As part of its global vision to forge new partnerships with leading international research and academic institutions, think tanks, and technology hubs, TRENDS Research & Advisory, through its Canada Office, conducted a research tour across Canada this May. The tour featured a range of research events and scientific and intellectual meetings, focusing on advanced technologies and their impact, particularly in the realms of geopolitics and international relations.
Quantum Technology Governance
A key highlight of the tour was a panel discussion with the University of Sherbrooke’s Institut Quantique (IQ), an internationally renowned center for quantum research. The conversation focused on opportunities for joint research in quantum technology governance and explored avenues for collaboration in advanced science and technology.
The discussions also explored prospects for research collaboration between TRENDS and the Institut Quantique (IQ), including the integration of interdisciplinary approaches to drive innovation in quantum technologies, opportunities for joint scientific publications on artificial intelligence and its developments, and broader engagement on the future of advanced technologies.
Understanding Challenges and Opportunities
Both sides discussed the potential for co-authoring research on the governance of quantum technologies and their political, social, and security implications, aiming to develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by this rapidly evolving field.
Participants in the session included academics and experts from the Institut Quantique, as well as Hamad Al Hosani, Senior Researcher and Head of Political Islam Studies Section at TRENDS; Mohamed Al-Dhuhoori, Senior Researcher and Deputy Director of Research Department; and Dr. Wael Saleh, Political Islam Affairs Advisor and Director of TRENDS’ Office in Canada.
The Institut Quantique at the University of Sherbrooke is recognized as one of the world’s leading centers for quantum research and is expected to drive transformative advancements in fields such as medicine, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
AI Ethics
In a related context, TRENDS Research & Advisory, through its Canada Office, held a dialogue session with the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute (Mila) to explore opportunities for research collaboration. The discussion focused particularly on the legal and ethical governance of AI, along with its far-reaching implications across a range of sectors.
The session formed part of a joint effort to deepen understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by this rapidly evolving technology. It aimed to support the development of regulatory and ethical frameworks capable of keeping pace with ongoing advancements in the field.
Participants included Ms. Isadora Hellegren, Senior Project Manager on Mila’s Policy Team, and Ms. Letitia Vaux, Policy and International Affairs Coordinator at the institute.
Mila is one of the world’s premier institutions in the field of AI, renowned for its groundbreaking work in language modeling, machine translation, object recognition, and generative models. It is home to the largest academic concentration of deep learning researchers worldwide.
