Robo-cars are coming. Whether the idea of autonomous vehicles excites or terrifies you, these technologies appear to be the future of transportation and their societal implications will be broad. While there will undoubtedly be many benefits to this ‘robo-car’ driven world, this possibility raises many important social, legal and ethical questions that may serve as barriers to wide adoption of these technologies. On this episode, Brad Templeton, futurist, ‘robo-car’ commentator and former advisor to Google’s self-driving car program talks about the future of autonomous transportation. He will explore what it will mean for the future of cities, healthy living and sustainability; while also delving into the important dilemmas that arise when we consider giving up control.

Recorded March 2, 2016, at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre in Vancouver, BC.

On the afternoon of March 2, 2016, futurist and internet pioneer/activist, Brad Templeton spoke to a room full of Science and Applied Science students. His afternoon talk covered a range of topics including the secret ingredients of the internet; the future of bandwidth, the reality of the “internet of things”.

As President and CEO of WestJet, Gregg Saretsky, BSc’82, MBA’84, has a challenging job, leading a complex organization in the highly competitive North American aviation industry. From its inclusive decision-making processes to its innovative and emotionally-charged ads, it is clear that much of WestJet’s success can be attributed to its unique corporate culture. Since starting in the top leadership role in 2010, Saretsky has proven to be the leader that WestJet needs; embracing this culture and combining it with decades of industry experience to drive the company in new and exciting directions. Listen as he shares stories about the experiences that have influenced his career, and hear his thoughts about some of the important trends that future leaders should be paying attention to.

UBC researchers are leading the world towards a brighter future. To celebrate UBC’s Centennial year, we are holding a series of programs that will bring the best of UBC research to communities across the country. Each program in the Centennial Speaker Series will feature key UBC researchers in areas as diverse as composite materials, labour economics, quantum materials, cancer research, clean energy, and biodiversity. The researchers briefly presented highlights from their research before answering questions from the audience.

Recorded March 7, 2016, at Centre Block on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, ON.

Speakers

Dr. Sarah Burke – Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Nanoscience; Assistant Professor, Departments of Physics & Astronomy, and Chemistry

Dr. Thomas Lemieux – Professor and Director, Vancouver School of Economics, UBC

Dr. Walter Mérida – Director, Clean Energy Research Centre; Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Torsten O. Nielsen – Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine; Associate Director, MD/PhD Program

Dr. Sarah (Sally) Otto – Director, Biodiversity Research Centre; Professor, Zoology

Dr. Anoush Poursartip – Director, Composites Research Network; Professor, Materials Engineering

Determining the location for your new business is just one of many key business decisions involved in the planning process, but what’s next? For Your Next Step: Starting Your Business in Kelowna, our expert panelists discussed where the growth opportunities are in Kelowna and what programs and resources are available to help you get your business up and running. Find out the benefits and drawbacks to owning your own business and discover what you need to do in order to successfully launch and grow your business. Also, Kelowna entrepreneurs share their pitches and tips from their experiences.

Note: This episode contains a lot of great advice for future entrepreneurs, regardless of your location.

UBC researchers are leading the world towards a brighter future. To celebrate UBC’s Centennial year, we are holding a series of programs that will bring the best of UBC research to communities across the country. Each program in the Centennial Speaker Series will feature key UBC researchers in areas as diverse as clean energy, biodiversity, housing affordability, and journalism; presenting highlights from their work before engaging in a brief discussion about the important role their research plays in modern society.

Speakers

Thomas Davidoff – Associate Professor, Strategy and Business Economics Division, UBC Sauder School of Business

Peter Klein, Associate Professor, UBC School of Journalism

Walter Mérida – Director, Clean Energy Research Centre; Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Sarah (Sally) Otto – Director, Biodiversity Research Centre; Professor, Zoology

What does it mean to be influential? While some people possess a natural talent to make themselves heard, for others it is a skill that requires years to perfect. However, it’s critical to develop this ability as it can mean the difference between achieving one’s goals and failing to mobilize the support or resources one requires. Hear from a panel of business and community leaders who have leveraged their mastery of the art of influence to achieve impressive results.

Recorded February 10, 2016, at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre in Vancouver, BC. Presented in partnership with the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs.

Panelists

Janet Austin – CEO, YWCA of Metro Vancouver

Shayne Ramsay – CEO, BC Housing

Bob Rennie – Executive Director/Founder, The Rennie Group Ltd.

Lisa von Sturmer – Founder and CEO of Growing City

Entrepreneurs at companies like Slack and Hootsuite have put Vancouver’s $23 billion high tech industry on the map. But building the economy of tomorrow—not to mention a utopian, Star Trek future—means taking a step beyond the digital. We need fundamental leaps in computing power, clean energy, and smart materials.

Now a new set of innovators and disruptors are setting up shop in Vancouver, looking to harness the extremes of physics to build tomorrow’s technologies.

We chat with leaders at Vancouver quantum computing start-up D-Wave, magnetized target fusion pioneer GeneralFusion, and UBC’s world-renowned Quantum Matter Institute. These local, award-winning teams are on the long path in pursuit of game-changing solutions—warpdrive, transporters and holo-decks might be closer than we think.

Recorded February 3, 2016, at Roundhouse Community Arts Centre, in Vancouver, BC.

UBC researchers are leading the world towards a brighter future. To celebrate UBC’s Centennial year, we are holding a series of programs that will bring the best of UBC research to communities across the country. Each program in the Centennial Speaker Series will feature key UBC researchers in areas as diverse as sports concussions, water governance, and epigenetics; presenting highlights from their work before engaging in a brief discussion about the important role their research plays in modern society.

Recorded January 26, 2016, in Calgary, AB.

Speakers

Paul van Donkelaar, BPE’87, MPE’90 – Director, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, UBC Okanagan

Karen Bakker – Professor, Canada Research Chair in Political Ecology, Department of Geography and Founding Director of the Program on Water Governance, UBC’s Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability

Michael Kobor – Professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Epigenetics, UBC