Chris Sorensen

“Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton was already on his way to becoming a household name when he won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for foundational work leading to today’s artificial intelligence boom.

Two months later, his celebrity has hit a whole new level.

The University Professor emeritus at the University of Toronto says he now gets recognized on the street and that strangers regularly ask him for selfies. On a recent flight to Toronto, one flight attendant even grabbed the intercom to announce his presence on the plane. That’s in addition to a torrent of requests to speak to media, appear on podcasts and read academic papers.

As he prepares to travel to Stockholm on Dec. 10 to officially accept the honour alongside co-winner John J. Hopfield of Princeton University – which will be celebrated via watch parties and other “Nobel Week” events at U of T – Hinton says he plans to put his growing fame to good use.

“It will be useful when I talk about AI risks,” he says, referring to the warning bell he began sounding in 2023 about the potential existential threat posed by rapid and unchecked AI development.

“It will make people take me more seriously.”

For example, he was recently invited to be part of a webinar with Nobel Peace Prize laureates on whether AI should be used to decide if and when to launch nuclear weapons – a foreboding new twist on a Cold War-era threat that has preoccupied fellow U of T Nobel laureate John Polanyi, a University Professor emeritus of chemistry.

“I think it’s a bad idea,” Hinton says for the record.

Yet, as scary as such a scenario is to contemplate, Hinton has focused on what he considers an equally grave threat to humanity: the moment when machine intelligence surpasses that of our own.

That’s why he’s called on governments to develop regulations to guide AI development and deployment. It’s also why he’s urging companies to devote more funding to AI safety research as they rush to explore the myriad ways the technology can be used to make our lives better – from finding cures for deadly diseases to discovering new materials to help combat climate change.

At U of T, Hinton has also taken on an advisory role at the Schwartz Reisman Institute of Technology and Society, where researchers are at the forefront of exploring AI safety and other issues around the adoption of new technologies. In particular, he highlights the work of Roger Grosse and David Duvenaud – both AI safety experts who are associate professors in the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and Schwartz Reisman Chairs in Technology and Society (he says Grosse convinced him to go public with his concerns last year after he left a senior research position at Google).

The institute and U of T more broadly have an opportunity to become a world leader in figuring out how to guard against AI threats, he says. “I think that can be a world-class centre for figuring out whether there’s a way to make a superintelligence – which we all think is coming – not want to take control.”

Hinton’s moment in the spotlight has been a long time coming – and is testament to his curious mind, persistent nature and willingness to go against the grain.

As a child attending a “mildly Christian school” in England, he says he often felt like an outsider because he refused to accept the idea of a god without evidence (he remains an atheist). Decades later, Hinton again found himself on the fringe as he and a handful of researchers, including the Salk Institute for Biological Science’s Terry Sejnowsky, who did his PhD research under Hopfield, explored the idea that the human brain was essentially a bunch of connection strengths between neurons – not a series of logical expressions, as many in the field then believed.

That key insight now forms the basis of today neural nets.

“There were many times when I could easily have given up and sort of joined the mainstream,” Hinton says. “But I think my experience as a child made me far more resistant to that.”

A self-described cognitive scientist who works in the field of computer science, Hinton says he was surprised to win a Nobel Prize in Physics. But the Nobel committee noted he used ideas from physics to create the Boltzmann machine, which can be used to recognize elements in data. The Boltzmann machine, in turn, was based on the Hopfield network, which was invented by his co-laureate.

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hinton is donating an early Boltzmann chip, about the size of a postage stamp, to the Nobel Prize Museum – and has decided to use the money from his win to set up a prize for young researchers at the annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems. He has also donated to a Canadian charity that supports works with Indigenous communities to address water challenges, and has plans to give to another that supports neurodiverse young adults.

For young researchers hoping to follow in his footsteps? Hinton advises: focus on a problem that really excites you, don’t become swayed by conventional thinking, persevere until you know you’re wrong – and feel free to wander between different research disciplines.

“If you're really interested in chasing a criminal, you don't stop at a state border,” he says. “That's a stupid thing to do – so, the boundaries of fields, you just ignore them.”

‘Think against yourself’: Panel discussion on civil discourse draws students to U of T’s Hart House

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:38:08 +0000

‘Think against yourself’: Panel discussion on civil discourse draws students to U of T’s Hart House

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 09/24/2024 - 13:38

Cutline

Students ask questions during a recent panel discussion about civil discourse on university campuses that was hosted by Professor Randy Boyagoda (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

Our Community

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

English

Faculty of Arts & Science

Hart House

Religion

Undergraduate Students

Vic One

Victoria College

Hugh Considine got a crash course in discussing polarizing topics almost immediately upon arriving at the University of Toronto.

The second-year student studies religion in the Faculty of Arts & Science – a subject, he says, that can be about as controversial as it gets.

“People have an unimaginable amount of investment in it,” says Considine, 19, a member of Innis College. “Depending on who you ask, it’s literally your soul at hand – the ultimate thing that could be risked.”

