social innovation Archives | Research & Innovation

Canada and the United Kingdom commit to social innovation

fmaquito — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:00:00 +0000

A joint diplomatic commitment to social innovation between Canada and the United Kingdom that was formalized May 9 has a connection to work underway at 91��ɫ in the area of knowledge mobilization.

The signed by David Fast, Canada’s minister of international trade and minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and Stephen Green, the United Kingdom’s minister of state for trade & development, highlights the importance of collaboration between the two countries in the area of social innovation. Social Innovation takes new ideas and puts them into practice for the public good. David Phipps, director of 91��ɫ's Research Services and Knowledge Exchange and leader of 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit and ��𲹰��貹��-��é��𲹳ܱ��貹��ٸ�𳦳�� (RIR), Canada’s knowledge mobilization network, played a role in realizing the commitment by both countries to social innovation.

David Phipps

It began in September 2011, when British Prime Minister David Cameron met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The pair discussed many matters, including international diplomacy, national security, the economy and innovation. During their meeting, they decided to build on their countries’ mutual interests in science and innovation by committing to a joint innovation statement. to view a video of Cameron's address to the Canadian Parliament.

In November 2011, some two months after the prime ministers agreed to draft the joint innovation statement, Phipps travelled to the UK for a series of meetings on knowledge mobilization and social innovation. While there, he met with representatives from the at the University of Edinburgh and the at the University of Brighton.

“At that time, I wrote in [a blog about ResearchImpact and knowledge mobilization] about my meetings ,” said Phipps. “What I didn't write about at the time were my meetings with agencies interested in social innovation. I met with the , a global leader in social innovation, and with , the UK’s innovation foundation.”

Accompanying Phipps to the meetings was Caroline Martin, trade commissioner for science and technology with the Canadian High Commission in London. “We discussed the importance of social innovation to Canada and the United Kingdom, a conversation we then continued with Nicole Arbour, team lead for the Science & Innovation Network at the British High Commission in Ottawa. Together we explored opportunities for collaboration on social innovation with Canadian organizations such as and the , organizations whose leadership in social innovation parallels that of NESTA and the Young Foundation.”

Phipps learned that Martin and Arbour were assisting with drafting the Joint Innovation statement that was called for by the prime ministers. “Our conversations helped inform the decision to include social innovation in the text of the Joint Innovation statement,” said Phipps.

Once completed, the Joint Innovation statement included this declaration: “The Participants will consider taking joint initiatives in the following priority areas [including] Social Innovation: Working with academic, government and civil society partners to leverage research and innovation activities for greater societal benefits.”

Phipps said the joint diplomatic commitment to social innovation between Canada and the UK has found another home with the Governor General of Canada David Johnston. On Feb. 17, 2012 he wrote about in an opinion piece published in The Globe & Mail. “So how do we bring about a smart and caring world that is at once prosperous, sustainable and resilient?” wrote Johnston. “Our ability to work together – to practise the diplomacy of knowledge – will be the key to our success.”

"Social Innovation is one outcome of knowledge mobilization for which 91��ɫ is developing an international reputation,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation. “New discoveries are being made to address persistent social challenges through social innovation. Our conversations with the British and Canadian High Commissions helped inform the decision to include social innovation in the text of the Joint Innovation statement. The outcome reflects the growing international appreciation of the work of 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit and its leadership role in ResearchImpact, Canada's knowledge mobilization network, in working to turn research into action."

“Collaborating for social innovation is now recognized as a priority for Canada and for the UK,” said Phipps. “RIR-91��ɫ was there and will be there working with colleagues from Canada and the UK to support knowledge mobilization as a process that enables enhanced social innovation.”

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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David Phipps and 91��ɫ's KMb Unit named Canada's biggest influencers

fmaquito — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:00:00 +0000

David Phipps, director of 91��ɫ's Research Services and Knowledge Exchange, has been named the most influential knowledge broker in Canada, according to a report by Knowledge Mobilization Works, a consulting and training company based in Ottawa.

