Bill Anderson will join researchers from four other universities at an event in London to discuss some of the world's most pressing issues.
Connectivity – that’s what matters now, according to Bill Anderson.
“Interconnectedness is the way the world is now,” says Dr. Anderson, chair of the university’s Cross Border Institute. “You don’t have the choice to opt out. Success depends on interconnections, and that goes for individuals, communities and corporations.”
That’s the subject Anderson will discuss when he joins researchers from four other Ontario universities at an event in London later this month called “What Matters Now?”
The event is part of a five-city speakers’ series organized by the Council of Ontario Universities’ Research Matters campaign. A collaborative effort now in its second year, the campaign brings together Ontario’s 21 universities in an exciting showcase of the critical research taking place on campuses.
Anderson – whose research is focused on a greater understanding on the topic of border transportation in general, and of issues affecting the Windsor-Detroit corridor specifically – will be joined on stage by researchers who will discuss such diverse topics as terrorism, infectious diseases, aging and neurology.
Rather than limiting himself to border issues, Anderson said he wanted to tackle the much broader issue of both physical and virtual global connectivity in his talk at the event, which will be held on November 26 at the London Children’s Museum. These free events allow the public to discuss the future with the university researchers who are creating it, according to COU president Bonnie M. Patterson.
“University research crosses all disciplines from medicine and technology to human resources, trade, law and social sciences,” she said. “It is changing lives, exposing students to a world of possibilities, and helping government, business and communities make the best possible decisions.”
The series – which is being moderated by radio and television personality Piya Chattopadhyay, who is often a host on both CBC radio and TVO’s flagship current affairs program, The Agenda – kicked off with an event in Hamilton earlier this month. After London, events will also be held in Thunder Bay, Toronto and Kingston.
The London event will be webcast live, and remote viewers will have the chance to have their say and ask questions via Twitter.