He credits his professors for creating an environment where students feel unafraid to speak their minds, encouraging them to comment, ask questions and generally “poke and prod” one another so we “would actually think about what’s being said.”

It’s a microcosm of what campus life is supposed to be all about: a diverse group of people coming together to expand their worldviews through study, debate and discovery – and it’s a message that was reinforced during a recent event for Victoria College students in the Vic One program.

The hour-long panel discussion, held at Hart House on Sept. 18, focused on the critical role of civil discourse on university campuses. It brought together two high-profile U of T academics and authors – Ian Williams of the department of English and Janice Stein of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy – and New York Timescolumnist Pamela Paul.

The first in a series of planned events and initiatives on the topic, the talk was moderated by Professor Randy Boyagoda, the university’s provostial adviser on civil discourse and chair of its Working Group on Civil Discourse, and is part of a broader effort to strengthen the culture of civil discourse on campus. That includes cultivating dialogue across different points of view and the discussion of challenging subjects.

Hundreds attended the event at Hart House, including Hugh Considine at bottom right (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The discussion, which drew about 150 attendees, touched on everything from today’s increasingly polarized political and cultural environment to the risks faced by universities – and society at large – if open discussion and debate of difficult topics are frowned upon or crowded out.

Not surprisingly, the panel members each had a unique take on the nature of the threat and what should be done about it.

Paul, for example, said she was especially concerned about a culture of self-censorship, saying she opted to become an opinion writer after years editing the New York Times Book Review upon recognizing the bulk of discussion about politics and culture was taking place only at extreme ends of the spectrum.

“What you had was this growing vacuum in the middle where nuance and complexity lived and no one was speaking up,” she said.

Stein, however, said that not all forms of self-censorship are necessarily undesirable, noting that she refrains from vocalizing thoughts she deems unnecessarily rude.

“When we’re in a learning community together, we have to say things in a way that people can hear,” said Stein, the Munk School’s founding director and University Professor and Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management in the department of political science. She added that what matters is why we self-censor – do we do it out of fear or out of consideration for others?

Williams, a professor of English and author who has published acclaimed books of poetry, essays and works of fiction, warned against viewing debate as simply an opportunity to persuade someone else of your views.

“The more interesting way of having these conversations [is not to] focus on converting a person to a team, but saying, ‘Here’s how my ideas have changed over time.’”

There were several other takeaways for the largely student audience, which included several first-years.

Paraphrasing French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, Boyagoda, a writer, professor of English and vice-dean, undergraduate in the Faculty of Arts & Science, urged students to “think against yourself ” by creating their own counterarguments as an intellectual exercise. Similarly, Paul spoke about the value of engaging with those who don’t share your opinions.

Stein and Williams also emphasized the U of T community’s shared responsibility to create an environment where people can ask questions and test out ideas. And if you find yourself amongst people who refuse to grant that space? “Just take that conversation elsewhere, rather than burying it or self-censoring it,” Williams said.

Following the talk, students asked questions about the “paradox of tolerance,” or the idea that creating a tolerant society requires being intolerant of intolerance, and how to cope with the repercussions of being ostracized for expressing an unpopular view, among other things.

Considine, one of four undergraduate student members of the civil discourse working group, said he was pleased to see so many students engaging with the topic.

“That’s something that, as one of the student representatives – and as the youngest student representative – I'm very conscious about.”

Geoffrey Hinton fields questions from scholars, students during academic talk on responsible AI

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 14:48:22 +0000

Geoffrey Hinton fields questions from scholars, students during academic talk on responsible AI

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 11/02/2023 - 10:48

Cutline

Geoffrey Hinton, a University Professor Emeritus of computer science who has been dubbed the “Godfather of AI,” delivers an academic talk about artificial intelligence in U of T’s Convocation Hall (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

Our Community

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science

Deep Learning

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Subheadline

'Godfather of AI' asks: Will Digital Intelligence Replace Biological Intelligence?

Does artificial intelligence actually understand? Would knowing more about its inner workings help to keep it in check? Could AI come up with the law of gravity if it hadn’t yet been devised?

These were among the questions that professors and students put to Geoffrey Hinton during a recent event at the University of Toronto’s 1,730-seat Convocation Hall.

The U of T University Professor emeritus of computer science and “godfather of AI” was there to deliver an academic talk about – and take queries on – the key differences between biological and digital intelligences, whether large language models such as ChatGPT understand what they are doing and the existential risks posed by unfettered development of the technology he helped create.

“My guess is that they will take over – they'll be much, much more intelligent than people ever were,” said Hinton, who added that humanity was likely “just a passing stage” in intelligence’s evolution.

“That's my best guess and I hope I'm wrong.”

The Oct. 27. event was co-hosted by U of T’s Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science in collaboration with the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the Cosmic Future Initiative.

Hinton’s talk came amid a flurry of AI-related developments. Three days earlier, Hinton, fellow Turing Award-winner Yoshua Bengio and 22 other AI experts, including U of T professors Gillian Hadfield, Tegan Maharaj and Sheila McIlraith, released a paper calling for governments and Big Tech firms to take action on the issue, including by devoting one-third of their AI research and development budgets to AI safety. And on Oct. 30, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order on Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.