The Canadian Knowledge Mobilization 100, a survey run by , asked respondents to rank the biggest influences of their knowledge mobilization practice. Phipps, who leads 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit and , Canada’s knowledge mobilization network, topped the list.

Left: David Phipps

Also mentioned among the top influencers in Canada were Peter Levesque (Knowledge Mobilization Works), Melanie Barwick (Hospital for Sick Children), Ben Levin (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) and Gary Myers (KMbeing.com). The survey collected responses from Jan. 5 to June 15, and results were released by Knowledge Mobilization Works on Monday.

“Knowledge mobilization is a key element of 91��ɫ’s research outreach strategy,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation. “Through David’s efforts and leadership, 91��ɫ’s excellent reputation as a leading knowledge mobilization university in Canada continues to be strengthened. This recognition by his peers is well deserved.”

91��ɫ piloted institutional knowledge mobilization in 2005 under a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Since then, 91��ɫ has grown its knowledge mobilization collaboration with the University of Victoria to include the other four ��𲹰��貹��-��é��𲹳ܱ��貹��ٸ�𳦳�� universities: Memorial University of Newfoundland & Labrador, Université du Québec à Montréal, University of Guelph and University of Saskatchewan. 91��ɫ also works closely with the United Way of 91��ɫ Region to deliver knowledge mobilization services to the 91��ɫ Region community, municipal and regional agencies.

Knowledge mobilization is a suite of services that connect university research and expertise to government and community agencies so that research can help these organizations make better informed decisions about public policy and social services. Knowledge mobilization is a process that results in social innovation.

“Knowledge mobilization has become very important for Canada,” said Steven Gaetz, professor in the Faculty of Education who leads both the and the . “David’s work and that of the knowledge mobilization unit is very helpful to those of us seeking to make research accessible to policy makers.”

Levesque, president and CEO of Knowledge Mobilization Works, undertook the survey to obtain a snapshot of who people see as influential in their knowledge mobilization practice in Canada.

“We think that knowledge mobilization as a concept and as a practice is growing. We think that we have barely scratched the surface of understanding what influences knowledge mobilization practice,” said Levesque.

Founded in January 2007, Knowledge Mobilization Works supports individuals and organizations to create incentives and infrastructure for knowledge mobilization.

For more information on 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit contact , manager, Knowledge Mobilization at ext. 88876.

To view the results of the survey, visit .

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Knowledge Mobilization launches 28 new ResearchSnapshots; part of United Way of 91��ɫ Region partnership

fmaquito — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Unit is expanding its repository of clear language research summaries – RsearchSnapshots – as part of its mandate to maximize the impact of research.

Using peer-reviewed 91��ɫ research, students working within the KMb Unit developed 28 new summaries over the summer. This brings the existing searchable of ResearchSnapshots to over 120 summaries.

The KMb Unit focused on three priorities identified by one of 91��ɫ’s leading partners, the United Way of 91��ɫ Region (UWYR).

The are:

Helping youth grow up strong.
Enabling individuals and families to achieve economic independence.
Improving the well-being of individuals and communities.

These research summaries provide the United Way and its network of member agencies with an important foundation for decision making and policy setting.

“Having access to relevant research strengthens UWYR’s capacity to make evidence-based decisions, and informs the planning and delivery of our strategic investments in communities of rapid growth,” says Daniele Zanotti, CEO of the UWYR.

This is the third year that the KMb Unit has developed ResearchSnapshots based on 91��ɫ research, and the project has attracted notice and enthusiasm among the wider community.

“I was able to include the research summary of the 91��ɫ Region Infrastructure project in my PowerPoint presentation,” says Joanna French, a researcher for the . “It provided a succinct, pertinent and accessible way to introduce academic research into my presentation.”

Visit Knowledge Mobilization’s website for more information about how the unit works with 91��ɫ researchers, community agencies, government and the private sector.

