The first-ever Dal Innovation Week is coming up! From September 16 to 21, innovation will be swirling like maple syrup on a stack of pancakes. If you’re hungry to explore new ideas and solutions, Dal Innovation Week is a fantastic opportunity to embrace your innovative spirit. (See the full event program at the bottom of this post.)
Here are the top events to make your Innovation Week unforgettable:
- Land Your Dream Job – Enjoy a free lunch with Permjot Valia and learn how adopting an innovative mindset can help you land your dream job.
- Unleashing Innovation: Applying Design Thinking to Supercharge your Ideas – Are you eager to learn a powerful process that can transform your ideas into impactful solutions? If so, join us for this engaging two-hour workshop.
- Falling Walls – A pitch to change your world – in just 3 minutes. It’s a great way to get inspired and see who will win a trip to the global pitch competition in Berlin. Last year a student from Dal won the whole thing!
- Open Street Innovation – Be on the lookout for random acts of innovation at this street fair for students and faculty alongside free snacks and prizes.
- Dal Demo Day – Be wowed by 17 Atlantic Canadian student entrepreneurs who are pitching their startup ideas to win top prizes. Eight startups will also be demoing new products and technologies.
- Aquatron Tours– Three opportunities to tour Canada’s largest university aquatic research facility. Explore the latest in high-tech ocean monitoring and how endangered fish are being protected. Close-toed shoes only.
- Symposium on Black Methods in STEMM– Black Studies is a vast discipline that extends into all fields of science. Two opportunities to join researchers, entrepreneurs, students, and change agents who are driving innovative collaborations in Black Studies and STEMM across Canada.
- Blue Hackathon – Come take a deep dive into tackling real-world ocean-based energy problems. If you’ve never been to a hackathon, this is a chance to unleash your creativity on September 20 – 21.
- Black Innovators in STEM – Get inspired by the contributions of Black people to STEM, from ancient Egyptians through to contemporary scientists, inventors and engineers. This exhibit runs all week.
- Innovation in the Field – Visit the Cultiv8 gardens, see the latest agriculture technology and get inspired to feed the world.
- The What, Why and How of Intellectual Property– Maybe you want to invent the next hoverboard or a coffee cup that never spills. Dream big and protect your IP.
- Tech Innovation Showcase – See how students and researchers are leveraging AI, designing groundbreaking apps, and more.
- ILA STEM Trivia – In honor of Innovation Week, Imhotep’s Legacy Academy will host a trivia session focused on the contributions of Blacks to STEM.
- Women Leading in Building Peace and Security – Commemorate this year’s International Day of Peace with the Dallaire Institute. You’re invited to an evening plenary session that will include a special video appearance by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and a dialogue between the former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and youth activists from the Middle East and Africa.
Each event is a great opportunity to network and meet like-minded individuals, potential mentors, investors, and collaborators.
Remember, innovation isn’t just about gadgets and gizmos—it’s about fostering a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and camaraderie. So go forth, my innovative friend, and reserve your seat here!
Event Program
September 16 – 21, 2024
www.DalInnovationWeek.ca
| Day | Event | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, Wednesday, Friday 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. | Aquatron Tours | Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Canada’s largest university aquatic research facility. Close-toed shoes only. No flip-flops allowed. | Steele Ocean Sciences Building, Ground Floor Lobby, 6375 Edzelle Castle Circle |
| Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm | Black Innovators in STEM | Get inspired by the contributions of Black people to STEM, from ancient Egyptians through to contemporary scientists, inventors and engineers. This exhibit is presented by Imhotep. | Sexton Campus, Dalhousie, 1360 Barrington St., Halifax |
| Monday | Tech Innovation Showcase | See how students and researchers are leveraging AI, designing groundbreaking apps, and more. Presented by by ShiftKey Labs & Faculty of Computer Science. | Atrium in the Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue |
| Monday Networking: 11:30 a.m. Keynote: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm | Land Your Dream Job – How Innovation Skills Can Help | In today’s fast-paced business environment, the ability to adapt and pivot is crucial. Join us for an insightful discussion on how the power of having an innovative mindset can help you land your dream job. Featuring a keynote speaker, Permjot Valia, co-founder of Nava Develop Inc. and Dal Innovates program facilitator. | Deloitte Greenhouse Room 5th Floor, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Avenue, Halifax |
| Monday, Sept 16 at 2:00 pm – 4:00 p.m. | Unleashing Innovation: Applying Design Thinking to Supercharge your Ideas | Do you want to discover how industry giants like Google, Netflix, and Airbnb consistently innovate and solve complex challenges? Are you eager to learn a powerful process that can transform your ideas into impactful solutions? If so, join us for this engaging two-hour workshop. | University Hall, 3rd Floor, MacDonald Building, Studley Campus |
| Tuesday, Sept. 17 Workshop 8:30 am – 3:30 pm Plenary Session: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm | Women Leading in Building Peace and Security | Commemorate the International Day of Peace with a workshop and plenary on the vital role of women in peace and security in the Palestinian Territories. | Workshop Strug Concert Hall, 1385 Seymour St, Halifax, Plenary: Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, 6101 University Ave, Halifax |
| Tuesday, September 17 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | The What, Why and How of Intellectual Property in Research | Learn how a strong awareness of IP can transform research into impact. Presented by Dalhousie’s Office of Commercialization and Industry Engagement. | Room 2198 in the McCain Building at 6135 University Ave. |
| Tuesday, September 17 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Falling Walls – A pitch to change your world – in just 3 minutes | Come and see our brightest minds compete to win a spot at the Falling Wall global competition in Berlin. | Irving Oil Auditorium (G109), Richard Murray Design Building, Sexton Campus, 5257 Morris Street. |
| Wednesday, Sept. 18 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Open Street Innovation | Ignite your entrepreneurial spirit and connect with over 15 organizations dedicated to innovation and advancing entrepreneurship. | Tupper Quad, Dalhousie Medical Building, 5850 College Street, Halifax |
| Thursday, Sept. 19 Demo Expo featuring 10 Teams 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Live Pitches from 17 Entrepreneurial Teams 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Networking 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. | Dal Demo Day | Witness the incredible journey of 16 teams who have participated in Collide and Lab2Market Launch summer startup accelerator program, and 10 teams who have spent the last 10-months building physical products through the ideaBUILD program. | Joseph Strug Concert Hall 1385 Seymour St, Halifax |
| Thursday, Sept. 19 4:00pm – 6:00pm | Innovation in the Field | Join us for a celebration of agricultural innovation in the Cultiv8 gardens. Featuring agriculture technology demos and opportunities to meet the researchers and students behind innovative work. | Dal AC Garden site 77 Pictou Rd. Bible Hill. |
| Friday, September 20: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Saturday, September 21: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | The first-ever Blue Hackathon | If you have never been to a hackathon, let this be your first! Join students from all disciplines to take a dive deep into tackling real-world ocean-based energy problems. | Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Avenue, Halifax |
| Friday, September 20: 5:00 pm – 7:00 p.m. Saturday, September 21: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Symposium on Black Methods in Science, Technology, and Innovation Research in Canada and Beyond | Join scholars, researchers, practitioners, engineers, technicians, social entrepreneurs, students, community members, and change agents to share their innovative methodologies in STEMM that engage with and centre Black Studies. | University Hall, 3rd floor, MacDonald Building, Studley Campus |