Hinton took questions from audience members, many of them professors and students (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“AI is poised to transform how we live and work,” said Professor Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, after she summarized the seminal work Hinton did on deep learning neural networks with the help of his graduate students.

“At this pivotal moment when we consider the opportunities and risks of AI, who better to guide us in this conversation than Dr. Hinton himself?”

Hinton, who is also a cognitive scientist, explained why he began sounding the alarm about AI earlier this year after spending decades developing the technology to better understand how the human mind works. In short: It is the rapid advances in large language models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s PaLM coupled with the scaling advantages that digital intelligences enjoy due to their ability to be copied and share information.

And he warned that neural networks’ learning capacity is likely to grow even further as more sources of information, including video, are incorporated into their training. “They could also learn much faster if they manipulated the physical world,” he said.

He finished his presentation by suggesting AI chatbots may even be capable of subjective experience – a concept that is tied up with ideas about consciousness and sentience. “The reason I believe that is because I think people are wrong in their analysis of what subjective experience is,” he said.

Left to right: Sheila McIlraith, Geoffrey Hinton, Gillian Hadfield and Melanie Woodin (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The talk was followed by a lengthy Q-and-A session co-ordinated by McIlraith, a professor in the department of computer science and a faculty member at the Vector Institute, where Hinton is chief scientific adviser. McIlraith said she hoped the event would inspire attendees to “help chart a course toward a future where digital and biological intelligence both enrich the human experience.”

Scholars – both professors and students – in fields ranging from philosophy to cognition probed Hinton’s thinking and, in some cases, his conclusions.

Shalev Lifshitz, a fourth-year undergraduate student in computer science who is doing AI research in McIlraith’s group at U of T and the Vector Institute, got into a back-and-forth discussion with Hinton about whether tools like ChatGPT ever truly understand what they are doing (Hinton says yes).

“I’m on the fence – I was on the fence before – but I thought he made very interesting points,” Lifshitz said immediately following the event. “I think it depends on what the definition of ‘understanding’ is. I’m not clear on that yet.”

Others, like Jennifer Nagel, a professor in the department of philosophy at U of T Mississauga, wondered if future AI might find us interesting or special “in a way that would make the best and brightest artificial intelligences take our side.”

Scholars in fields ranging from philosophy to cognition probed Hinton’s thinking during the Q-and-A (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“I mean, for me to be an interesting conversational partner with you right now, I don't even have to be smarter than you … I just have to have some knowledge that you don't have – or even just some way of looking at a problem that you find interesting,” she said.

Hinton was also asked to give advice to students studying in the field.

“Work on AI safety,” he said, noting that top researchers such as OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, a U of T alumnus, and Roger Grosse and David Duvenaud – both associate professors of computer science at the university and Vector Institute faculty members – are all working on the subject.

For many, the event was simply a rare chance to hear directly from a world-renowned researcher whose work has already forever changed our lives.

Guijin Li, a PhD student in biomedical engineering, said she is really interested in Hinton’s thoughts on AI development and jumped at the chance to hear him in person.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

—with files from Mariam Matti

Geoffrey Hinton and Fei-Fei Li draw thousands to talk about responsible AI development

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 13:47:50 +0000

Geoffrey Hinton and Fei-Fei Li draw thousands to talk about responsible AI development

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 10/06/2023 - 09:47

Cutline

AI luminaries Fei-Fei Li and Geoffrey Hinton spoke about the past, present and future of artificial intelligence development at a Radical Ventures event hosted by U of T at the MaRS Discovery District (photo by Polina Teif)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

Our Community

Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science

Current Students

Faculty of Arts & Science

Geoffrey Hinton

Meric Gertler

Research & Innovation

Vector Institute

Subheadline

“If we do the right thing, we have a chance – we have a fighting chance of creating a future that's better”

After their research lit the fuse on artificial intelligence’s “Big Bang” more than a decade ago, AI luminaries Geoffrey Hinton and Fei-Fei Li are now hoping to solve a new problem: developing the revolutionary technology in a safe and responsible way.

A University Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto who has been called the “godfather of AI,” Hinton has spent the past six months warning about the existential threat posed by the rapid development of large language models such as ChatGPT and Google’s PaLM – let alone nearer-term risks such as joblessness, fake news and “battle robots.”

Li agrees that AI poses serious risks and the professor at Stanford University and co-director of the school’s Human-Centered AI Institute emphasizes the need to invest in public institutions to help guide the technology’s future. Still, she is hopeful about what lies ahead.

“If we do the right thing, we have a chance – we have a fighting chance of creating a future that's better,” said Li at a recent event with Hinton that was hosted by U of T at the MaRS Discovery District and livestreamed to thousands of people online.

“So, what I really feel is not delusional optimism at this point – it’s actually a sense of urgency of responsibility.”

