Jim Balsillie donates $5 million to Wilfrid Laurier University to kick start digital sovereignty
Jim Balsillie, the Canadian businessman and philanthropist, has donated $5 million to Wilfrid Laurier University for the establishment of a digital governance initiative to build economic resilience and digital sovereignty.
Article content
'The nature and the structure of the global economy and global security has shifted foundationally in the last 30 years in a degree and rapidity that's unprecedented in mankind,' said Balsillie in an interview. 'And if you want to be a sovereign and secure and prosperous nation, you need the capacity for navigating that on a front-footed basis. So, this investment is all about that.'
Article content
Article content
In a news release, the university in Waterloo, Ont., said Canada needs to 'shape policy and increase productivity amid growing threats to sovereignty and security.' It said the Balsillie donation will go toward setting up a legal advisory centre that tackles international trade and technology governance, and establishing professional training programs and a proposed graduate degree that focuses on 'law, digital sovereignty and global technology governance.'
Article content
Article content
'This is about building capacity to manage the expertise into these realms that are digital, whether it's AI, data, blockchain currencies, intellectual property, trade agreements, all of these things are the realms that this is contended, and Canada has had an eroding prosperity, it's had an eroding sovereignty because the terrain of protecting and advancing those is the digital realm,' said Balsillie, the former co-CEO of Research in Motion, the company that developed the Blackberry.
Article content
Article content
He said the digital initiative is a 'natural addition' to the school, which is also home to the Balsillie School of International Affairs, a joint project of Laurier, the University of Waterloo and the Centre for International Governance and Innovation.
Article content
Article content
Deborah MacLatchy, the president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier, said the funding will 'stand up' the work students and faculty are doing on the topic of the digital future. While figures aren't yet known, the university hopes to add faculty and more students because of the new research and educational initiative.
Article content
'We're hearing a lot from companies, from government, about their capacity needs, meaning that they just don't feel that they have all the internal expertise or the up-and-coming expertise of students and grad students who have experience in this area,' said MacLatchy. 'And this gift will really allow us to really take a take a run at this in a way that will be unique across the country.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
CTV National News: Trump 'feeling emboldened' after Supreme Court victories
Watch CTV News U.S. political analyst Eric Ham says a number of domestic legal victories likely emboldened U.S. President Trump to terminate trade talks with Canada.
CBC
5 hours ago
- CBC
Trump terminates Canada trade talks ‘effective immediately'
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the end of trade talks with Canada 'effectively immediately,' blaming Canada's digital services tax on technology companies, calling it a 'direct and blatant attack on our country.'
National Post
5 hours ago
- National Post
Brent H. Zettl Provides Update on Holdings of ZYUS Life Sciences Corporation
Article content This press release is issued pursuant to the requirements of National Instrument 62-103 – The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues Article content SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Mr. Brent H. Zettl (the ' acquiror '), who serves as the President and CEO and a director of ZYUS Life Sciences Corporation (' ZYUS ') provides updates to his holdings of Common shares (' Common Shares ') in the capital of ZYUS, Common Share purchase warrants of ZYUS (' Warrants ') and options to purchase Common Shares (' Options '). Article content On June 27, 2025, the acquiror participated in a non-brokered private placement of units (' Units ') of ZYUS (the ' Private Placement ') at a price of $0.67 per Unit, with each Unit comprised of one Common Share and one half of one Warrant (each whole Warrant, a ' Private Placement Warrant '). Each Private Placement Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.95 for a period of twenty-four months from the date of issuance, subject to certain acceleration provisions. The acquiror acquired, indirectly through 1189115 B.C. LTD. 298,507 Units (comprised of 298,507 Common Shares and 149,253 Warrants) under the Private Placement. Article content Immediately prior to the Private Placement, the acquiror owned, directly and indirectly, and exercised control over 33,730,573 Common Shares and 493,108 Options, representing 