny's insights on transforming public services through data are enlightening. In this Public Sector Future episode, she outlines the importance of a strong data foundation, data literacy, and responsible AI. Her practical examples, like using NLP to identify vulnerable citizens, showcase the real-world impact of data-driven initiatives. A must-listen for public sector leaders seeking to harness data for positive change. #dataforgood #publicsector #AI #dataliteracy

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Scroll down into this blog for the piece on #efficiency in #HigherEd: https://lnkd.in/gQ3HkMPt "Two other points here. First: the big way that American institutions have been reducing costs in the past decade or so is through investment in technology solutions. Canadian institutions have been slow to do that: people who understand this stuff better than I do suggest that Canadian institutions are maybe a decade behind our American counterparts in using technology in areas like student services. Some work on how to roll new technology out quickly and efficiently would be welcome to many."

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2012: The actors of innovation in the Province of Quebec, Canada G. C. LAIN, E. C. H. DORION, C. C. PRODANOV, F. COALLIER, P. M. OLEA DOI: 10.1109/ICMIT.2014.6942459 Conference: 2014 IEEE International Conference on Management of Innovation and Technology (ICMIT) #artigocientífico #scientificpaper #artículocientífico #scientificarticle #researchpaper #paper #article #artigo https://lnkd.in/dxeWpeRh

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Some more thoughtful insights. 

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The best new academic program approval processes make intentional use of data to inform plans. They bring together the insights of faculty from research, labour market trends, and enrollment projections. These can be used to inform the development of robust scenarios to compare what could happen in different circumstances. Know what else robust enrollment scenarios are good for? Making an evidence-based and defensible case for funding a new program. Not sure where to start? Send me a DM with the word “plan” and let’s brainstorm together. #enrollmentmanagement #analytics #strategy

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Canadian innovators - the time is NOW for you to provide input on a proposal that will have dramatic effect on your ability to continue to do business here in Canada. In case you missed it, ISED has opened consultation to inform a proposal to legislate minimum spending targets for innovation and research and development by Canadian SMEs. Think about that for a minute - you can have your say on enshrining minimum expenditures for the Canadian innovation! No more risk of your innovation being scrapped after pre-qualifying! Currently, the ISC program has a budget of $113.8M. However, the recent federal budget will reduce this to a mere $40M in 2025/26. That means the program that has been so vital for the development of Canadian intellectual property and innovation will be gutted to a shadow of what it is now. Here is your chance to provide input and drive change. If Public Service and Procurement Canada has an annual expenditure of $25B, then the current ISC program represents a spending target of only 0.45%! Compare that to an already legislated minimum 5% procurement target for Indigenous businesses. Some ideas to consider when you fill out the survey: 1. What if enough Canadians recommended a 3-5% legislated target range to support Canadian innovation and research and development? That would result in an annual budget of $750M to $1.25B. Think of how epic that could be for you, Canada, our economy, and our youth! 2. What if these spending targets were legislated for all government departments? No longer opt-in or optional. Now true innovation could reach all sectors of the government, not just the few casually interested departments. 3. Canadian innovators, do what you do best - think creatively! What other solutions would help support your company? Speak up! Consultation ends July 26, 2024, but take 5 mins and do it now! Web poll is here: https://lnkd.in/gAwZNse5 Background information is here: https://lnkd.in/gvbZGN_t Don't wait - have your say. Perhaps together we can drive some much-needed change to support innovation and research and development by Canadian SMEs! Dr.-Ing. Armin Strobel, Alexandre Archambault, Taylor McCubbin, CD, Josh Ogden, Nima Ziraknejad, Ph.D., P.Eng., Dr. Reza Tavakoli, PEng, Juliano Franz, Michael Poma, Michael H. Cohen, Michael Evink, Matt VanAndel, Chris Healy, David Berg, Rahul Goel, Albert Behr, Albert Mansour P.Eng., MBA, PMP, Jimmy Pelk, Philip Reece, Jeremy James, Celina Radoi, PMP, Brendan MacDonald, Jeremy C. H. Wang, Nikita Iliushkin, Maksym Korol, Matt McRoberts, Fabian Wolk, Steve Magirias, Chris Hood, Sean Adams, F-RCGS, Lizeanne St Pierre, MESc, PEng, PMP, Laura Finlay, Brooke Jones, Stephanie Ochej, Mark D. Robbins, Jonathan Clarke, Declan S., Ted Strazimiri, Courtland Penk

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📘 Made with ❤️ at Ontario Tech University Engineering 📘 I’m excited to announce the launch of ReviewMate.AI, an AI-powered tool designed and developed by my students and me. ReviewMate.AI enhances (not replaces) the critical work of human referees, ensuring their oversight remains central to the peer review process. The tool offers quick, insightful support to reviewers of research papers and student theses, allowing them focus on key aspects while streamlining the process for greater efficiency. For the price of a small regular coffee, you can review a research paper or a thesis in just 2 minutes! The fee covers the costs of running the service, not profit. The review includes: - Motivation & contributions - Comparison with related work using research literature platforms - Strengths & weaknesses - Insightful questions for researchers Calling all researchers, journal publishers, journal editors, and conference organizers to try it out today! https://www.reviewmate.ai #PeerReview #Referee #AI #ResearchTools #Conference #JournalPublishing #Thesis #AcademicPublishing