Melanie Woodin, dean of U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science, called the conversation “profound” (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Organized by Toronto venture capital firm Radical Ventures in partnership with U of T, Stanford, the Vector Institute and other organizations, the Hinton-Li talk was part AI history lesson, part call to action – and served to kick off the Radical AI Founders Masterclass, a four-week program that’s designed to teach AI researchers how to build AI companies.

“It’s already clear that artificial intelligence and machine learning are driving innovation and value creation across the economy. They are also transforming research in fields such as drug discovery, medical diagnostics and the search for advanced materials,” U of T President Meric Gertler said during his introductory remarks. “Of course, at the same time, there are growing concerns about the role AI will play in shaping humanity’s future – so today’s conversation certainly addresses a timely and important topic.”

U of T President Meric Gertler said AI is transforming research in fields such as drug discovery, medical diagnostics and the search for advanced materials (photo by Polina Teif)

Li and Hinton recounted how, in 2012, Hinton’s grad students demonstrated the potential of deep learning neural networks on the ImageNet database built by Li and her team to test object recognition software. Discussion moderator Jordan Jacobs, a co-founder of Radical Ventures and the Vector Institute, referred to it as AI’s “Big Bang moment.”

While Hinton said he remains concerned about the capacity of today’s AI systems to devour oceans of data and share instantly their learnings with each other – a trait he says could one day yield superior intelligence – he noted his message of caution is getting through.

“I’m quite optimistic that people are listening,” he said.

The event drew thousands of viewers in person and online (photo by Polina Teif)

The wide-ranging discussion prompted a flurry of questions from the in-person and online audience – from entrepreneurs eager to implement responsible AI development at their startups, to students who wondered about the technology’s impact on teaching and education.

Melanie Woodin, dean of U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science, called the conversation both “profound” and “unparalleled” in her closing remarks.

At a watch party organized by U of T’s department of computer science, Steve Engels, a professor, teaching stream, said Hinton’s appeal for more research on mitigating AI risks resonated with students in the room.

“It's nice when they get to see some of the people who are working on the technology also call people to action in order to try to respond to it,” he said. “There isn't opposition between the people making the technology and the people who are trying to regulate it and protect us from it.”

Arielle Zhang, a third-year student majoring in machine intelligence in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, left the talk feeling optimistic about the future and her role in it.

“The conversation was pretty inspiring,” she said, adding that it helped convince her to pursue a another degree in academia – a place where topics such as AI privacy and fairness can be more easily explored.

“Those are the issues the new generation is facing.”

With files from Adina Bresge

L’Université de Toronto nomme Michael Sabia directeur de la Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 15:11:36 +0000

L’Université de Toronto nomme Michael Sabia directeur de la Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 11/12/2019 - 10:11

Cutline

(Crédit photo: la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec)

Chris Sorensen

Michael Sabia, un des leaders les plus accomplis du pays dans les secteurs des affaires, de l’investissement et des politiques publiques, a été nommé nouveau directeur de la Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy de l’Université de Toronto.

L’Agenda Committee de l’Academic Board de l’Université a récemment approuvé la nomination de M. Sabia pour un mandat de cinq ans qui débutera le 1^er février 2020. M. Sabia est actuellement président et chef de la direction de la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (la Caisse), une institution qui compte plus de 325 G$ investis partout dans le monde.

Diplômé de l’Université de Toronto et ayant notamment dirigé la plus grande société de télécommunications au Canada et participé à la privatisation de la plus grande société ferroviaire du pays, M. Sabia fera appel à sa vaste expérience dans les secteurs public et privé pour réaliser les ambitions grandissantes de la Munk School au Canada et sur la scène internationale.

« La Caisse est maintenant une institution financière mondiale qui compte des investissements partout sur la planète. Au cours des dix dernières années, nous avons dû composer avec un environnement géopolitique de plus en plus complexe et turbulent », a dit Michael Sabia

« Je suis impatient de mettre à profit les leçons que j'ai apprises et les relations internationales que j'ai établies pour aider les professeurs, les étudiants et le personnel de la Munk School à continuer de bâtir une institution engagée et admirée partout dans le monde pour la qualité de ses idées et ses solutions pratiques aux enjeux que nous devons tous surmonter », a-t-il ajouté.

La Munk School, créée lors de la fusion de la Munk School of Global Affairs et de la School of Public Policy & Governance l’an passé, est un centre de recherche interdisciplinaire, d’enseignement et de mobilisation publique qui rassemble des chercheurs de calibre mondial et plus de 50 centres académiques, laboratoires et programmes.

La Munk School compte également une vingtaine de programmes d’enseignement, dont Munk One, un programme de première année axé sur la résolution de problèmes mondiaux.

M. Sabia prendra la relève du professeur Randall Hansen, qui occupe actuellement le poste de directeur par intérim de la Munk School.