Submitted by Michael Johnny, manager of 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit

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President Shoukri names internationalization, online learning and changing demographics among challenges facing universities

fmaquito — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri published an op-ed in the exploring the challenges facing higher education and possible responses:

We live in a time of unprecedented change characterized by ever-increasing challenges facing higher education.

Evolving cultural and social environments, heightened demands for a postsecondary education, rising costs and expectations surrounding the role of universities, funding uncertainties and reluctance to accept change are some of the many obstacles facing postsecondary institutions. If Canadian universities are going to compete successfully in today’s global knowledge-based society, it is crucial they address these challenges.

At a recent conference in New 91��ɫ, I presented my views on the leading drivers affecting this change to the presidents of some of world’s foremost universities. In my opinion, these drivers are: internationalization, online learning, demographics, challenges to university autonomy and society engagement.

We live in a world where internationalization is not just a concept, but a reality. Societies have become increasingly interdependent; global economies and cultural interactions are the norm. For Canada’s future leaders to effectively contribute to this society, international experience is essential. As such, it is important that universities adopt internationalization as part of their mandate. This can only be achieved with both strong leadership from the top and grassroots involvement from all members of the university community.

Equally important is a broad, international curriculum that brings world perspectives into the classroom, which would offer international content combined with language study, and encourage student mobility with study and/or work terms abroad. Partnerships with foreign institutions so students can earn joint and/or dual degrees should also be explored and developed.

The information technology revolution saw the emergence of the so-called millennial generation. This new generation has access to vast amounts of information, demands more services via the web and expects everything to materialize instantaneously. The traditional model of teaching and the role of the instructor are being transformed, so models of course delivery will have to transform with it.

With the evolution of e-learning comes the need to expand access and share curricula with other institutions nationally and across the globe.

This will present a major learning opportunity, and a more efficient deployment of resources. In order to maximize this potential, a new credit transfer regime will need to be developed.

The growing recognition that a future career requires a post-secondary degree represents another challenge.

The Ontario government has implemented a goal of 70 per cent post-secondary attainment. During a time of budgetary constraint, small classes being taught by faculty who spend 40 per cent of their time teaching and the rest dedicated to research is no longer feasible.

Already, universities throughout North America are resorting to part-time teachers. A team of respected academic experts has offered several alternatives, including creating a new stream of faculty focused on teaching with limited research functions, and undergraduate-only universities. Ultimately, the current system will be difficult to sustain.

Now, more than ever, universities have a moral and social obligation to be directly engaged in social and economic development. This obligation extends beyond the core responsibility of simply educating citizens, and includes facilitating the transfer of knowledge from faculty and students to society.

But there are numerous issues to note. While universities must develop structures and policies that facilitate effective knowledge transfer, the impetus to create new products and services is the responsibility of the private and public sectors.

Additionally, the focus of the commercialization of the results of university research has been in the science, technology and medical fields, while it should also include deployment of new knowledge in the humanities, social sciences and arts.

Recognizing the last point, a number of universities have been developing “knowledge mobilization” units to facilitate the use of new knowledge by social agencies, government departments, industry and local communities.

Universities have stood the test of time because of their ability to adapt to the needs of society.

If Canada’s students are to become the leading thinkers in our global society, then universities will have to address the challenges, as they have done throughout the centuries.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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United Way and 91��ɫ launch Change Inc. to address complex social issues in 91��ɫ Region

fmaquito — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Collaboration to incubate new ideas and support social entrepreneurs

and 91��ɫ have launched Change Inc., a collaboration that will incubate and invest in promising innovations to tackle complex social issues and build capacity in 91��ɫ Region.

Daniele Zanotti, CEO of United Way, and Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation at 91��ɫ, made the announcement at Deloitte’s head offices in Vaughan as part of United Way Week (Oct. 4 to 8).

