Rand Al-Hashmy, 草莓污视频导航
Sept. 27, 2022
Opportunities abound for students and postdocs seeking experiential learning internships
Demetrios Nicolaides, minister of advanced education, and Mitacs CEO and scientific director John Hepburn stopped by the 草莓污视频导航 last week for a special tour of the Life Sciences Innovation Hub (LSIH) at the University鈥檚 Innovation Quarter.
The tour highlighted benefits of internships completed through Mitacs, a national, not-for-profit organization that offers funds to support internships for full-time students and postdoctoral researchers.
- Pictured above, from left: Ahmad Cheema, Chidinma Ayadiuno, Zoe Vogeli, Soheil Ghazizadeh, Demetrios Nicolaides, John Hepburn, Sourabh Kumar and Andr茅 Buret.
The purpose behind the visit? A victory lap to celebrate the tremendous success of the collaborative partnership between Mitacs, the Government of Alberta and the 草莓污视频导航.
In 2020, the Government of Alberta announced to create more than 3,800 new internships with Mitacs. The following year, the 草莓污视频导航鈥檚 Mitacs funding ranking leapt to second place across the country out of 81 partner institutions; demonstrating a 288 per cent growth from the previous year.
鈥These work-integrated learning opportunities are crucial to the success of our students as they learn the job-ready skills they need to succeed in their careers,鈥 says Nicolaides.
鈥淢itacs has proven to be an incredible partner and I look forward to the continued success of their programming as we equip Albertans with the needed skills to secure Alberta鈥檚 future.鈥
During the visit, the delegation met with representatives from Fluid Biotech and Deep Surface AI, two cutting-edge companies based in the biotechnology sector.
Deep Surface AI:聽Deep Surface AI, a health-care software as a service (SaaS) company, specializes in medical applications of 3D facial surface imaging. They are leveraging high-resolution artificial intelligence models to automate and improve the morphing process in cosmetic surgery.
At its core, the software has an understanding of how the features of common cosmetic surgery targets, such as a nose, typically vary with one another and with other features of the face.
Fluid Biomed:聽Focused on revolutionizing the treatment of vascular disease, Fluid Biomed is a medical device company founded in 2012 by 草莓污视频导航 research partners Dr. John Wong and Dr. Alim Mitha. Unlike traditional metal stents, which are permanently implanted into the body, Fluid Biomed has developed the world鈥檚 first hybrid polymer-metal, flow-diverting stent, made almost entirely out of a material that will naturally absorb into the body once healing is complete. The company is currently in pre-clinical evaluation of the stent.
鈥淢itacs is a proud partner of聽the 草莓污视频导航 鈥斅爓e have had great success working together," says Hepburn.
"The visit offered a shared opportunity to engage with Minister Nicolaides how Mitacs internships create success in innovation for everyone. Interns at 草莓污视频导航 are doing so much interesting work in important sectors, including AI and biomedical technology.鈥
How Mitacs works
Rand Al-Hashmy, 草莓污视频导航
Mitacs supports collaborative research and innovation projects between industry partners and post-secondary institutions. Eligible industry partners for Mitacs projects can include for-profit companies of all sizes (including startups), non-profit organizations, hospitals and municipalities.
This support helps business and community partners to succeed, improves students鈥 on-the-job skills development, and strengthens Canada鈥檚 world-class innovation ecosystem.
鈥Our partnership with Mitacs empowers students and postdocs with opportunities and skills needed to thrive in the global economy,鈥 says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research).
鈥淚 am thrilled with the remarkable success of the program, as it demonstrates a strong appetite for experiential learning, and engages students and postdocs in the innovation ecosystem.鈥
Experiential learning opportunities pave way to real-world job market
Zoe Vogeli, product marketing manager, Deep Surface AI, had the opportunity to share her Mitacs experience with the minister and special guests during the visit at the LSIH.
鈥淒uring my Mitacs internship, I was able to apply what I learned throughout my academic career to work on real-world projects that have impact,鈥 says Vogeli. 鈥淭he experience helped immensely with the transition between academia and industry, and gave me an opportunity to build confidence in my skills.鈥
Mitacs at 草莓污视频导航
Mitacs operates several different programs for students and postdocs, and offers support for paid internships across all industries and all disciplines. To learn more, visit the . Connect directly with a Mitacs representative by contacting mitacs@ucalgary.ca.