« Je suis très heureux d’accueillir Michael Sabia à l’Université à titre de directeur de la Munk School », a dit le recteur Meric Gertler. « Tout au long de sa carrière, il a contribué de façon importante aux politiques publiques, au secteur des affaires et au monde de l’investissement. Je sais qu’il apportera à la Munk School le même leadership éclairé et engagé pour lequel il est reconnu. »

« Je tiens également à remercier le professeur Hansen d’avoir dirigé et guidé l’école avec excellence. Son travail a contribué à bien préparer le terrain pour nos succès futurs. »

M. Sabia, qui détient un baccalauréat en économie politique de l’Université de Toronto et deux maîtrises de l’Université Yale, occupe le poste de président et chef de la direction de la Caisse depuis 2009. Sous sa direction, l’organisation est devenue une institution financière mondiale qui compte plus de 325 G$ en actifs sous gestion.

Il y a également dirigé la mise en œuvre d’une nouvelle stratégie d’investissement qui a fait de la Caisse un leader reconnu partout dans le monde par les investisseurs cherchant à relever les défis présentés par les changements climatiques, à développer des infrastructures urbaines et à créer des partenariats industriels à l’échelle mondiale.

Avant de se joindre à la Caisse, M. Sabia a occupé plusieurs postes de direction à BCE Inc., société mère de Bell Canada, y compris le rôle de chef de la direction de 2002 à 2008, où il a dirigé une transformation stratégique de ce géant des télécommunications. Il a également occupé le poste de chef de la direction financière à la Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada (CN), où il a travaillé avec Paul Tellier, qui était alors chef de la direction, pour faire du CN une société cotée en Bourse par l’entremise de ce qui était à l’époque le plus important premier appel public à l’épargne de l’histoire du Canada.

M. Sabia a travaillé pendant plusieurs années dans le secteur public avant de passer au milieu des affaires. Il a été directeur général de la politique fiscale au ministère des Finances du Canada, où il a été l’un des architectes d’une réforme complète du système fiscal canadien, ainsi que sous-secrétaire au Bureau du Conseil privé.

Plus récemment, M. Sabia a été membre du Conseil consultatif en matière de croissance économique du ministre des Finances Morneau. Il est actuellement coprésident du Réseau de leadership des investisseurs du G7, qui comprend des initiatives sur les changements climatiques, la diversité et le développement d’infrastructures, ainsi que coprésident de l’initiative sur l‘investissement à long terme, les infrastructures et le développement pour le Forum Économique Mondial.

M. Sabia est également administrateur de la Foreign Policy Association of New York, et membre de la Asia-Pacific Business Leaders Advisory Council. Il a été nommé Officier de l’Ordre du Canada il y a deux ans, et a reçu un prix d’honneur du Forum des politiques publiques en reconnaissance de ses nombreuses contributions aux politiques publiques du Canada.

Le recteur Meric Gertler a annoncé que Melanie Woodin, doyenne de la Faculté des arts et des sciences, et Cheryl Regehr, vice-présidente et rectrice, et lui-même ont demandé à M. Sabia « de diriger un processus de consultation au sein de l’Université afin de décider si la Munk School devrait être une faculté à part entière ».

« Je suis extrêmement fier de tout ce qui a été accompli à la Munk School jusqu’à présent », a dit le recteur.

« Grâce à l’appui financier inestimable de la famille Munk et d’autres généreux donateurs, ainsi qu’au dévouement du personnel enseignant et administratif hors pair de la Munk School, j’ai confiance que nous poursuivrons nos réussites. »

Vous pouvez lire le communiqué de presse de la Caisse ici

U of T names Michael Sabia director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 14:56:16 +0000

U of T names Michael Sabia director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 11/12/2019 - 09:56

Cutline

(Photo courtesy of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

Our Community

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Alumni

Faculty of Arts & Science

Meric Gertler

Michael Sabia, one of the country’s most accomplished leaders in business, investment and public policy, has been named the new director of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.

The university’s Agenda Committee of Academic Board recently approved the appointment of Sabia, who is currently CEO of pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), which has more than $325 billion of assets invested globally, for a five-year term beginning Feb. 1, 2020.

A U of T alumnus, Sabia will draw on his considerable experience in both the public and private sectors – he once ran Canada’s biggest telecom and helped privatize its largest railway – to help realize the Munk School’s growing ambitions in Canada and on the global stage.

“CDPQ is now a global financial institution with investments around the world. Over the last decade, we have had to navigate through an increasingly complex and turbulent geopolitical scene,” Sabia said.

“With the lessons learned and the global relationships built, I am looking forward to working with the scholars, students and staff at the Munk School to continue building an institution engaged in the world and widely admired around the globe for the quality of its ideas and its practical solutions to the issues facing us all.”

The Munk School, created through a merger last year of the Munk School of Global Affairs and the School of Public Policy & Governance, is a leading hub for interdisciplinary research, teaching and public engagement that houses world-class researchers and more than 50 academic centres, labs and programs.

It’s also home to 20 teaching programs, including Munk One – a first-year foundational program that focuses on global problem-solving.

Sabia will take over the role of director of the Munk School from Professor Randall Hansen, who is currently serving as interim director.

