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Recent Posts
- The Learning & Research of the UBC Board of Governors (II)
- The Learning & Research committee of the UBC Board: What a difference a year makes (I)
- UBC: Failures in governance are slowing down the pace of academic renewal
- A research community at the mercy of a leaderless NSERC
- A busy first four months on the UBC Board of Governors
- Academic publishing in the time of sanctions and boycotts
- Maurice Sion: 1927 – 2018
- Robert M. Miura: 1938 – 2018
- When the Walls of Governance Come Crumbling Down
- Why I am voting against the tuition increases for domestic students
- Resignation of the director of the Wall Institute: The reaction
- Why I am resigning from the directorship of the Wall institute
- Accountability and Governance at UBC: Budget
- NSERC corrects a mistake, but many remain unaddressed
- Is the BIRS programme multiple disciplinary enough for NSERC?
- Calling on #UBC to step up and support our alumni Loujain Al-Hathloul (Arts, 2014)
- Reboot NSERC by engaging and empowering the researchers it serves
- President Arvind Gupta on the essence of the academic mission…and an endorsement
- Why am I running again to represent the faculty on UBC’s Board of Governors?
- Overhauling NSERC is a long overdue national priority (I)
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Author Archives: Ghoussoub
Fettering unfettered research funding: The NSERC ways
Last week, I resigned from a committee that is supposed to liaise between NSERC and Canada’s Mathematics and Statistics communities. The reason? An unsettling lack of transparency, shoddy consultation, and poor decision-making by NSERC’s management in handling recent government budget … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged Harper-Goodyear, Mario Pinto, Mathematics, Naylor report, NSERC, research, Trudeau, Unfettered Research Funding
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Statistical science is everywhere
By Professor Nancy Reid, OC, FRSC On Saturday, April 7, The Globe and Mail published a long article on advances in counselling and therapy around mental health—“Rethinking therapy: how 45 questions can revolutionize mental health”. The punch line? A new … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged Alan Turing, Data Science, Globe and Mail, Statistical Science, University of Toronto
1 Comment
Did you say, Father’s day?
Last Monday, I wasn’t feeling great, so I asked a good friend of mine to come over and give me company, which he promptly did. Yes, this may be uncommon in this part of the world, but both he and … Continue reading
Posted in Honouring friends
2 Comments
The Problem with Naylor’s Panel Report
The report of Naylor’s panel reviewing Canadian Science is out. It is an incredibly eloquent “plaidoyer” for basic research both in terms of its role, past and present, in the advancement of society. It is of course music to the ears … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged CERC, CFERF, CFI, CRC, Kirsty Duncan, Naylor, research, science, SIF, Tri-councils
3 Comments
Berdahl vs. Potter: The Tale of Two “Globe and Mail” Editorials
Oct. 22, 2015, Globe and Mail Editorial re: Jennifer Berdahl: “It’s far from clear, though, that her blog post was an exercise in academic freedom. Her post was one remark about one unexplained kerfuffle in a university’s administration, not a piece … Continue reading
Budget 2017, Naylor’s review, and the Mathematical Sciences in Canada
James Colliander, Director of the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) Nassif Ghoussoub, Director of the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) Ian Hambleton, Director of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences (Fields) Luc Vinet, Directeur du Centre de Recherches Mathématiques (CRM) The … Continue reading
Posted in R&D Policy
Tagged CANSSI, CRM, Fields, Fields medal, Maurice Lamontagne, MSRI, Naylor, NRC, NSERC, science, Trudeau
3 Comments
Canada has two ministers of Science, yet Budget 2017 barely mentions Science
University researchers across Canada are stunned and puzzled. What happened to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals promises to undo the damage that the Harper years inflicted on the nation’s research capacity? The Liberals campaigned to end the “war on Science,” yet they … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged BIRS, CANSSI, CIFAR, cihr, CRM, Fields PIMS, Harper, Morneau, Naylor report, NIH, NSERC, research, science, Trudeau
2 Comments
The Latest Attack on Academic Freedom in Canada: McGill Turns Away from Controversy and Provocation
Originally posted on Commentaria:
? “While the Institute itself is non-partisan, MISC is no stranger to debate and controversy.”—https://mcgill.ca/misc/about “It is not a role to provoke, but to promote good discussion.”—McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier as quoted in The Globe and…
Posted in Board of Governors, Op-eds
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Salient points of Daniel Heath Justice’s letter of resignation from the UBC Sexual Assault Policy Committee in response to Furlong’s reinstatement
Originally posted on Commentaria:
Dear Professor Ono, I read with dismay the announcement yesterday that John Furlong has been reinstated as a UBC fundraising speaker. … There were many responsible and compassionate ways this matter might have been handled that…
Posted in Uncategorized
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Shaking up the UBC Board of Governors
Month after month of bad press in local and national media outlets didn’t do it. Petition after petition asking for transparency and accountability from the governors and the managerial class didn’t do it. Eight hundred faculty members voting non-confidence in … Continue reading
Interview with a mathematician: Nassif Ghoussoub
Originally posted on The Intrepid Mathematician:
Nassif Ghoussoub is the founder and current director of the Banff International Research Station, the founding director of the Pacific Institute of Mathematics, and the co-founder of MITACS NCE. On top of all that,…
Posted in Banff International Research Station, Honouring friends, R&D Policy
Tagged Arvind Gupta, Beit Chebab, BIRS, CFREF, CMO, Conacyt, Mathematics, Mitacs, Nigel Lloyd, NSERC, NSF, Oaxaca, Ono, Order of Canada, PIMS, Riemann Hypothesis, science, Tom Brzustowski, UBC
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About Naylor’s panel roundtable regarding Big Science in a Canadian Context
For those not paying attention, David Naylor is leading “Canada’s Fundamental Science Review Panel” which is looking at the state of fundamental science in Canada. Last week, I had a chance to participate at a roundtable of experts in Calgary, … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, R&D Policy
Tagged Art Carty, Art MacDonald, BIRS, Canadian Light Source, CERC, CFI, CFREF, Chief Science Advisor, Compute Canada, Jenkins, NRC, SNOLAB, Triumf
1 Comment
Research funding of Mathematics and Statistics in Canada
A submission from the NSERC Mathematics and Statistics Liaison group, to the Review of Federal Support to Research and Development, on research funding of mathematics and statistics in Canada. 1. Mathematics and Statistics in our research system; revolution, or a … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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The Submission of BIRS and Canada’s Mathematical Sciences Institutes to Canada’s Fundamental Science Review
The Mathematical Sciences are the foundation of any advanced research ecosystem, and Canada’s mathematical sciences institutes have been instrumental in supporting this ecosystem. They do so by providing scientific leadership, by developing coherent national strategies for mathematical and statistical discovery … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, R&D Policy
Tagged AARMS, BIRS, CANSSI, CRM, Fields, Mathematical Sciences Institutes, Naylor Panel, PIMS
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Saving the UBC Senate from itself
Originally posted on Commentaria:
Much has been made at UBC on the subject of governance, sparked by such diverse issues as the sudden resignation of Arvind Gupta, the violation of academic freedom that occurred in the aftermath of the resignation,…
Posted in Uncategorized
2 Comments
Some unedited thoughts for Canada’s fundamental science review panel
The Government bureaucracy seems to be buckling under the sheer number of reviews that the liberal government is currently conducting. One of them is focused on “determining the strengths of our current arrangements and pinpointing gaps and bottlenecks in Canada’s … Continue reading
Posted in R&D Policy
Tagged Birgenneau, CERC, CFI, CFREF, CIFAR, CIHR (Tri-council), CRC, Genome Canada, IDCR, IQC, McDonald, Mitacs, Naylor, NCE, NSERC, Perimeter Institute, sshrc, Triumf
3 Comments
A life of mathematics and computation: Jon Borwein
Originally posted on The Intrepid Mathematician:
There was sad news this week with the passing of Jonathan Borwein on Tuesday, August 2, 2016. Jon Borwein in his lab at University of Newcastle, Australia. Jon was a powerhouse mathematician and computer scientist who…
Posted in Honouring friends
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UBC’s new president is not a mathematician, but …
The last time I saw the fabulous Frances Bula, she said that she liked my tweets whenever I commented on mathematics and mathematicians. I think she really meant for me to leave the rest of the news and analysis to her … Continue reading
Posted in Board of Governors, UBC Presidential Search
Tagged Arvind Gupta, Diversity, Ken Ono, Mathematics, Mental wellbeing, Ramanujan, Santa Ono, Stuart Belkin, UBC
6 Comments
An open letter to Faye Wightman, Chair of the UBC Alumni Board of Directors
Originally posted on Commentaria:
From Roger Francois, Professor, Canadian Research Chair, FRSC, UBC Alumni ’87 (PhD) Dear Ms. Wightman, I could not attend the meeting of the Board of Governors on April 14th because of a scheduling conflict but owing…
Posted in Uncategorized
1 Comment
An open letter to Stuart Belkin, Chair, UBC Board of Governors
Originally posted on Commentaria:
Re: Ms. Wightman’s presentation at the April 14th meeting of the Board of Governors From: Prof. Kalina Christoff, Department of Psychology Dear Mr. Belkin, As a faculty member at UBC, I was delighted to hear today’s discussions…
Posted in Uncategorized
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