Research and education in advanced technologies at the University of Waterloo got a boost with a donation from the co-founder of Research in Motion.
Ophelia and Mike Lazaridis personally donated an additional $17.2 million beyond their $33.3-million donation last year. It will fund three related initiatives, the university said.
Seventy-five per cent will go toward a shared new facility housing the university's institute for quantum computing and nanotechnology engineering program. The remaining 25 per cent will go to an endowment to attract the best foreign graduate students involved in quantum studies.
Each student will receive a $20,000 scholarship from the endowment and a president's graduate scholarship equivalent to full tuition, currently valued at $13,770.
Mike Lazaridis is the university's chancellor and the founder, president and co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM) (TSX:RIM, Nasdaq: RIMM).
Plans for a new facility to house quantum computing and nanotechnology engineering research and teaching are already well under way. The new building will be situated in the centre of the university's campus.
Quantum computing involves harnessing the power of atoms and building quantum computers with transistors of atomic size.
Scientists believe this technology will aid many discoveries, including unbreakable cryptography, unparalleled high-precision measurement devices, extremely powerful computers and a better understanding of the microscopic world.
Nanotechnology engineers and scientists assemble, manipulate and control materials at the atomic and molecular scale to fabricate structures, devices and systems that have novel properties and functionality. Applications include ultra-fast and high memory-capacity computers, new materials of incredible strength and cell-size probes for biomedical investigations.
