Summit Committees - University of Toronto Student Research Initiative

Operation Firewall: Cyber Attack Special Ops

Respond to a Cyber Attack on Critical Infrastructure

Branch

Crisis Simulation and Management

Level

High School

Size

10-15

Committee Description

As a member of the special forces cyber division, you are tasked with responding to any cyber attacks on critical infrastructure.

Your team covers anything from government systems to nuclear reactors, banks or hospitals. This committee will simulate such a situation, in which a cyber attack occurs, and you are asked to respond to this impromptu situation. You will need to utilise your skills and quick thinking to foil the hacker’s plans and restore the system to standard operations. Quick decision making will be necessary to choose which objectives to prioritise. You will need to limit the damage the hackers cause. In the example of a nuclear reactor, hackers might pull out the control rods and attempt to make the reactor overheat, in which case regaining control of those rods becomes the immediate top priority.

Your government also wants you to understand the attacker’s goals, what group they are a part of and who they work for. This information would be crucial in preventing similar future attacks and understanding who seeks to harm your country.

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Email the Dias here: summit26-firewall@utsri.ca

Alien Encounter Scientific Consortium

Decide how Humans Interact with Aliens

Branch

Crisis Simulation and Management

Level

High School

Size

10-15

Committee Description

Space agencies across the globe have detected a suspicious signal from outer space. After extensive testing and data cross-referencing, they have uncovered that it is, in fact, a message from an intelligent extra-terrestrial life form.

World governments and powerful agencies around the globe rushed to create a committee to discuss this situation. They chose representatives of a wide group of interested parties, including you. The committee includes scientific experts representing different fields, representatives of powerful governments and companies, as well as a representative of the international press.

Once you are inducted into the committee, you are given a top-secret briefing. The fact that a message had been received had already been leaked to the press, but there is more to this issue. The signal does not come from a planet, but from an object rapidly approaching the Earth. There can only be one explanation: the aliens are coming to Earth. (We could tell them this immediately, or if this information could come from decrypting the “signal”, which they will do during the committee)

Committee members will have to decide on how to interpret the alien’s message, respond to it, and prepare for their arrival.

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Email the Dais here: summit26-alien@utsri.ca

Women and Gender-Based Health Rights

Advancing Health Equity and Rights for All Women Worldwide

Branch

Ethics and Policy

Level

High School

Size

10-15

Committee Description

Despite decades of global advocacy, women continue to face systemic barriers to equitable healthcare access. Issues such as maternal mortality, unsafe abortion, gender-based violence, and limited access to reproductive services remain persistent challenges across nations. Vulnerable groups such as adolescent girls, displaced populations, LGBTQ+ communities, and women with disabilities are disproportionately impacted, further deepening health inequities.

This committee asks delegates to examine the ethical, legal, and cultural dimensions of gender-based health rights. Participants will examine whether current frameworks like CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the WHO Strategy on Reproductive Health are truly sufficient. The goal is to craft innovative policy solutions aimed at protecting women’s bodily autonomy, strengthening healthcare systems, and ensuring accountability in gender-responsive education. The discussion centres around actionable strategies that close the gap in healthcare disparities. Together, they will work to redefine what gender equity in health looks like in the 21st century.

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Email the Dais here: summit26-womenhealth@utsri.ca

Beneath the Plastic Tide – Beating Microplastic Pollutions

Innovating for a Plastic-Free Planet: Sustainable Solutions Now

Branch

Ethics and Policy

Level

High School

Size

10-15

Committee Description

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental crises of our time. From single-use grocery bags to industrial waste, plastic products are breaking down into microplastics that contaminate oceans, soil, food and the human body. Scientists have found microplastics in drinking water, seafood and even the air we breathe, raising urgent concerns for planetary and human health.

This committee will examine how the international community can move beyond short-term clean-up measures to tackle the root of the problem: overproduction and overconsumption. Delegates will explore sustainable innovation, circular economy solutions that promote reuse and reduction. They will also confront the burden plastic waste places on developing nations that serve as global dumping grounds. The conclusion of the debate is to draft a resolution that addresses the environmental consequences of plastic pollution and sets standards for a sustainable future.

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Email the Dais here: summit26-microplastic@utsri.ca

Global Advanced Toxicology & Exposure Forensics Initiative

Next-Gen Risk Assessment Through Precision Toxicology

Branch

Specialized Science

Level

High School

Size

10-15

Committee Description

This Initiative addresses one of the most complex challenges in modern medicine: the growing threat of invisible toxicological hazards. Delegates will develop advanced international protocols to confront the toxic byproducts associated with antimicrobial resistance and related biochemical disruptions. The session will also pioneer standardized methodologies for assessing endogenous toxins, harmful metabolites, and amyloids that accumulate as a result of widespread microbiome imbalance caused by antibiotic overuse.
Key objectives include establishing harmonized technical standards to profile the mechanisms of cellular damage and accelerating the development of innovative therapeutic countermeasures. The mandate of this initiative is to create a unified global early-warning and response framework capable of mitigating this rapidly escalating toxicological crisis and strengthening international public health resilience.

