October 13, 2026

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology has announced that it will create a new hub for autonomous aviation training, using a $30M gift from philanthropist David Bissett. The Bissett Autonomous Aviation Park will serve as a hub for remotely piloted aircraft system training, applied research, and industry partnerships, with co-op and work-integrated learning opportunities built into the facility. “We’ve now long thought that unmanned systems were, in fact, the next phase of the evolution of what aerospace will be,” explained SAIT President David Ross, who called the current labour market in the field “robust.” The location and construction schedule of the facility have not yet been finalized.

Canadian Mennonite University recently suffered a cyberattack that exposed the personal information of students and staff over a 10-year span, according to CBC. The university became aware of an unknown third party accessing their IT systems in mid-September and confirmed that data such as tax forms, names, and social insurance numbers were exposed. “We immediately initiated our incident response plan, retained expert assistance, and informed the university community whose workflows were affected as soon as we became aware of the incident,” said CMU President Cheryl Pauls. “We also reported this incident to law enforcement and will be filing a report with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.” Former students, staff, and faculty have been offered access to a complimentary two-year credit monitoring service.

Queen’s University has received a $25M gift from an anonymous alumnus to create financial aid that will support undergraduate students with financial need. The university will create the Ann Baker Tuition Award, which will support students from Eastern Ontario with awards worth up to $18K per year. The awards will be renewable for up to three years, giving students greater freedom to focus on their studies. YGK News says that the gift is the largest single donation for student financial aid in the institution’s history.

Saint Mary’s University and the American Canadian School of Medicine in the Commonwealth of Dominica have formed a new pathway for SMU students interested in pursuing medicine. Eligible students in SMU’s Bachelor of Science in Biology program will complete their first three years of study at SMU and then continue into ACSOM’s four-year Doctor of Medicine program without needing to write the MCAT. After their first year at ACSOM, students will be eligible to graduate with a Bachelor of Science from SMU. “Our partnership with Saint Mary’s University creates a new pathway for students to pursue their medical aspirations while building on the strong academic foundation they receive through Saint Mary’s science programming,” explained ACSOM Executive VP for Canada Dr Andrew Padmos.

Amanda Paxton (Trent University) and Phoebe Kang (University of Toronto Mississauga) recently discussed the impact of generative AI on the wellbeing and experience of faculty members teaching first-year writing courses. Through interviews with eight instructors, the authors found that job satisfaction suffered from impacts on grading, changes to the teacher-student relationship, and the experience of moral injury. Paxton and Kang offer several recommendations to improve the working experience of educators, including expanding the supports offered to faculty for navigating generative AI, ensuring job security, and establishing communities of practice for faculty members to share their experiences.

The University of Calgary and the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee have signed a joint PhD agreement. This agreement—initially focused on civil engineering and water-related research—includes a formal framework that will guide doctoral supervision, student mobility, and collaborative research. Students can have their research supervised by faculty members from both institutions and will have the opportunity to complete a research stay at the partner university. “This joint PhD agreement builds on a strong foundation of collaboration between the University of Calgary and IIT Roorkee and will create meaningful opportunities for doctoral students and faculty to learn, discover, and solve important research questions together,” said UCalgary Provost and VPA Dr Sandra Davidson.

The University of Winnipeg has launched Alumni Week with the intent of offering a variety of ways for alumni to reconnect with old classmates, revisit campus, and share their UWinnipeg pride. Alumni will be able to get a new headshot from a professional photographer, take part in a campus walking tour, and participate in events such as an alumni awards night and a reunion reception for alumni from the 1980s. The week will conclude with the home openers for UWinnipeg’s volleyball and basketball teams.

Fleming College will be using a $500K anonymous gift to advance its plans to offer a Medical Imaging Technology program. Fleming’s Board of Governors has endorsed the concept of the proposed program, which Fleming seeks to introduce alongside two other planned health-care programs by Fall 2028. The gift will be used for the facilities, equipment, and technology needed to train the next generation of health-care professionals. “Health-care providers across our region are telling us clearly where the workforce gaps are, and Fleming has an important role to play in helping address them,” said Fleming Interim President Dr Theresa Knott.

Cégep de Granby has announced that it will offer a new double diploma program where students can simultaneously earn credentials in the fields of the natural sciences and the humanities. The program will give students a solid scientific training and a deeper understanding of human and social realities. Cégep de Granby director of studies Valérie Lefebvre explained that students will develop a more complex academic profile and be prepared for a broad variety of areas of study at the university level after graduation.

Kenjgewin Teg has announced that it will house the Turtle Island Indigenous Journal of Health within its research portfolio. The journal is an accessible platform for research, scholarship, and projects related to Indigenous health. Kenjgewin Teg Director of Research Dr Amy Shawanda will serve as the journal’s Editor-in-Chief. “We are honoured to be entrusted to carry on the important and critical work of the TIJIH as part of sharing scholarship and knowledge, ideas which I believe strongly will lead to more innovations in practice for communities,” said Kenjgewin Teg President Dr Beverley Roy.