“I’m delighted to welcome Michael Sabia back to the university as the Munk School’s new director,” said President Meric Gertler. “Throughout his career, he has made significant contributions to public policy, to business and to the world of investment. I know he will bring the same kind of engaged thought leadership to the school.

“I would also like to thank Professor Hansen for his excellent leadership and guidance at the school. His work has helped set the stage for future success.”

Sabia, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political economy from U of T before completing two graduate degrees at Yale University, took over the role of chief executive at CDPQ in 2009 and proceeded to build the organization into a global financial institution with more than $325 billion in assets under management.

He also oversaw the implementation of a new investment strategy that made CDPQ an internationally recognized leader among investors working to address climate change, develop urban infrastructure and forge global industry partnerships.

Before that, Sabia held several senior positions at Bell Canada parent BCE Inc., including the role of CEO from 2002 to 2008 when he led a strategic transformation of the telecommunications giant. He also served as chief financial officer at Canadian National Railway, where he worked with then-CEO Paul Tellier to successfully launch CN as a publicly traded corporation through what was then the largest-ever initial public offering in Canadian history.

Sabia spent several years in the public service prior to entering the corporate world. He was director general of tax policy in the federal department of finance, where he was one of the architects of a comprehensive reform of Canada’s tax system, and served as deputy secretary in the Privy Council Office.

More recently, Sabia served on Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s advisory council on economic growth. He is currently co-chair of the G7 Investor Leadership Network on Climate Change, Diversity and Infrastructure Development, as well as co-chair of long-term investment, infrastructure and development for the World Economic Forum.

In addition, Sabia is a trustee of the Foreign Policy Association of New York and a member of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada two years ago, and has received an award from the non-profit Public Policy Forum for his many contributions to public policy in Canada.

President Gertler said Faculty of Arts & Science Dean Melanie Woodin, Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr and he have asked Sabia “to lead a consultative process within the university to determine whether establishing the Munk School as a free-standing faculty would be a constructive step forward.”

“I’m immensely proud of everything that has been accomplished at the Munk School so far,” President Gertler said.

“With the invaluable financial and ongoing commitment of the Munk family and other generous donors, and with the dedication of the school’s first-class faculty and staff, I am confident of our continued success.”

Vous pouvez lire l'article de U of T News en français en cliquant ici

Reuters ranks U of T as most innovative university in Canada, 27th in the world

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 20:11:17 +0000

Reuters ranks U of T as most innovative university in Canada, 27th in the world

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 10/24/2019 - 16:11

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(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

Research & Entrepreneurship

Research & Innovation

A new international ranking by Reuters places the University of Toronto first in Canada and among the world’s top 30 universities for efforts to “advance science, invent new technologies and power new markets and industries.”

The World’s Most Innovative Universities 2019 ranking, released Wednesday, saw U of T move into 27^th place globally. That’s up eight spots from last year and 19 places from 2017.

“This ranking reflects the growing recognition of the University of Toronto as a major global hub of discovery and innovation across a wide range of fields,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “It is a tribute to the ingenuity of U of T researchers and their success in addressing pressing problems with practical solutions.

“It also affirms the university’s efforts over many years to maximize the social and economic impact of the brilliant research produced on our three campuses.”

Read about this week's U.S. News & World Report global university rankings

The Reuters ranking, first launched five years ago, relies on 10 patent and research-related indicators to evaluate hundreds of universities around the world. That includes looking at metrics such as patent volume, patent success, global patents, patent citations and “patent citation impact.”

U of T’s climb up the Reuters ranking – moving to 27^thplace from 46^th in just two years – coincides with ongoing efforts by the university to assist researchers who want to patent and commercialize their discoveries. With the support of the Innovations & Partnerships Office, over the past decade U of T has filed hundreds of patent applications on behalf of researchers – all in an effort to turn ideas and innovations into new products and services with socioeconomic benefits in Canada and around the world.

The top-ranked schools in Reuters’ innovation 2019 ranking were Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, which have all held their positions since the ranking first launched in 2015.

The University of British Columbia was the only other Canadian university to make Reuters’ list of most innovative universities. It ranked 53^rdthis year, up eight spots from 2018.

Overall, U of T continues to be the highest ranked Canadian university and one of the top ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings, Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

U of T climbs two spots in U.S. News & World Report global university rankings

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000

U of T climbs two spots in U.S. News & World Report global university rankings

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 10/24/2019 - 00:00

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(photo by Ken Jones)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

Global Lens

Artificial Intelligence

Global

Meric Gertler

Rankings

Research & Innovation

U.S. News & World Report

The University of Toronto has climbed two spots to 18^th in the world in the latest U.S. News & World Report global university rankings.

The 2020 edition of the research-focused Best Global Universities Rankings, released this week, saw U of T move to 18^th place from the 20^th spot last year. Among public universities, U of T ranked eighth in the world and remains the number one post-secondary institution in Canada.