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Email the Dais here: summit26-toxicology@utsri.ca

Quantum Coin: The Future of Currency

Negotiating the Next Era of Digital Finance

Branch

Cross-Disciplinary

Level

High School

Size

10-15

Committee Description

Financial systems are rapidly digitizing. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum provide decentralized digital assets, while stablecoins (tied to fiat currency) aim to reduce volatility. Many governments are developing Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) to modernize payments and increase inclusion (e.g. China’s digital yuan pilot, research on a digital euro). These innovations promise faster cross border transactions and financial access, but they raise challenges: cryptocurrencies can facilitate illicit finance and pose volatility risks (as seen in past crypto crashes), and crypto mining’s energy use raises environmental concerns. Additionally, the looming threat of quantum computing means current encryption could be broken, prompting the finance sector to seek quantum-resistant solutions. Regulators are working to balance these forces, but policy often lags behind tech.

Delegates will negotiate a multilateral approach to digital finance. They will discuss setting global standards for CBDCs (interoperability, privacy safeguards) and regulating private cryptocurrencies (AML/CFT rules, consumer protection) without stifling innovation. A key focus will be future proofing security: recommending adoption of post quantum cryptography standards for financial systems. The committee will also consider the impact on inequality and sovereignty (e.g. data control by tech companies vs national oversight). The goal is to draft a framework or declaration that ensures digital currencies evolve in a stable, fair, and secure manner.

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Email the Dais here: summit26-quantum@utsri.ca

SPECTRUM

Advancing Neurodiversity Inclusion through Equitable Policy and Global Action

Branch

Cross-Disciplinary

Level

High School

Size

10-15

Committee Description

Neurodivergent people – including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences – comprise a significant segment of every nation’s population, yet they remain under-recognized and underserved.

An estimated 10–20% of the global population is neurodivergent, meaning that over a billion individuals worldwide have brains that function differently from the statistical norm. These neurological differences, often collectively referred to as “neurodiversity”, encompass conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities like dyslexia and dyscalculia, Tourette syndrome, and several others. Neurodivergent conditions are diverse in pathogenesis and symptoms – some individuals require significant support, while others thrive independently with correct accommodations.

Neurodivergent people universally face barriers in realizing their rights to health care, education, employment, and full societal participation due to the lack of resources provided to them. SPECTRUM (Strategic Policies for Equitable Care, Treatment, and Rights of Under-recognized Minds) has been convened within the WHO to tackle these urgent issues. This Model WHO committee will examine how national policies can better support neurodivergent people, through a comprehensive, intersectional lens: examining rights, services & access, inclusion beyond health, implementation and the financing of novel and innovative societal infrastructures.

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Email the Dais here: summit26-spectrum@utsri.ca

Bioprinting Research and Development Committee

Genomic and Phonemic Adaptation to Climate Adversaries

Branch

Specialized Science

Level

Undergraduate

Size

10-15

Committee Description

Convened under the mandate of the World Health Organization, this Working Group seeks to advance international cooperation in developing universal technical protocols for the bioprinting of diverse human tissue types. Delegates will work toward establishing comprehensive material science standards for organ-specific bio-inks, ensuring that the mechanical, structural, and functional properties required for hepatic, cardiac, musculoskeletal, and other vital tissues are scientifically and ethically upheld.

The committee will include discussions on the application of bioprinting technologies for the treatment of injuries and diseases. Discussions will also focus on defining rigorous benchmarks for resolution optimization, nozzle design, and sterilization procedures, while promoting interoperability across research and manufacturing systems. The Working Group will further develop a global framework for material characterization and medicine-oriented bioprinting research, aimed at ensuring reproducibility, scalability, and safety in the production of functional tissue architectures.Through these coordinated efforts, the committee strives to facilitate equitable scientific progress, foster knowledge-sharing, and strengthen collaboration among international research institutions in the field of regenerative medicine.

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Email the Dais here: summit26-bioprinting@utsri.ca

AI and Neurodegeneration

Balancing Digital Innovation with Brain Health for Future Generations

Branch

Ethics & Policy

Level

Undergraduate

Size

10-15

Committee Description

The accelerating rise of AI-driven content delivery has reshaped how we think, learn, and interact.

Evidence suggests that prolonged exposure to personalized, AI-curated digital environments may come with serious neurological costs. From young people to adults spending hours on social media, researchers are finding links between screen overuse and heightened risks of mental health disorders such as addiction, depression, and anxiety, and even early-onset neurodegeneration.

This committee will critically examine the intersection of artificial intelligence, brain health, and ethics. Delegates will debate the responsibilities of tech companies in mitigating cognitive harms and the importance of international public health guidelines through questions such as: “should states push for stronger regulation of algorithm design?” or “should educational institutions integrate preventative health policies for youth?”

The panel challenges delegates to balance technological progress with the duty to safeguard neurological well-being while crafting global solutions that protect vulnerable populations. Participants will be responsible for developing policies that address these competing priorities through ethical and practical measures. By the end of the session, they will present evidence-based proposals that refine the future of digital health, ensuring that innovation advances without compromising neurological well-being.

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Email the Dias here: summit26-aineuro@utsri.ca

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