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Politics, robots, tax reform - Issues, Experts and Ideas
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November 23, 2005
Aboriginal issues in the forefront
The federal government has announced a massive financial package aimed at settling outstanding claims by aboriginals abused while attending government-run residential schools. Meanwhile, aboriginal leaders and first ministers are getting set to meet this week in a first of its kind meeting to look at improving health, education, housing and other issues for aboriginals across the country. John Richards, of SFU's public policy program, is following the stories and can comment.
Post election - new leaders settle in
The civic elections have resulted in changes in several municipal halls, including Surrey, where incumbent mayor Doug McCallum was defeated by independent Dianne Watts and Vancouver, where the new mayor is Sam Sullivan. SFU political analysts Patrick Smith and Kennedy Stewart can explain what new leadership will mean throughout the Lower Mainland as well as BC. Smith also says, in the wake of the contests, election expense reforms are needed.
Chatterboxes are coming
How do robots perceive their environments and relate to each other? That's what SFU computing science assistant professor Richard Vaughan is hoping to learn by creating a horde of tiny robotic creatures he calls chatterboxes. Vaughan builds robots that are designed to work together on projects with no human intervention. By early next year he will have 30 little chatterboxes under his charge. They will wander around taking measurements and, most importantly, will have to remember to get recharged. Vaughan can talk about his project and research in his department's autonomy lab.
Study tracks ecological tax reform
This fall, a class of SFU geography students, led by Mark Roseland, director of the centre for sustainable development, is looking beyond the lay of the land and considering an economic question: what if tax reforms were discussed as though the sustainability of a region would be affected? The students are focusing on Vancouver's proposed sustainability precinct, an area that includes Southeast False Creek and the False Creek Flats, and some surrounding areas.Their task has been to demonstrate the concept of ecological fiscal reform, or tax shifting, at the local level, using the sustainability precinct as a geographic focus. The students will present their findings on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 10:30 a.m. in the Halpern Centre on the Burnaby campus.
Robot soccer comes to Surrey
It's not the World Cup, but the competition will be tough when two teams of soccer-playing robot dogs face off in a match at the Newton Seniors Centre on November 28 at 1:15 p.m. The eight soccer-playing dogs will demonstrate the work of professors Vive Kumar and Vadim Kyrylov of SFU Surrey's school of interactive arts and technology, where several research projects on collective robot behaviour and human-robot interaction are underway. Kyrylov says scholars of robotics and artificial intelligence selected soccer as a standard platform for testing their ideas. The pair will give a talk on robotics to the senoirs' computer club before setting up the dog match.
Ignatieff to speak at SFU's downtown campus
Internationally acclaimed Canadian author and social commentator Michael Ignatieff will give a free lecture at SFU Vancouver on Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. Ignatieff, who has been called Canada's best known intellectual and a future political leader, will deliver a lecture entitled Ocean to Ocean, Nineteenth Century Nation Building in Canada and its Lessons for the Present. Ignatieff recently returned to Canada from Harvard University where he headed the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. He is now at the University of Toronto as the Chancellor Jackman visiting professor in human rights policy. The event, one of many celebrating SFU's 40th anniversary, is sponsored by the master of public policy program. Reservations are required. Call 604.291.5100.
The federal government has announced a massive financial package aimed at settling outstanding claims by aboriginals abused while attending government-run residential schools. Meanwhile, aboriginal leaders and first ministers are getting set to meet this week in a first of its kind meeting to look at improving health, education, housing and other issues for aboriginals across the country. John Richards, of SFU's public policy program, is following the stories and can comment.
- John Richards, 604.291.5250; john_richards@sfu.ca
Post election - new leaders settle in
The civic elections have resulted in changes in several municipal halls, including Surrey, where incumbent mayor Doug McCallum was defeated by independent Dianne Watts and Vancouver, where the new mayor is Sam Sullivan. SFU political analysts Patrick Smith and Kennedy Stewart can explain what new leadership will mean throughout the Lower Mainland as well as BC. Smith also says, in the wake of the contests, election expense reforms are needed.
- Patrick Smith, 604.291.1544(h); psmith@sfu.caKennedy Stewart, 604.268.7913; kennedys@sfu.ca
Chatterboxes are coming
How do robots perceive their environments and relate to each other? That's what SFU computing science assistant professor Richard Vaughan is hoping to learn by creating a horde of tiny robotic creatures he calls chatterboxes. Vaughan builds robots that are designed to work together on projects with no human intervention. By early next year he will have 30 little chatterboxes under his charge. They will wander around taking measurements and, most importantly, will have to remember to get recharged. Vaughan can talk about his project and research in his department's autonomy lab.
- Richard Vaughan, 604.291.5811; richard_vaughan@sc.sfu.ca
Study tracks ecological tax reform
This fall, a class of SFU geography students, led by Mark Roseland, director of the centre for sustainable development, is looking beyond the lay of the land and considering an economic question: what if tax reforms were discussed as though the sustainability of a region would be affected? The students are focusing on Vancouver's proposed sustainability precinct, an area that includes Southeast False Creek and the False Creek Flats, and some surrounding areas.Their task has been to demonstrate the concept of ecological fiscal reform, or tax shifting, at the local level, using the sustainability precinct as a geographic focus. The students will present their findings on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 10:30 a.m. in the Halpern Centre on the Burnaby campus.
- Mark Roseland, 604.291.4161; mark_roseland@sfu.ca
Robot soccer comes to Surrey
It's not the World Cup, but the competition will be tough when two teams of soccer-playing robot dogs face off in a match at the Newton Seniors Centre on November 28 at 1:15 p.m. The eight soccer-playing dogs will demonstrate the work of professors Vive Kumar and Vadim Kyrylov of SFU Surrey's school of interactive arts and technology, where several research projects on collective robot behaviour and human-robot interaction are underway. Kyrylov says scholars of robotics and artificial intelligence selected soccer as a standard platform for testing their ideas. The pair will give a talk on robotics to the senoirs' computer club before setting up the dog match.
- Vive Kumar, 604.268.7423; vivek@sfu.caVadim Kyrylov, 604.268.7435; vkyrylov@sfu.ca
Ignatieff to speak at SFU's downtown campus
Internationally acclaimed Canadian author and social commentator Michael Ignatieff will give a free lecture at SFU Vancouver on Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. Ignatieff, who has been called Canada's best known intellectual and a future political leader, will deliver a lecture entitled Ocean to Ocean, Nineteenth Century Nation Building in Canada and its Lessons for the Present. Ignatieff recently returned to Canada from Harvard University where he headed the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. He is now at the University of Toronto as the Chancellor Jackman visiting professor in human rights policy. The event, one of many celebrating SFU's 40th anniversary, is sponsored by the master of public policy program. Reservations are required. Call 604.291.5100.
- Susan Jamieson-McLarnon, Media & PR 604.291.5151