“We are proud to announce Change Inc. − a critical strategy in United Way’s impact agenda − in collaboration with 91��ɫ and our advisory group of business leaders,” said Zanotti. “For our region to be great for all residents, we need a new infrastructure to incubate ideas and shift the way we solve social problems.”

“Change Inc. is transformative for 91��ɫ, for United Way and for capacity building in our community,” said Shapson. “Change Inc. will provide seed funding, space and support services to social innovators and entrepreneurs. It will provide better access to 91��ɫ’s research, graduate students and the programs − such as knowledge mobilization − that support their work with the region. It will match social innovators with business-leader mentors. This approach advances and broadens 91��ɫ’s innovation agenda, builds on our strong partnership with United Way, and engages 91��ɫ Region’s corporate leaders in social innovation, which is a persistent gap in Canada’s innovation agenda.”

Change Inc. will work with its Innovation Advisory Board, established in June, to actively develop a sustainable strategy. Co-chaired by Zanotti and Shapson, its current members include:
·         Charles Beer, board chair, United Way of 91��ɫ Region.
·         Anthony Gallo, vice-president, Social Media, OpenText
·         Pat Horgan, vice-president, Manufacturing, Development and Operations, IBM
·         Debora Kelly, editor-in-chief, 91��ɫ Region Media Group
·         Young Park, sector vice-president, CGI
·         Avi Pollock, head, Applied Innovation and Strategic Planning, RBC

“Change Inc. builds on the United Way’s Strength Investments announced earlier this week,” said Zanotti. “Together with our current program funding, Strength Investments and Change Inc. provide a continuum of support for people, groups and agencies doing good work across 91��ɫ Region.” Information about the .

“Congratulations to United Way, 91��ɫ and the business advisory board for disrupting the status quo with the announcement of Change Inc. − an opportunity to research, try and scale new ideas to address social challenges,” said Lorrie King, partner, , and member of the 2010 United Way Campaign Cabinet. “Deloitte is a champion of United Way and a champion of innovation. At Deloitte, innovation is at the very cornerstone of our corporate strategic directions, and our own leading-edge research, across all sectors, clearly identifies innovation as the driver of long-term success and sustainability.”

Over the coming months, Change Inc. will announce its office location and release information about a community innovation summit, pilot projects and funding opportunities.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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Researchers creating international global rights-monitoring network for persons with disabilities

fmaquito — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Disability Rights Promotion International provides innovative response to UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

If you pass a law to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities, how do you know whether it’s being enforced, let alone making a difference?

Marcia Rioux (right), director of the 91��ɫ Institute for Health Research (YIHR) and professor in the Faculty of Health’s School of Health Policy & Management, is working internationally, particularly with countries with limited resources, to develop a unique and innovation solution for the reporting requirements set out in the United Nation’s .

The United Nations requires all governments that have ratified its Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities − as Canada did on , 2010 − to provide information on the measures they have taken to integrate persons with disabilities into their societies. But this reporting is often limited to cataloguing laws, policies, and programs that may have little impact on the day-to-day lives of the people they’re intended to help.

Disability Rights Promotion International (DRPI), a multi-year international collaborative project, is establishing a global monitoring system to address disability discrimination. The research project, based in YIHR, is led by Rioux and Bengt Lindqvist − a former Cabinet Minister in Sweden, former UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, and long-time activist on disability rights. The team includes a group of 91��ɫ researchers and international colleagues who are creating a roadmap that will allow countries to evaluate their laws, policies and programs to comply with the United Nations’ standards.

“Collecting and reporting on evidence-based data forces governments to acknowledge that the challenges people with disabilities face are not just anecdotal,” says Rioux. “Our project allows evaluation to happen within the context of the experiences of people with disabilities to objectively measure where discrimination is now while developing and tracking solid trend data to determine if and how things are getting better.”

In September, the Africa Regional Monitoring Centre opened its doors in Kigali, Rwanda and will act as a focal point for disability monitoring and reporting in the region. Agreements with centres in Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and Latin America are expected in the near future. The (SIDA) awarded the research team over $2 million in 2009 to open the four regional centres.

