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Student News
International Student Conference Lands Major Support
University of Calgary students spearheading the
first-ever world energy conference for students
have landed their first major industry supporter
– along with endorsement by national and international
energy organizations.
Oilsands giant Suncor Energy Inc. has contributed
$25,000 – the first supporter at the
“platinum-level”– toward the 1st Students’
World Energy Congress (SWEC), to be held
in Calgary in November 2009. The three-day
SWEC 2009 conference is aimed at bringing
together hundreds of students from around the
world, focused on discussing sustainable energy
and resource management and how it will define
the future of energy and global development.
SWEC 2009 has also been endorsed by the
U.K. based World Petroleum Council (WPC) and
by the Energy Council of Canada. The WPC’s
member countries represent more than 90 per
cent of the world’s major oil- and gas-producing
and consuming nations of the world.
The Energy Council of Canada, headquartered
in Ottawa, is the Canadian national member of
the World Energy Council (with member committees
in nearly 100 countries), and it includes
representatives from
all facets of Canada’s
energy sector.
SWEC 2009 is
being organized by a
group of students led
by the Institute for
Sustainable Energy,
Environment and
Economy Students’
Association (ISEEESA)
at the U of C. The
three-day event is
modelled on the prestigious
World Energy
Congress being held
this summer in Madrid, Spain.
The SWEC organizing committee is inviting
students from around the world who are
enrolled in undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral
programs in any field of study. Researchers
and professors will also be invited.
Organizers are expecting about 450 delegates
– 25 per cent of them from the U.S. and 15 per
cent from other countries.
Mark Blackwell (centre) with student organizing team for SWEC 2009.
The theme for SWEC 2009 is: “Energy in
Transition: Perspectives and Strategies on the
Future of Energy.” The event, which features an
exhibition on energy technologies and visits to
the Athabasca oil sands or an energy-processing
plant, also includes roundtables on: Finance,
Regulation and Sustainability, Technology and
Innovation and Global Energy Cooperation.
For more information about SWEC 2009, visit
www.studentenergy.ca
Photo provided by SWEC
SU Investment Used to Improve Student Space
The University of Calgary Students’ Union
recently joined representatives from the
Haskayne School of Business to celebrate
improvements to a student space for studying
and socializing.
Through its Campus Improvement Fund,
the Students’ Union donated over $11,000
(which was matched by the Haskayne School
of Business) to invest in improvements to the
school’s Shell Forum, located on the third floor
of Scurfield Hall. The common area is used by
students to socialize and study.
The money is being used to update the Shell
Forum, including replacing outdated furniture
and making the space more inviting for students
to gather.
“The current seating and accommodations in
the Shell Forum is not comfortable or inviting
for students,” said Tim Young, Students’ Union
Haskayne School of Business Representative
who created and submitted the proposal for
the improvements to the Students’ Academic
Assembly. “The new seating will create an
environment for students to collaborate, study,
interact, network and enjoy themselves while on
campus.”
“The improvements to the Shell Forum would
not have been possible without the work of our
students,” said Dr. Leonard Waverman, Dean of
the Haskayne School of Business. “It is thanks
to the students’ initiative that we now have
an updated, comfortable place for everyone to
enjoy.”
The Campus Improvement Fund is part of
the Students’ Union Quality Money initiative.
Over the past few years the Students’ Union has
received funds from the Board of Governors for
projects and initiatives that increase the quality
of the student experience. The Students’ Union
uses feedback from students to determine where
to invest each year. The SU receives approximately
$1.4 million annually to improve campus
life for students. Since 2004 the Students’
Union has invested approximately $6.5 million
in student lead initiatives to enhance the overall
student experience at the University of Calgary.
Tim Young (left), Student’s Union Haskayne
School of Business Representative and Dr. Leonard
Waverman, Dean of the Haskayne School of
Business, try out the new furniture in Scurfield
Hall, provided by an $11,000 donation from the
Students’ Union.
Photo provided by U of C Students’ Union
Alumni Connections 15