CENGN, launched recently in Kanata, is a consortium of industry, academia, and research institutes dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of next generation communications solutions.
(Ottawa, November 10, 2014) At the launch of the headquarters for the Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN), Algonquin College was announced as one of the founding members of CENGN. Algonquin College has been involved as a key player in establishing CENGN for the past two years – from the concept and proposal preparation, to winning the bid, and now to CENGN’s launch.
“Algonquin College is proud to be a founding member of CENGN,” says Claude Brulé, Vice President Academic, Algonquin College. “This innovative centre will create additional hands-on learning and research opportunities for our students, and new opportunities for research and collaboration between the College and industry.”
CENGN is a consortium of industry, academia and research institutes dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of next generation communications solutions. CENGN will help bridge the gap between research and commercialization – a key component to building successful startup companies. CENGN members are collaborating to lower the barrier to entry for small and medium companies and researchers.
CENGN is an Ottawa-based not-for-profit that aims to ensure Canada maintains its position as a world leader in next generation network technologies. It has acquired $11.7 million over five years in federal government funding and will be receiving contributions from industry (cash & in-kind contribution) and from the academia (in-kind contribution) with a total of $54.7 million.
The College is a CENGN academic partner and will conduct collaborative research with industry in next generation communications. The Ciena Optophotonics lab at Algonquin College will be connected to CENGN’s testbed with the aim of accelerating research to commercialization.
“CENGN will establish Canada as a global leader in the commercialization of the technologies that will underpin the next generation of converged global communication networks,” says Professor Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi, Algonquin College representative at CENGN. “The College will make a difference in conducting applied research and providing high qualified faculty and students who will help industry from conducting research to commercialization.”
The Algonquin Thunder are once again champions of Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men’s soccer, defeating the four-time defending provincial champion Humber Hawks by a score of 1-0 at the 2014 belairdirect OCAA Men’s Soccer Championship hosted by Niagara College. With the win, Algonquin claimed its first OCAA championship since 2009.
The game served as a rematch of the 2013 gold medal game. It also served as a match-up between the 2014 OCAA goalkeepers of the year Alex Pothemont (Mississauga, Ont.) of Humber and Simon Brown (Ottawa) of Algonquin.
The two standouts gave up just combined six goals during 16 total regular season matches. Both keepers proved up to the task in the contest, as neither side was able to break the 0-0 tie during the first 90 minutes.
Finally, during the 105th minute, Kishoyian Kipusi (Kenya) found an opening and recorded the only goal of the game.
During the final 15 minutes of the game, Humber’s sense of urgency took over. The Hawks directed numerous quality scoring chances on goal, but were unable to beat Brown. He turned aside all seven shots he faced in the contest, and for his efforts was named to the tournament all-star team and overall championship MVP.
Congratulations also go out to the Thunder’s Stephane Emard (Ottawa), the 2014 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men’s soccer player of the year. The third-year player appeared in all seven regular season matches and was a work horse in the middle of the pitch. Although he didn’t appear on the score sheet, Emard was integral to the Algonquin offensive attack, being credited with eight assists throughout the season.
The Algonquin co-captain is also an OCAA all-star and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian.
Woodroffe campus’ Remembrance Day service will be held in the Marketplace Food Court at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, November 11. All are welcome to attend. A live stream link will be available at www.algonquincollege.com/live and a monitor and chairs will be set up in the ACCE foyer for additional seating – thank you to the Police Foundations program for organizing.
A Remembrance Day service will be held at the Pembroke Campus, beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Pembroke Commons. During the service the cafeteria will be closed. All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend this service of remembrance.
Perth employees are invited to join in the Town of Perth’s Remembrance Day ceremony at 10:45 a.m. at the War Memorial Hospital.
What is more important – receiving more money, or using it more effectively?
For Algonquin College, the answer is clear. Despite taking in less research dollars than some fellow Canadian colleges, Algonquin led the country in college research productivity in fiscal 2013, with 120 research partnerships and 180 completed projects.
“This is a fantastic result for our Applied Research team, and great news for our students” says Dr. Mark Hoddenbagh, Acting Executive Director, Partnerships and Applied Research. “Applied Research offers an exceptional work integrated learning opportunity by connecting our students with prospective employers who need their talents to succeed. We are thrilled to be able to offer this hands-on learning opportunity to so many of our students at all three of our Ontario campuses, and we look forward to expanding our offerings in the coming years.”