Outside of the United States, U of T was ranked third overall, behind only the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

U of T also ranked first in Canada in 20 out of 28 subject areas examined by the U.S. media company, and was among the top 10 schools in the world for: oncology (3^rd); clinical medicine (4^th); surgery (4^th); arts and humanities (6^th); cardiac and cardiovascular systems (8^th) psychiatry/psychology (9^th); and social sciences and public health (10^th).

“This is a terrific result for the University of Toronto that underscores our growing global reputation for research excellence in fields that span humanities to health care,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

“As one of only a handful of public universities to be ranked among the world’s elite institutions, U of T offers students and faculty the opportunity to conduct world-leading research and scholarship in an exceptionally diverse and inclusive environment – a combination that is, frankly, difficult to match.”

Read about this week's Reuters' World's Most Innovative Universities ranking

The U.S. News & World Report ranking evaluated more than 1,500 post-secondary institutions from 81 countries based on research performance and reputation. Using data from Clarivate Analytics, the ranking measured global and regional reputations, citations, scholarly publications and international collaboration. A similar methodology was used to rank top universities in a total of 28 subject areas.

U of T’s performance in the U.S. News & World Report ranking comes on the heels of a September ranking by Times Higher Education that saw U of T jump three spots to 18^th globally. U of T also moved up three spots to 19^th globally in a reputation-focused ranking released by Times Higher Education in late July.

In addition to U of T, the latest ranking by U.S. News & World Report placed two other Canadian schools among its top 50 globally: the University of British Columbia, which ranked 30^th in the world, and McGill University, which ranked 49^th.

The top five universities in the U.S. News & World Report ranking were Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley and Oxford.

This year’s ranking included six new subject areas and covered an additional 250 schools.

Overall, U of T continues to be the highest ranked Canadian university and one of the top ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings, Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

Task force on student mental health draws 'huge interest' from U of T community

noreen.rasbach — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 14:53:25 +0000

Task force on student mental health draws 'huge interest' from U of T community

noreen.rasbach Tue, 10/01/2019 - 10:53

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Among other measures, U of T launched a new drop-in counselling service at Robarts Library during the spring exam season that offered 45-minute appointments with counsellors (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

Our Community

Health & Wellness Centre

Undergraduate Students

Last week’s death of a University of Toronto student has underscored the need to address student mental health on campus – an issue the university is tackling with a four-point action plan announced earlier this year.

The four-point plan, announced by U of T President Meric Gertler in March, included the creation of a Presidential and Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health to review the university’s mental health supports and services.

Over the past several months, the 13-member task force has been meeting with experts, U of T Health & Wellness and Accessibility Services leads, and collecting feedback through an online consultation form that remains open until Oct. 15. At the same time, focus groups and open consultation sessions are being held with students, faculty and staff on U of T’s three campuses.

The task force has also set up booths at U of T events and partnered with the Innovation Hub at U of T to run a series of student-led feedback sessions in September.

"There's huge interest across the entire U of T community – and there is concern,” said Trevor Young (pictured left), the task force’s chair and dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

“We share that concern and want to do everything we can to support all the different parts of the university that are working on addressing this issue.”

Young said the task force, which counts four students among its members, is looking at everything from how and where U of T delivers mental health services – including variations from campus to campus – to the partnerships it has forged with community agencies and hospitals. It plans to make recommendations to U of T’s president and provost in December.

The task force is only one pillar of President Gertler’s four-point plan. The other three pillars are:

work with health-care partners outside the university to improve U of T’s ability to refer students suffering serious mental health challenges for specialized care
have the Expert Panel on Undergraduate Student Educational Experience look at issues surrounding learning cultures, competitiveness, student well-being and student supports
work with the Ontario government to secure more resources to support students

The university, which has hired additional mental health and accessibility counsellors in recent years, has taken other steps to improve its mental health supports over the past six months. They include a new program this fall that offers same-day counselling on the St. George campus. Similar services are already available at U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough.

U of T also launched a new drop-in counselling service at Robarts Library during the spring exam season that offered 45-minute appointments with counsellors who spoke English, Mandarin, Hindi and Punjabi. As well, international students now have free access to the third-party My Student Support Program (My SSP) app, which provides international students with 24-hour support in different languages.

Also: U of T experts explain difficulties of reporting on suicide – and why it's important to focus on resilience

Like other universities, U of T is experiencing a growing number of students seeking help for mental health issues, reflecting a broader trend in society. Students are among the most vulnerable age group since they are often living away from home for the first time and may be coping with addictions and anxieties, as well as academic demands.

Research by Ontario colleges and universities suggests the number of students with identified mental health disorders has more than doubled over the past five years. The research suggests 75 per cent of mental health disorders first appear before the age of 25.

While the task force is still in the information-gathering stage, Young said many of the questions being raised focus on the issue of access to mental health services.

“There's a lot of respect for the excellent services that are available on campus,” he said, “but what concerns people is access to those services, including after-hours access and whether supports are easy to find and navigate.”

Young said the task force plans to review all the information it has collected by late October and then draft recommendations. He stressed there was still plenty of time to contribute to the process.

