Xiaowen

WATERLOO, Ont. -- Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will meet students and faculty at the University of Waterloo today as part of a North American tour he is conducting at selected universities and colleges.

His visits are focused on meeting first-year computer science, mathematics and engineering students and selected faculty to share his thoughts on the future of technology and speak on why he thinks careers in computer science are exciting, rewarding and vitally important.

Waterloo is the only Canadian university on the list of six campuses he will visit this fall. He will also speak at the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, as well as Columbia, Princeton and Howard universities.

UW's world-renowned reputation in science and technology and the quality of its students are among the reasons he is visiting Waterloo.

"We're delighted by Mr.Gates' visit and thrilled with the confidence this demonstrates in our science, math and engineering students and programs to engage us in a discussion of the future of technology," said UW President David Johnston.

"Mr. Gates' visit to UW confirms what we already know about our students and programs: our students are among the best and brightest in the world, our faculty and programs are first-class, and our innovative and entrepreneurial style and approach to education and research serve as a model worldwide."

"This provides us with an excellent opportunity to showcase on a world scale the excellence of our students, our programs, and our faculty," said UW Dean of Mathematics Tom Coleman. "It also gives us an opportunity to strengthen our ties with industry, to play an influential role in where technology is headed, and to show the world why we are tops in science, engineering and math."

Gates' visit is also aimed at encouraging students to pursue careers in computer science. He will discuss the opportunities for computing to change the world and the role of students in driving the future of innovation in the industry. In addition to first-year students, a handful of students and teachers from local area high schools have been invited by the university to attend.

The Federation of Students along with the student societies from each faculty were asked by UW to select those students who will attend the 75-minute talk and question-and-answer session. Only authorized students will be admitted.

Gates is expected to discuss the current state of the industry, the opportunities that lie ahead for current graduates and prospective industry employees and the potential for innovation within the field. He will also meet with UW President Johnston, selected UW leadership, as well as about a dozen math, science and engineering faculty.

UW's reputation for excellence in science and math is known worldwide. It attributes this strength to several factors, including strong and excellent faculty and research. Waterloo also has a strong outreach program that engages students in science and math at the elementary and high school levels through contests and enrichment activities. In 2003, more than 205,000 students across Canada participated in contests offered to students in Grades 7 and up.

Waterloo holds a strong reputation both nationally and internationally, regularly placing among the top finishers in two well-known and prestigious annual competitions, the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) programming contest and the William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition.

Several hundred UW alumni work for Microsoft in Redmond, WA and in Canada. Microsoft also hires a number of the university's co-op students each term. UW employees at Microsoft in 2001 established a scholarship program for graduate and undergraduate students with a $1.5 million pledge to the university over five years.

UW is Canada's top comprehensive university and "Best Overall" university in Canada by reputation in Maclean's magazine.