May 2, 2025

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently issued two updates. On Monday, IRCC released a bulletin indicating that it has updated instructions used by IRCC staff related to processing study permits and scholarships. The instructions include an updated list of Global Affairs Canada’s international scholarship programs and revised information around the assessment of financial requirements for scholarship and award recipients. Also, an end of March update to the IRCC’s applications dashboard shows that the department now has an inventory of 1,976,700 applications, which Immigration News Canada reports is a decrease from 2,076,600 in January. Just under 900,000 of these are temporary residence applications, including study permits.

The University of Waterloo’s Data and Artificial Intelligence Institute (Waterloo.AI) and the chemical company BASF have forged a $2.96M, three-year collaborative research agreement focused on advancing AI applications. This partnership will help business users optimize their organization’s impact. Waterloo.AI and BASF will collaborate on areas such as reinforcing Canada’s position as a digital innovation hub, leveraging local funding opportunities, and providing post-doctoral fellows and students with Waterloo.AI research opportunities.

The Globe and Mail reports that Canadian research organizations such as CIHR are investigating the impact of the loss of US funding on several Canadian-led research projects. The Globe highlights how the US National Institutes of Health recently pulled funding from a project led by the University of British Columbia, while the Canadian Cancer Trials Group was directed to remove gender-inclusive language from its trials. CIHR and the Canada Research Coordinating Committee have each launched initiatives to examine the situation and better understand the impact that US funding changes are having on Canadian research. University of Toronto Assistant Professor Jennifer Bell urged the federal government to secure a financial pathway so that Canadian researchers can be independent from the US and its ideology.

Collège Lionel-Groulx recently celebrated two major milestones: the 200th anniversary of its founding institution and the launch of a new health-care program. The cégep shared that it will be celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of the Séminaire de Sainte-Thérèse with historical lectures, heritage exhibitions, and other activities. It is also launching a new health-care program—Soins préhospitaliers d’urgence—that is designed for learners with an interest in a career in the paramedic ambulance technician profession. Cégep Directeur Generale Philippe Nasr stated that the anniversary celebrations and new program are concrete examples of how the cégep is helping to prepare the citizens of tomorrow.

Statistics Canada has released the initial results of the 2024-25 Full-time University and College Academic Staff System data. Drawing on data from 81 of the 110 public degree-granting institutions, StatCan has summarized the number of full-time teaching staff and their respective average and median salaries at each Canadian university. The largest number of faculty, excluding medical and dental faculty where relevant, were reported by the University of British Columbia (2,409), the University of Alberta (1,296), the University of Ottawa (1,251), the University of Calgary (1,182), and Université Laval (1,143). The highest average salaries, excluding medical and dental faculty where relevant, were reported at UBC ($201.5K), Queen’s University ($198.6K), McMaster University ($186.9K), Simon Fraser University ($183.0), and the University of Saskatchewan ($180.9K).

Cambrian College, New Brunswick Community College, and the University of Regina have shared further information on the measures they are taking in response to their budgetary challenges. Each institution referenced the impact of federal policy changes on their financial situation. Cambrian has announced that it is suspending 10 programs indefinitely and working to reassign affected full-time faculty to other programs. NBCC is eliminating some of its programming and cutting 66 positions. URegina has implemented an approximately 2% base budget reduction for all administrative and academic units in its 2025-26 budget. Additionally, the university is raising most tuition and fees by 4% for the 2025-26 academic year.

Experiential learning can help ensure that higher education experiences offer value in the face of AI, writes Shannon McKeen (Wake Forest University School of Business). McKeen writes that institutions must adapt to prioritize things AI cannot do, including providing students with real-world learning experiences. This means that instructors must become “learning architects” who guide students as they complete experiential learning. He recommends that instructors encourage students to make and learn from their mistakes and rethink assessment to include real-world impact. “Universities that integrate experiential learning into the fabric of their academic models will thrive, creating graduates who can navigate complexity, solve real-world problems, and work alongside AI rather than be replaced by it,” concludes McKeen.

Georgian College is partnering with Hallmark Dental Laboratory in Nova Scotia to expand its Denturism program to Halifax. The East Coast cohort for Georgian’s Denturism program will take part in virtual classes alongside hands-on, experiential learning at a local dental laboratory and clinical setting. Students will learn using state-of-the-art equipment and will work directly with patients so they are prepared for a career in the field. Georgian Denturism program Coordinator Andrea Lovering said that this program “will open up more opportunities for our students across Canada to study denturism, particularly for those on the East Coast who will now be able to study and work close to home and make a difference in their communities.” The first Halifax cohort will begin studies in September.

Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne and immigration and integration organization L’Hirondelle have partnered to support adults who are continuing their education. This project will focus on fostering a safe, inclusive study environment for continuing education students by providing them with formal support and guidance services. It will include the development and delivery of eight new group workshops that will support well-being and integration. The project was developed using data from a wellness survey that identified pressing student needs. The college will launch a fundraising campaign in support of the initiative this summer.

A man has been arrested and charged after a suspicious fire broke out in Western University’s Social Science Centre on April 24. The fire disrupted exams and caused significant damage. An update from Western said that there were no serious injuries and that it has closed the Social Science Centre for stabilization, cleaning, and final building testing and assessments. The man has been charged with arson with disregard for human life and is scheduled to appear in court later this month.