Algonquin College’s research dollars also grew approximately 28 per cent from 2012 to 2013, to just shy of $1.9 million.
You may be wondering – what are the kinds of research projects that Algonquin College takes part in? Take Gymtrack as one example. The two young founders of this Ottawa-based company approached the College looking for a place to test their new system, which allows gym members to automatically track their workouts and receive auditory feedback in real-time. Through the Algonquin Fitness Zone, the company was connected to the College’s Applied Research and Innovation team who linked the Gymtrack team with two students – a designer and a programmer. The two developed a mobile app – a core part of the Gymtrack system – and the company’s corporate image. Since then, the students have graduated their programs and they now work for Gymtrack full-time.
Gymtrack, meanwhile, has been invited into the prestigious 500 Start-ups Accelerator in San Francisco and also participated in the 500 Start-ups demo day, receiving ravereviews. They continue to work on their next stage of product development through the College and the Algonquin Students’ Association Fitness Zone.
In addition to linking companies, like Gymtrack, with students and funding, the College also assists in getting the word out about their product in the community. The Applied Research Office showcases the exciting research work being done three times a year at what are called “Applied Research Days”. Held at the end of each academic term, these events highlight between 30 and 80 Algonquin College Applied Research projects and partnerships across the Ottawa Valley.
See the full release of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges from Research Infosource here.
Congratulations to the Child and Youth Worker students! Their campaign through the month of October raised $835.39 for the Children’s Aid Foundation. The funds were the ‘bonus’ outcome of a month long, campus-wide, public awareness campaign hosted by CYW students to give voice to the importance and relevance of child abuse prevention. The cheque was presented Thursday October 30.
Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College are collaborating to support entrepreneurial youth
A $2-million investment by the Province of Ontario’s Campus-Linked Accelerators (CLA) program will support a new Capital Entrepreneurs program that will strengthen the capacity of local post-secondary institutions to support entrepreneurial youth.
Capital Entrepreneurs is a partnership among Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College dedicated to making Ottawa the best place to start and grow a business in Canada. The program, which is supported by Invest Ottawa, builds on the strengths of each institution, their alumni and their experienced entrepreneurs working in the community.
The collaboration is one of 10 approved CLAs in Ontario to support entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems.
“Helping young entrepreneurs is another example of Ontario’s Youth Jobs Strategy at work,” said the Honourable Reza Moridi, Minister of Research and Innovation . “These programs will help harness their ideas, their vision and their enthusiasm and turn them into jobs for today and for tomorrow. Their innovative spirit will build Ontario’s future.
A goal of the program is to provide youth aged 19-29 with broader and better access to entrepreneurial supports in the community. The educational outcomes will focus on mentorship and moving youths’ concepts from acceleration and incubation to creating institution-based, youth driven and community based startups in Ottawa.
The CLA program is an initiative of the Government of Ontario under the Youth Jobs Strategy and is being managed by the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). CLAs are partnerships between universities and colleges and the province’s Regional Innovation Centres. OCE is a member of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE).
“With these resources, we can engage more students and youth in hands-on entrepreneurial opportunities.” says Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen. “Algonquin is proud of the way we open our doors to the Ottawa community and we thank the government for supporting our efforts. We look forward to working with Carleton University and the University of Ottawa through Capital Entrepreneurs to grow the innovative spirit and mindset within our community.”
“The $2 million dollar grant to Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College places students first. It will provide support to launch and grow youth-led businesses, strengthen Ontario’s ecosystem for young entrepreneurs, and enhance the educational and training experiences of our students. We expect the main outcomes to be more jobs for youth and a more competitive Ontario,” said Carleton President Roseann O’Reilly Runte.
“The support of the CLA program to the Capital Entrepreneurs program enhances the uOttawa investment in our Entrepreneurship Hub programs. This regional partnership complements the entrepreneurship strengths of three post-secondary institutions and, together with Invest Ottawa, we are committed to driving creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and community engagement for our youth, our students and for our region” said University of Ottawa President Allan Rock.
Ontario is investing $295 million over two years in the Youth Jobs Strategy to help 30,000 more young people from across the province connect with the tools, experience and entrepreneurial support they need to find employment or start their own businesses. More than 20,000 job opportunities have already been created to date under the Youth Jobs Strategy.