Each centre will act as a focal point for monitoring disability rights in that region, and will play a key role in empowering local people with disabilities to lead disability rights monitoring projects. “Regional monitoring is most sustainable when local people are involved since it puts long-term roots into the community,” says Rioux. “The vast majority of disabled people around the world face endemic poverty − many don’t have jobs or go to school or have basic literacy skills. Engaging people with disabilities to lead this process is a more holistic approach to addressing the challenges they face, both as individuals and a collective.”

When all four centres are operational, Rioux anticipates that hundreds of people with disabilities will be engaged in disability rights monitoring activities. The centres will host training on what disability means as a human right, how to collect data and conduct evidence-based research, and how to write and file human rights reports. Groundwork is also being laid to connect monitors with disabilities to other local rights-seeking groups, such as religious-based, race-based and gender-based, to get them coordinating their efforts together instead of separately.

"The Faculty of Health’s worldwide research aims to help people live healthier lives while co-creating rejuvenated health systems,” says Harvey Skinner, dean of Health. “Professor Rioux's research is an excellent example of how 91��ɫ University is on the front line of our increasingly complex, simultaneously global and local world."

Previous phases of this project focused on developing and piloting tools and methods to monitor disability rights. In 2006, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada ()’s Community-University Research Alliances program provided Rioux and her team with just under $1 million to fund Monitoring the Human Rights of People with Disabilities in Canada, which is currently in its last of five years.

In 2008, Rioux also received a two-year $40,000 grant from to research disability and social, economic and cultural rights. She has also received funding from the , and been invited to consult with governments and disabled persons associations around the globe to discuss disability rights. Recently, she and her team wrote the chapter on disability rights monitoring for the .

“Professor Rioux’s disability rights research reflects both the value 91��ɫ places on social justice and her expertise in leading large-scale collaborative research projects of international significance,” says Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. “This type of knowledge mobilization is a crucial step in making governments more accountable for the social policies they set, and reflects the social input that’s possible when expertise is globally shared.”

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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91��ɫ Leaderhship Roundtable gathers university, business, and community leaders

fmaquito — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000

The 91��ɫ Leadership Roundtable event series connects senior business executives and community leaders in 91��ɫ Region with 91��ɫ's researchers and senior administrators. Through the roundtable format, participants identify and generate ways to build upon their scientific and social innovation while sharing resources by forming research partnerships.

91��ɫRegion.com :

Great minds may think alike, but at a 91��ɫ round table Tuesday night, there was no shortage of ideas about how technology can improve business and social services in 91��ɫ Region.

“There’s something magical that happens when you’re provoked to think,” 91��ɫ Leadership Roundtable chairperson Don Cousens said.

The former Markham mayor welcomed about 50 attendees with business, human services and academic backgrounds, including 91��ɫ Region District School Board Director of Education Ken Thurston and 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri.

Shoukri talked of the potential in 91��ɫ Region, particularly in Markham where a combination of information technology and health technologies and a group of creative-minded people are creating an innovation centre for medical devices.

Anthony Gallo addressed the crowd assembled in 91��ɫ’s new Research Tower first.

“The Web is about sharing. Participating in how things are shared, from a business perspective, is crucial,” the vice-president of social media said.

Communities are no longer just physical neighbourhoods, but groups formed around common ideas, he said.

CEO Daniele Zanotti agreed. “We are brothers separated at birth,” Zanotti said. “The key message is very similar, about community and the need for us to work collaboratively.”

He pointed to the five Welcome Centres opening in the region – one-stop shops for immigrant services – as an example of collaboration when United Way combined its knowledge with research from 91��ɫ and resources from 91��ɫ Region and upper levels of government.

The event was one in a series hosted by the University dating back to 2008. Each roundtable aims to give researchers, community leaders and executives a chance to dialogue about a particular theme.

The complete article is available on .

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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