"We're still open for feedback and input,” he said.

Feeling distressed? Find someone to talk to right now – and if there is an immediate risk, call 911.

Round-the-clock support:

Free 24/7 support is available outside the university. Students, staff and faculty can speak to a trained crisis worker at any hour of the day.

Good 2 Talk Student Helpline 1-866-925-5454. Professional counselling, information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being.
Gerstein Crisis Centre 416-929-5200
Distress Centres of Greater Toronto 416-408-HELP (4357)
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at 250 College Street
Anishnawbe Health Toronto Mental Health Crisis Line 416-360-0486
My SSP for U of T Students 1-844-451-9700. Immediate counselling support is available in 35 languages and ongoing support in 146 languages.
Appointed faculty and staff have access to the Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP), offered through Homewood Health, online and by phone at 1-800-663-1142

The following are some of the services available to students on all three campuses:

St. George campus: Health and Wellness Centre (416-978-8030), located at Koffler Student Services
U of T Scarborough: Health & Wellness Centre 416-287-7065
U of T Mississauga: Health & Counselling Centre 905-828-5255

'Grab this opportunity': U of T alumna's startup to empower women through connection-focused app

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 13:41:21 +0000

'Grab this opportunity': U of T alumna's startup to empower women through connection-focused app

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 04/26/2019 - 09:41

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Sandra Pellegrini is the founder and CEO of Wengage, an app that is designed to connect women with other women who are looking for company to grab dinner or attend events (photo by Chris Sorensen)

Topic

One oft-noted irony of the “social” media age is how much time we spend in physical isolation, staring at our mobile devices.

It’s a trend Sandra Pellegrini is hoping to ameliorate – for women at least – via a real-time mobile app to connect users who want to share a meal, go to the theatre or take in a sports event.

Pellegrini, a U of T alumna who has spent much of her career in HR consulting, says she first got the idea two years ago while looking for a fellow tourist to dine with during a visit to Whitehorse.

"I ended up on my own for dinner, watching the Blue Jays on the big screen in a sports bar,” says Pellegrini, who graduated from U of T in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

“I drove back thinking, in this day and age, there’s got to be a better way to connect with people.”

Pellegrini’s answer was Wengage. The free app is strictly limited to women who are looking for company, and offers detailed user profiles, a recommendation engine and chat functions. It allows users to see, in real-time, who else is interested in, say, going for a run, visiting an art gallery or grabbing a bite to eat in a particular location.

As the venture’s founder and CEO, Pellegrini says Wengage targets a large, underserved market of women who travel solo for business and pleasure, but aren’t able to fully take advantage of the experience because they feel uncomfortable – even unsafe – venturing out alone.

“I thought back to business trips when I had free time between meetings, or I was somewhere overnight on my own in a place like Chicago, San Francisco or L.A.,” Pellegrini says.

“As a woman, you end up staying in your hotel room nine times out of 10 unless you have some company."

Pellegrini adds that she also sees a potential market among university students, including at U of T – particularly international students who are new to the city and have yet to develop a social network.

Still in beta testing, Wengage is preparing for a Toronto launch in the coming months. After building a user base, Pellegrini says the plan is to roll out the app in other cities and eventually generate revenue by selling ad space, entering into promotional deals and offering users the opportunity to upgrade to a premium service.

How does Wengage plan to prevent men from lurking on the site, and to keep users safe more generally?

"You can't use the app unless you're a woman,” Pelligrini says. “There's state-of-the-art technology, including facial recognition, to confirm gender.”

She adds that there is also a “zero-tolerance policy” for inappropriate behaviour, and that Wengage has designed the app to give users complete control over their profiles and interactions.

That said, Pellegrini stresses that Wengage is not only about creating a safer space for women, but further empowering them.

“It's not a ‘poor me’ situation,” she says. “It's about saying, ‘I want to grab this opportunity – I don't want to miss this moment in time.’"

Chris Sorensen

As his public stature grows, ‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton heads to Stockholm to accept his Nobel Prize

‘Think against yourself’: Panel discussion on civil discourse draws students to U of T’s Hart House

Geoffrey Hinton fields questions from scholars, students during academic talk on responsible AI

Geoffrey Hinton and Fei-Fei Li draw thousands to talk about responsible AI development

L’Université de Toronto nomme Michael Sabia directeur de la Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Vous pouvez lire le communiqué de presse de la Caisse ici

U of T names Michael Sabia director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Read more at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec

Vous pouvez lire l'article de U of T News en français en cliquant ici

Reuters ranks U of T as most innovative university in Canada, 27th in the world

Read about this week's U.S. News & World Report global university rankings

U of T climbs two spots in U.S. News & World Report global university rankings

Read about this week's Reuters' World's Most Innovative Universities ranking

Task force on student mental health draws 'huge interest' from U of T community

Read more: U of T expert on the rise of students seeking help for mental health

Also: U of T experts explain difficulties of reporting on suicide – and why it's important to focus on resilience

'Grab this opportunity': U of T alumna's startup to empower women through connection-focused app