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Exciting news for Alberta’s Interactive Digital Media (IDM) industry! According to a new report by ICTC-CTIC, employment in Alberta's IDM sector is expected to continue growing faster than the province's general economy. Key Highlights: ➡️ Alberta's IDM industry spans 177 studios across video games, animation, XR, and more. ➡️ IDM is becoming a vital part of Alberta's economy, offering innovation opportunities in energy, healthcare, and beyond. ➡️ By 2030, this industry could contribute up to $169M to Alberta’s GDP and create 3,500 new jobs! ➡️ Mid- to senior-level talent is in high demand, while employers emphasize aligning junior talent with industry needs. IDM in Alberta is shaping up to be an exciting and dynamic field with competitive wages and a strong future. 🔗 Check out the full report to learn more: https://goictc.link/ABIDM #AlbertaIDM #DigitalMedia #TechCareers #Innovation #ICTC #EconomicGrowth #TechIndustry #Alberta Nate Glubish

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Experiential Education at its best. Kudos to the entire Seneca Works team for your unwavering commitment to student success! Read the full article to learn more about how Seneca is empowering our students and shaping the future of education. #StudentSuccess #CareerReadiness #Innovation #ExperientialLearning #Entrepreneurship Seneca Business Seneca School of Hospitality and Tourism

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This weekend, Senator Colin Deacon released an incredibly thorough report on solutions that must be considered to continue support for Canadian Innovators. I have a unique perspective on this, having worked with some of the brightest minds in Canadian innovation on many projects. It’s been gutting to see the results of the cancellation of the ISC Testing Stream, one of the best supports for innovation in the country (and one that had an epic ROI for the Government). Despite its issues, that program provided foundational support for innovations between TRL 5 and 7. This phase of development is often termed the “Innovation Valley of Death”, characterized by the disappearance of many promising innovations. Now that Senate has released this report, it is imperative that as many Canadian innovators show their support. Please share this as widely as possible, like Senator Deacon’s original post, and comment as you see fit. I have made the following recommendations for the rebuild and relaunch of the ISC Testing Stream: 1.    Mandate all federal departments to allocate 5% of their budget to support innovation testing and development by Canadian SMEs. Precedent for this has already been set through mandatory 5% Indigenous procurement target set in Budget 2024. The same should be leveraged to encourage Canadian innovators and keep them interested and incentivised to remain in Canada. 2.    The government must diversify their portfolio and invest in multiple innovations that have the potential to successfully meet the requirements of an area of development. Investing in a diverse portfolio of innovations reduces the risk exposure to the government, and the resulting benefit to Canadians will be widespread. 3.    Require the government to engage directly with third-party testing agencies. This will allow objective experts to accurately test and assess the technical and functional capabilities of an innovation while simultaneously cross-pollinate between various sectors. 4.    Application processes, assessment criteria, and project KPIs must be simplified and clearly identified. SMEs don’t have the resources to apply for projects that are unnecessarily convoluted. 5.    Canada must leverage the expertise of the NATO DIANA Test Centres and engage them for testing and validation of dual-use technology. The network is currently underutilised and can be quickly brought onboard to support later-stage functional tech validation. Senator Colin Deacon, I appreciate your thoroughness on this report. Your thoughts on IP generation and retention, requirements for Canadian commercialization, and modified metrics for success are spot on! It was encouraging to see that we have an advocate for continued support of Canadian Innovation in Senate. Please let me know how I can continue to contribute to this making this change! #CatalyzingCdnInnovation.

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🎧 Podcast on the impact of Ontario Tech University Engineering Outreach Imagine using AI to generate an engaging podcast about your research. I did exactly that with a paper we recently published in the annual Conference of the Canadian Engineering Education Association about the impact of our Engineering Outreach program. Check it out! #AIinEducation #EngineeringOutreach #Research #InnovationInEducation #Podcasts

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Please participate - it's important for our researchers to have a voice. Innovation, Science and Economic Development is presently consulting on the following: Consultation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Compute (canada.ca). As part of Budget 2024 investments, the Government is launching a new Canadian AI Sovereign Compute Strategy and AI Compute Access Fund. This is a $2.0 billion investment, to launch two new initiatives that will provide Canadian researchers and AI companies with the tools needed to be competitive in a rapidly advancing global AI landscape. The purpose of this consultation is to help inform the design and implementation of the AI Compute Access Fund and the Canadian AI Sovereign Compute Strategy. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Consultation #Research #Budget2024 #Canada #EconomicDevelopment

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I am happy to see the latest advancements in British Columbia's International Education Framework. These new measures reflect a strong commitment to quality assurance and the protection of international students. I firmly believe this framework sets a benchmark for institutions worldwide. To explore the key highlights of this framework and understand its implications on institutions with international student enrollments, read this article #InternationalEducation #EdTech #QualityAssurance #StudentExperience #HigherEd #GlobalEducation

