$250 million ‘Tech with a Conscience’ fundraising campaign launched at Ontario Tech in Oshawa
Published November 13, 2024 at 2:33 pm
Ontario Tech University unveiled its future-focused $250 million Tech with a Conscience fundraising campaign Wednesday.
The new campaign, a major component of the school’s expansion and renewal plans in the GTA and beyond, is expected to “supercharge” the university’s research activities, accelerate campus expansion and “nurture the next generation” of ethical leaders who will tackle tomorrow’s challenges, from climate change to equitable health care.
In a world facing rapid population growth and increasingly complex societal challenges, said Ontario Tech Vice-President of Advancement James Barnett, the relationship between human needs and the technologies we develop to meet them has “never been more critical.”
“More than a fundraising campaign, Tech with a Conscience is a movement to empower innovation, nurture future leaders, and tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time,” Barnett said. “Thanks to the generous support we’ve received to date from dedicated donors, we’re building momentum towards a future that uplifts humanity and our planet amid rapid technological advancement.”
To launch the campaign, Ontario Tech created a striking Tech with a Conscience video that blends artificial intelligence, computer-generated imagery and live-action footage of students, employees and alumni, showcasing how human ingenuity and technology can harmoniously co-exist.
The video’s futuristic visuals reflect the real-world innovations happening at Ontario Tech, with faculty and students at the forefront of leveraging AI to combat the growing health-care crisis, while being recognized as a global research hub advancing clean energy solutions.
Technology isn’t just about hardware and algorithms; it’s about human values, said university President Dr. Steven Murphy, who believes the “moral decisions” made today about technology “will determine the kind of future we create.”
“For more than 20 years, Ontario Tech University has been at the forefront of groundbreaking research, turning innovation into real-world solutions that improve the welfare of our people and planet,” Murphy explained. “Tech with a Conscience embodies our belief that technological progress must be guided by the conscious application of ethical choices – decisions we, as students and educators, make that ensure technology serves the greater good. Technology should uplift humanity and serve as a force for positive change.”