“Ontario Centres of Excellence is pleased to be able to deliver this project as a trusted partner of the Government of Ontario. I look forward to putting our years of experience in connecting academia and industry, and our on-going support of young entrepreneurs to good use in making this initiative a tremendous success,” said Dr. Tom Corr, president and CEO of OCE.
Funded by the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs is Ontario’s innovation system. The ONE is made up of regional and sector focused organizations designed to help Ontario-based entrepreneurs rapidly grow their companies and create jobs. For more information visit oneinnovation.ca.
Algonquin College Jazan reached a major milestone on August 28, hosting ACJ’s first commencement ceremony. Eighteen graduates walked across the convocation stage and received their Canadian certificate in Algonquin’s Electrical or Mechanical Millwright Technician program. Some of these students began their studies in a Preparatory Year Program as early as April 2010, learning first to speak and write in English before conquering the diploma curriculum! All have now joined the local work force because their strong bilingual and technical skills were immediately recognized by local employers across Jazan.
The event was emceed by faculty member Jacob Santos. “As a faculty member, it was an emotional moment to witness our proud graduates and family members rejoice in their achievements.”
The Convocation was enhanced by the presence of the Undersecretary of Jazan Principality, the Canadian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and a delegate from Colleges of Excellence. In their speeches, the Valedictorian and Past-President of the Student Council had only praise for the efforts of College faculty and staff that led to this celebration. The alumni were asked to start the “Algonquin College Nation” in order maintain their vivid memories and contribute the growth of a remarkable cohort of new trade professionals.
Did you know that it’s not too late to become a student at Algonquin College for the Fall term? Many of our programs are accepting applications for a few more days:
Business Accounting Prepares students to work in various areas of accounting including financial accounting, managerial accounting, taxation and auditing. The curriculum is designed to broaden the business background of students and to expand their theoretical knowledge of economics, business law, finance and statistics. Students are also exposed to accounting and business computer software packages. https://www.algonquincollege.com/business/program/business-accounting/
Business Marketing Provides students with a specialization in marketing and a strong general education in business. The curriculum is designed to provide both marketing theory and applied learning, culminating with a comprehensive marketing plan project with an industry client in the fourth level. https://www.algonquincollege.com/business/program/business-marketing/
Kevin’s daily struggles, captured in a three minute documentary simply titled “Kevin“, will be shown August 29 at the International Bacon Film Festival in San Diego.
The documentary, which was purchased by Hormel Foods, has two Algonquin College connections – Alex Williams and Sean Hockey, graduates of the College’s Television Broadcasting program.
“The inspiration for the video came to our director, Helder Mauricio Carvajal, as he wanted to see the point of view of the bacon, rather than someone who likes bacon,” explains Alex, who plays Kevin in the documentary. “And it basically consisted of me riffing whatever came to my head about what celebrity life for a bacon strip would be, and having people who were watching (mainly Sean and Mauricio) giving me ideas to riff off of. The date scene was the same way. The girl had her lines set, and I would improvise on her lines.”
AC and PSOW create three day workshop, “Protocol for the Canadian Professional”
Key officials from Algonquin College and The Protocol School of Washington (PSOW) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish special educational programs that support and develop the skills of Algonquin College alumni, especially those from Hospitality and Tourism programs, professionals from the public sector, or those working in fields where a refined knowledge of international protocol is important.
The MOU was signed by Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen; and Ms. Pamela Eyring, President, The Protocol School of Washington, in the presence of representatives from the two institutions.
Commenting on the occasion, Altaf Sovani, Chair, School of Hospitality and Tourism said, “This partnership is another step in Algonquin College’s efforts to meet the professional needs of College students and alumni working hands-on in the hospitality and tourism industry. We invited The Protocol School of Washington to form this educational alliance due to their research and experience in international protocol training. They are the only accredited institution in the USA teaching these important skills.”
For her part, Pamela Eyring, President, The Protocol School of Washington said, “It is an honor to collaborate with such a prestigious Canadian college – one who acknowledges the benefits of protocol and etiquette training. Algonquin is renowned for hospitality and tourism management, with successful graduates all over the world. Our new program, Protocol for the Canadian Professional, will cover working in cross-cultural situations, personal diplomacy, body language, Canadian business protocol including precedence, seating, titles and forms of address, flag courtesy, gift giving and event logistics. We are truly looking forward to offering this workshop in October and other training programs in the future.”