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From Academica Group's Today's Top Ten in Higher Ed (specifically for Canada - hurrah!) "Several members of the university sector have announced new generative AI resources and tools. U15 has released a “Navigating AI in Teaching and Learning” guidance paper that highlights considerations, values, and principles for working with AI, as well as five leading practices for using it. McMaster University has developed and shared multiple open resources focused on generative AI, including a guidebook; a free learning module for instructors; and the Assessment Partner tool, which helps instructors develop assessments for their courses. York University launched an in-house AI-powered platform called YU AURA, which is designed to support the university’s researchers, administrators, procurement staff, and more." I'm sure your inbox is always full, but if you are in Canada's post-secondary or secondary environment, including libraries, this news listing is a must. Have a look at what McMaster University is doing in particular. #artificialintelligence #AIinteaching #AIineducation Shailoo Bedi Joy Muller J. Matthew Huculak Courtney Lundrigan Allison Kelley Alison Nussbaumer

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In the evolving landscape of business analytics, it is vital to recognize the role research plays in driving progress and innovation. I am proud to share an initiative from the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) featuring my thoughts on the impact of academic research on local industries in Southern Alberta. The transformative effects of data-driven research are evident across various sectors, from enhancing the productivity of local businesses to advancing sustainable practices in agriculture, and from improving the efficiency of transportation networks to innovating in manufacturing processes. Budget 2024 carries an opportunity to substantially fund Canadian research and build on the foundations laid by scholars and practitioners. An investment in research is an investment in our future, enabling us to solve complex problems and create a thriving, resilient economy. I support initiatives that foster research, bridging the gap between academia and industry for a prosperous future. #BusinessAnalytics #CanadianResearch #InvestInInnovation #UniversityOfLethbridge #DhillonSchoolofBusiness #CAUT

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The 'ballooning public sector' is worth paying attention to, and I appreciate Jason Kirby's efforts here to dig deeper, offer some context, and speak to a few economists about what might be driving this.

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Transforming Learning Through Virtual Reality at Conestoga College! #ImmersiveLearning, #VirtualReality, #CareerDevelopment, #VARLab, #ConestogaCollege, #Bodyswaps There's nothing quite like the joy of discussing a passion project, especially when it involves revolutionary tools like VR and collaborative efforts like the one behind our pilot project! I recently co-facilitated "Transforming Learning Through Virtual Reality: Results from a Pilot Project" at Conestoga's E3 Conference with my fabulous colleagues, Corey Berry, Julie Farnand, M.Ed, and Sean Yo (thank you!).  We were excited to share our experience of piloting Bodyswaps' interview skills training with Career Development students in the Winter 2024 term, and we're looking forward to what lies ahead.  Bodyswaps offers "as-close-to-real-life-as-you-can-get" simulations that allow learners to practice communication skills in intimidating or uncomfortable situations, such as job interviews, interpersonal conflict, giving difficult feedback, etc., and the students who used Bodyswaps in our pilot were amazed by an experience that built both skills and confidence. I'm sending a big thank you to our session participants from disciplines including business, healthcare, early childhood education, communications, multimedia, teaching and learning, access and inclusion, student engagement, procurement, and online learning, who shared hopes for how VR can make a difference in education. You inspired us with your goals of bringing fun, engaging, accessible, low-risk, and high-value learning opportunities to students! Thank you to the VARLab - Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab team - Russell Foubert, Lisa Trimble, PhD, Katrina Fraser, and Cristina Barillas Burke and my Career Development colleagues in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies - Chair Shannon Todd, Program Manager Erin Kelly, Professors Shari Walsh and Sara Wills McLinden - who made this pilot happen, along with my co-facilitators in the E3 session. It is a pleasure to co-create with you, and I am excited to expand Bodyswaps' benefits to more students! If you couldn't join us at the session, check out the video below that reviews Landing the Perfect Job, one of the Bodyswaps modules offered through our pilot project. You might also want to check out the great articles by the VARLab's Krushi Kiranraj. How about you? What challenges are you facing that VR could help solve? Are you already using VR to transform learning? Let's talk!

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Thousands of University of Toronto students have benefited from the Embedded Ethics Education Initiative (E3I), a collaborative venture between the department of computer science and the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) to integrate ethics modules into undergraduate computer science courses. E3I is already instigating a culture change through its three principles: 1) teach students how—not what—to think; 2) encourage ethics-informed design choices as a design principle; and 3) make discussions safe, not personal. https://lnkd.in/gyM29cdG

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This exclusive, expert-led seminar will feature an interdisciplinary group of University of Waterloo faculty and senior fellows from CIGI. It’s designed for senior government leaders and industry representatives who work closely with the public sector on policy development - particularly in the areas of technology enablement and implications. I hope to see you in May for what promises to be a stimulating and valuable day of learning and networking.  https://lnkd.in/gghm9keG #ai #governance #policy #canadiangovernment #publicpolicy

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