43.9% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and 44.3% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially diluted basis (assuming full exercise of all of the convertible securities held by the acquiror). Immediately following the Private Placement and as at the date hereof, the acquiror owns, directly and indirectly, and exercises control over 34,029,080 Common Shares, 149,253 Warrants and 493,108 Options, representing 43.9% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and 44.3% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially diluted basis. Following the Private Placement, the acquiror's securityholding percentage has decreased by 1.4% on an undiluted basis from the percentage held immediately following the September 2024 Event (as defined below) and by 5.4% on an undiluted basis from the percentage disclosed in the last early warning report filed by the acquiror on June 13, 2023 (the ' 2023 EWR '), and has decreased by 1.6% on a partially diluted basis from the acquiror's securityholding percentage held immediately following the September 2024 Event and by 6.1% on a partially diluted basis from the acquiror's securityholding percentage as at June 13, 2023. The acquiror's securityholding percentage on a partially diluted basis as disclosed in the 2023 EWR (51.68%) was stated in error. The correct securityholding percentage on a partially diluted basis as at June 13, 2023 was 50.5%. Article content Since the completion of the acquisition of ZYUS Life Sciences Inc. by ZYUS in June 2023, the acquiror's securityholding percentage on a partially diluted basis has decreased from 50.5% to his securityholding percentage immediately prior to the Private Placement as a result of certain transactions and events, including the two following transactions which resulted in each case in a decrease in the acquiror's securityholding percentage by 2% or more since the prior event: (i) on July 31, 2024, the acquiror, disposed of 470,000 Common Shares held by 102042227 Saskatchewan Ltd. (' 102 Sask '), an entity controlled by the acquiror to in satisfaction of payments due in the aggregate amount of $432,400 (the ' July 2024 Event '); and (ii) on September 4, 2024,14,088 Warrants with an exercise price of $3.55 per Common Share previously issued to 102 Sask on March 4, 2022 expired unexercised (the ' September 2024 Event '). Immediately prior to the July 2024 Event, the acquiror owned, directly and indirectly, and exercised control over 34,173,073 Common Shares, 292,933 Warrants and 493,108 Options, representing 48.2% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and 48.8% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially diluted basis. Immediately following the July 2024 Event, the acquiror owned, directly and indirectly, and exercised control over 33,703,073 Common Shares, 292,933 Warrants and 493,108 Options, representing 47.6% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and 48.1% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially diluted basis. Immediately following the July 2024 Event, the acquiror's securityholding percentage has decreased by 1.7% on an undiluted basis from the acquiror's securityholding percentage as at June 13, 2023 as disclosed in the 2023 EWR and has decreased by 2.3% on a partially diluted basis from the acquior's securityholding percentage as at June 13, 2023 (which was 50.5%). Immediately prior to the September 2024 Event, the acquiror owned, directly and indirectly, and exercised control over 33,703,073 Common Shares, 292,933 Warrants and 493,108 Options, representing 45.3% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and 45.9% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially diluted basis. Immediately following the September 2024 Event, the acquiror owned, directly and indirectly, and exercised control over 33,703,073 Common Shares, 278,845 Warrants and 493,108 Options, representing 45.3% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and 45.9% of ZYUS's issued and outstanding Common Shares on partially diluted basis. Following the September 2024 Event, the acquiror's securityholding percentage has decreased by 2.3% on an undiluted basis from the percentage held immediately following the July 2024 Event and has decreased by 2.2% on a partially diluted basis from the percentage held immediately following the July 2024 Event. Article content The Acquiror's transactions were made for investment purposes. The acquiror may, from time to time and at any time, acquire additional securities of ZYUS in the open market or otherwise, and may dispose of any or all of securities of ZYUS in the open market or otherwise at any time and from time to time, and to engage in similar transactions with respect to the securities of ZYUS, the whole depending on market conditions, the business and prospects of ZYUS and other relevant factors. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
