University of Alberta is the best place to study when it comes to working with nanotechnology, says SHALINI SAKSENA
The University of Alberta, Canada is among the top five Canadian universities and one of the top 100 in the world. Not surprising because since its inception back in 1908, it has had the vision to be one of the world’s great universities. The university has some great programmes that it offers to its students, but it is its programme in nanotechnology that makes UAlberta is ideal for students.
Nanotechnology Research Centre The Faculty of Engineering research labs and graduate student space occupy 60,000 square feet of the campus-based National Institute for Nanotechnology. The CAD $120-million research centre, which opened in 2006, is the centre of nanotechnology research in the country boasting one of the world’s quietest working environments.
State-of-the-art nanotech facilities: The students can engage in hands-on research in unique facilities that are unparalleled in Canada, like the nanoFAB — Fabrication and Characterisation centre, the Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, and the Nanotechnology Research Centre.
The nanoFAB is a national, open-access training, service, and collaboration centre focused on academic and industrial applications in micro- and nanoscale fabrication and characterisation. With a primary mandate of education and development of highly qualified personnel, the nanoFAB provides training and first-hand experience on nearly all tools and processes offered.
Work experience for future career success: Paid employment opportunities are available through co-operative work terms, internships, and more, allowing UAlberta students to gain personal and experiential learning in throughout the course of their degree that will enhance their resume to impress future employers.
Focused, top quality nanotechnology programmes and courses in a variety of disciplines that provide unique and interdisciplinary perspectives across the sciences and engineering.
Learning at one of the world’s top 100 universities: Studying nanotechnology at the University of Alberta, which is ranked as one of the top five universities in Canada, top 100 in the world, and the world’s 31st most international university, leads to a degree that is recognised around the world for excellence.
A dedicated focus on nanotechnology: UAlberta is home of the Nanotechnology Initiative, a partnership with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). This partnership will focus on enabling UAlberta and NRC to better accelerate and expand Canadian nanotechnology expertise and capacity.
Learning from world-renowned professors with outstanding academic and research knowledge. The centre has three of the world-class professors — Dr Jillian Burak, originally from Havard University, is a Canada Research Chair in nanomaterials and has over 10,000 citations.
Dr Mojgan Daneshmand holds the Canada Research Chair in Radio Frequency Microsystems for Communication and Sensing has won the IEEE Lot Shafai Mid-Career Distinguished Achievement Award.
And then there is Dr Robert Burrell who holds the Canada Research Chair in Nanostructure Biomaterials and leads the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has won the Governor General’s Innovation Award for the world’s first therapeutic use of nanotechnology.