Muharem KianieffWindsor Law professor Muharem Kianieff has published a book on blockchain and the legal and economic challenges faced by this new technology.

Windsor Law professor publishes pioneering book on blockchain technology

A UWindsor law professor has published one of the first analyses of blockchain and the legal and economic challenges faced by this new technology.

Muharem Kianieff’s book Blockchain Technology and the Law: Opportunities and Risks (Routledge, 2018) was released on April 8. In it, Kianieff, a leading expert in the field of financial technology and its regulation, offers an introduction to how blockchain works and demonstrates how a legal framework that governs it can be used to ensure that it can be successfully deployed.

A blockchain is a time-stamped series of immutable data that is managed by cluster of computers not owned by any single entity. Each of these blocks of data (i.e. block) are secured and bound to each other using cryptographic principles (i.e. chain). They are designed to be resistant to modification of the data, making them useful for cryptocurrencies.

Kianieff provides a thorough examination of blockchain technology in relation to the law from a comparative perspective with a focus on the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

At Windsor Law, the book will be at the centre of a new blockchain course to be offered in Winter 2020 — the first of its kind among Canadian law schools.

Professor Kianieff, who joined the UWindsor faculty in 2008, works in the areas of banking law and payment mechanisms. His research looks at the role that regulation plays as it applies to innovation in financial technology. By using economic and historical analyses, he seeks to advance proposals for reform that make products safer for consumers and increase access to justice.

—Rachelle Prince

image of First Nations persons paddling boatA new book club will discuss a guide to systemic change in higher education through Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation.

Lunch-hour sessions to explore professional learning guide for indigenization

The Office of Open Learning is launching a Friday book club for members of the UWindsor community interested in exploring the landscape of indigenizing their teaching practice.

The inaugural book, Pulling Together: A Guide for Teachers and Instructors, is one of the free, open-licensed guides developed for staff at post-secondary institutions in British Columbia to support systemic change in higher education through Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation.

“Indigenizing our practice is a politically-sensitive topic that invokes strong emotions among teachers,” says organizer Nobuko Fujita. “It is an uncomfortable topic to explore on our own.”

She says the guide will provide a starting point to come together on a journey to recognize and include Indigenous epistemologies in teaching.

“We are invited to experience the impact of Indigenous voices and seek understanding, when possible, from the Indigenous voices and perspectives from our area and our campus,” Fujita says.

She envisions the sessions as flexible, informal gatherings for the campus community to raise awareness and share diverse perspectives on critical issues in higher education.

Fujita invites those interested to join the group on the patio at the Mare Nostrum restaurant outside the Neal Education Building, to add annotations online using the Hypothesis tool, or to participate by combining on-campus and online modes to suit their needs.

The first session is scheduled from 12 to 1 p.m. Friday, April 26. Register at: https://ctl2.uwindsor.ca/openlearning/workshops/9/#wkshp-111.

For more information, contact Fujita by email at nfujita@uwindsor.ca or phone at 519-253-3000, ext. 2105.

Madeline DoornaertVoice student Madeline Doornaert will sing with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra Strings for six concerts at venues across the region this week.

Voice student to sing with string orchestra

UWindsor music student Madeline Doornaert will lend her voice to the Windsor Symphony Orchestra Strings for six concerts at venues across the region this week.

A vocalist studying under Shahida Nurullah, Doornaert will sing “Until It’s Time for You to Go,” “Tristeza,” and “Over the Rainbow” accompanied by the strings as part of the orchestra’s Neighbourhood Concert Series.

“I am thrilled to be performing with the Windsor Symphony String Orchestra,” she says. “I would love to thank my friends, family, and voice teacher for their endless support.”

Tickets will be available for purchase at the door for each of the performances:

—Susan McKee

poster image of fraying rope, “Crucial Conversations in Teaching and Learning”With a theme of “Crucial Conversations in Teaching and Learning,” a conference May 1 and 2 will explore the forces driving change in post-secondary education.

Conference aims to spark conversations on change in post-secondary education

Organizers of the University of Windsor’s biannual Teaching and Learning Conference have circulated a list of highlights planned for the event, May 1 and 2.

Attendees will explore the many and often conflicting forces driving change in the post-secondary sector, featuring concurrent sessions and posters focused on teaching methods and evaluation, Indigenization of the curriculum, conflict and controversy in the academy, and more. The conference schedule, abstracts, and presenters’ biographies are available online at https://ctl2.uwindsor.ca/tlconf/schedule/.

A keynote address by Elinor F. Whitmore of Stitt Feld Handy Group and Marc Spooner of the University of Regina will open the conference, leading participants in conversations around the impact of surveillance, accountability, and the audit culture on the academy. For a complete description of this session, visit https://ctl2.uwindsor.ca/tlconf/keynote.php.

Underwritten by the Office of the Provost and the Centre for Teaching and Learning, registration is free for UWindsor students, faculty, and staff. Find online registration on the conference website.

plates of foodMare Nostrum restaurant will serve diners 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, this summer.

Campus restaurant open through summer

Mare Nostrum, the Mediterranean restaurant adjacent to the Neal Education Building, has begun its summer hours of operation.

It will serve diners 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and close on weekends.