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Tuesday, February 10, 2009 from 4:10 PM - 6:00 PM (ET)
KMDI at 13, Knowledge Media Design Institute Lecture Series in "Digital Media Research and Innovation at the University of Toronto"
Date: Tuesday February 10th, 2009
Time: 4:10pm - 6:00pm
Place: Bahen Centre for IT, Room 1210, 40 St. George Street, University of Toronto, St. George Campus
"Leveling the Playing Field for Citizen Intelligence" By Dr. Ron Deibert
Abstract: Whereas once the Internet was considered a powerful force for democratization and liberalization against which states were powerless, it is now being quickly carved up, colonized and militarized. States, corporations, and non-state actors alike are engaged in an intense geopolitical contest (The Great CyberGame) the outcome of which will shape the nature of global communications for the 21st century. Drawing on the research and development of the Citizen Lab at the Munk Centre for International Studies, Professor Deibert provides an overview of the battles over the future of the Net.
Brief Bio: Ron Deibert (BA, MA, PhD) is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto. The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary research and development hothouse working at the intersection of the Internet and human rights. He is a co-founder and a principal investigator of the OpenNet Initiative, the Information Warfare Monitor, and is a co-founder and vice president of Psiphon inc., a censorship circumvention services company. Deibert has published numerous articles, chapters, and two books on issues related technology, media, and world politics. Deibert's research, development and advocacy activities have been featured in newspapers, television, and radio shows, including the New York Times, BBC, Washington Post, Globe and Mail, CBC, NPR, CNN, Al Jazeera, WIRED, and the New Scientist. He was awarded the University of Toronto Outstanding Teaching Award (2002) and the Northrop Frye Distinguished Teaching and Research Award (2002), and was a Ford Foundation research scholar of Information and communication technologies (2002-2004). He was to the Macleans magazine honour roll as one of 39 Canadians to have helped make the world a better place in 2006 and was named to Esquire Magazine's Best and Brightest List for 2007.
"Leveling the Playing Field for Optimal Health” by Dr. Alex Jadad
Abstract: We all want a health system that promotes health, rather than just treats disease. We want services that are responsive to our culture and sensitive to our unique individual needs. We want responsible and integrated care, available anywhere, to anyone. We want a health system that is sustainable, and viewed as an essential component for the generation of wealth and wellbeing in society, not one that is viewed as a drain to the economy.
This is an elusive goal for every country in the world, one that is particularly urgent now that a global financial crisis is threatening the viability of most economies.
Canada is in a particularly vulnerable position. Despite consuming over $160 billion a year (more than 10% of the Gross Domestic Product), the system was ranked recently 23rd when compared with those of 29 European countries. A few years earlier, the World Health Organization had already identified the signs of deterioration of the Canadian health system ranking it 30th in the world, behind countries with much lower levels of wealth and health expenditures such as Colombia.
The situation in Canada will likely become worse unless comprehensive, bold, concerted and ambitious efforts are made to improve federal-provincial-territorial communication, and to foster collaboration across traditional boundaries; to eliminate incentives that promote a hospital-centric, physician-driven, disease-oriented and inefficient services; and to engage groups that remain at the margins of the system such as youth, newcomers and people living with multiple chronic diseases.
In this session, participants will:
· Become aware of initiatives in Canada and abroad designed to accelerate the transformation of the health system through international collaboration, living laboratories and the innovative use of information and communication technologies,
· Learn about projects designed to level the playing field for disadvantaged groups in Canada, enabling them to lead in a time of crisis, and
· Have the opportunity to share ideas with others about the role that knowledge, media and design could play to promote optimal health for all
Brief Bio: Dr. Jadad’s mission is to help improve health and wellness for all, thorough information and communication technologies (ICTs). His research and innovation work focuses on virtual tools to support the encounter between the public and the health system (with emphasis on self-management of chronic conditions); interactive tools to promote knowledge translation and mentorship of health professionals and the public; and online resources to support social networks, to respond to major public health threats (e.g., chronic conditions, pandemics), to support international collaboration, and to enable the public (particularly young people) to shape the health system and society. Born and educated in Colombia, he obtained his medical degree in 1986, specializing in anesthesiology. By the time he was 20 years of age and still a medical student, he became a leading medical expert on cocaine in Colombia and an internationally sought after speaker. In 1990 he joined the University of Oxford (Balliol College), where he became one of the first physicians in the world with a doctorate in health knowledge synthesis. He developed new methods to distill high-quality health related information and to build specialized bibliographic databases to support health-related decisions. He led the development of the most widely used tool to assess the quality of clinical trials (‘the Jadad scale’), now used throughout the world. His work helped fuel the development of the Cochrane Collaboration, a global network of individuals who are synthesizing over 500,000 clinical trials in all areas of health.
Moderator Bio: Jesse Hirsh is an internet strategist, researcher, and broadcaster based in Toronto, Canada. He has a weekly column on CBC radio and regularly appears on CBC Newsworld explaining and analyzing the latest trends and developments in technology using language and examples that are meaningful and relevant to everyday life. For two years, he was the host of an interfaith show on the Rogers and OMNI networks called 3D Dialogue. That show explored all the world’s religions and spiritual paths through interviews with practitioners, gurus, holy people, and cynics regarding their rituals, scriptures, and beliefs (or lack thereof). He owns and operates the consulting firm Openflows Networks Ltd., which specializes in using open source intelligence to develop internet strategies. Primarily, this involves researching and deploying advanced platforms and interactive campaigns for companies and organizations, both large and small. Educated at the McLuhan Program at the University of Toronto, his passion is educating people on the potential benefits and perils of technology.
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The talk will be webcast live & an archive will be available. Instructions to view the webcast:
Requirements: All you need to participate is a fast internet connection (1mb/sec), a screen resolution of 1024x768 or higher and Flash Player v.9+
1) If you haven't registered an ePresence account, go to http://epresence.tv/mediaContent/ and click "Join" at the top-right of the interface. Fill in the form and submit.
2) On the day of the event navigate to http://epresence.tv/mediaContent/ and look for your event in the Live Event schedule.
3) Click on the event link. You will be asked to login with your username and password. If the event hasn't started yet you will be placed in a waiting room. When the webcast begins a "Join Event" button will be available.
Press it to enter the webcast.
For more information please feel free to visit our website at http://www.kmdi.utoronto.ca.
Other Maps:
Via MichelinThe Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI), founded in 1995, is a leader in interdisciplinary research and teaching at the University of Toronto. The work of this largely graduate research and teaching institute spans the scientific study of the ways in which media and media technologies shape, and are shaped by, human activity, and the practical work of founding an interdisciplinary nexus for the design of such media. Adopting a human-centred and participatory approach to design, our goal is to enhance human skill rather than diminish it, and to encourage creativity and innovation. People and their practices are at the heart of all we do.
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