Nortel Institute gains momentum |
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Earlier this year, Northern Telecom agreed to contribute
approximately $1 million a year for the next eight years to the Faculty to
develop expertise in telecommunications research and education through
The Nortel Institute of Telecommunications at the University of
Toronto.
Since then, the Nortel Institute for Telecommunications has become firmly established. With Prof. Jimmy Xu of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering serving as Director while occupying the Nortel-endowed chair in emerging technology and Prof. Alberto Leon-Garcia holding the Nortel-endowed chair in network architecture, Dr. Dave MacLean of Nortel has moved on-campus to manage the Institute. Early in 1998, the Institute office will be established in Room 1102, Sandford Fleming Building (previously occupied by the OLLRC). |
| As a result of the Institute's activities, interactions between the Faculty and Nortel have increased, observes Dr. MacLean. For example, Gedas Sakus (pictured opposite), President Technology. for Nortel, participated in this year's on-campus recruiting campaign. Workshops and think-tank sessions involving university researchers and technical experts from Nortel have also been held on campus, including two Nortel Institute Forum workshops involving Nortel staff and University representatives and a one-week workshop on the high-school math curriculum, co-sponsored with the Fields Institute, involving teachers connected with Nortel-sponsored schools in North America and the UK. |  Gedas Sakus, President, Technology, Nortel, tries his hands and eyes at a demonstration of virtual reality at the Faculty of Engineering's Career Fair. He is assisted by Nortel's John Dankowyck. |
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"Rising to our most positive expectations, the Nortel Institute at
U of T has emerged as a vibrant initiative, fostering increased
interaction and a host of new ideas," says Paul Jay, Nortel's Director,
Global External Research. "In the year since its announcement, the
Nortel Institute has seen many of its initial objectives become reality."
Meanwhile, Nortel continues its involvement in collaborative research programs with Faculty members. "The new Master of Engineering in Telecommunications program is also on track to begin in 1998," adds Dr. MacLean. Beyond the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, the Institute is fostering collaborations with the Department of Physics and the Rotman School of Management. In addition to creating two endowed chairs, Nortel and its subsidiary, Bell Northern Research, have also created three assistant professor positions in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The contribution - the largest corporate commitment of its kind in Canada - also finances a laboratory in the Department and endows undergraduate and graduate scholarships. In the process, the contribution solidifies the Department's status among the top-ranking facilities of its kind in North America. For more information on the Nortel Institute for Telecommunications, contact Dr. Dave MacLean at 416-408-2088. Fax: 416-971-2626; email: macleand@nortel.com |
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