April 10, 2024

In a recent public statement, Government of Canada Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller shared the finalized provincial and territorial allocations of international student permits for 2024. Miller explained that the national cap is intended to set a net-zero first year growth model, with the number of new study permits based on the anticipated number of expiring study permits in 2024. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has published a series of tables that break down the numbers by province, including any top-ups and the final predicted number of study permits.

Concordia University Assistant Professor Mirco Ravanelli and University of Cambridge researcher Titouan Parcollet have released an open source, comprehensive conversational AI toolkit called SpeechBrain 1.0. The scholars adopted a community-driven approach to the design, involving a large international network of developers that included Concordia students. The software is designed for students, researchers, and entrepreneurs with a computer science background who are interested in learning about and developing their own AI technologies. “People are accustomed to using this technology,” Ravanelli says. “But we want people to understand how to build this technology.”

The University of Calgary’s Simpson Centre for the Alberta Digitalization Agriculture Program has received $1.2M over three years from the Government of Alberta to promote innovation in agriculture. With this funding, the Simpson Centre will lead policy research on the challenges and opportunities associated with the digitalization of agriculture. The Simpson Centre will bring together digital experts, farmers, producers, and other key stakeholders to discuss digital technologies and develop recommendations on how they can be implemented. “We are grateful that the province has acknowledged the potential of digitalization to help make agricultural production more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable,” said UCalgary President Dr Ed McCauley.

The Government of Ontario agency Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) is investing $4.6M into postsecondary institutions to support their efforts to commercialize ideas and products. $1.7M of this investment will expand an existing pilot program that helps postsecondary institutions improve their resources related to IP commercialization and improve their internal IP knowledge. Institutions involved in the pilot project include Collège La Cité, Conestoga College, Durham College, Lakehead University, Lambton College, Laurentian University, Niagara College, Nipissing University, Trent University, and York University. The other $2.9M will support new projects at Brock University, Carleton University, George Brown College, Georgian College, McMaster University, Sheridan College, Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, and University of Windsor.

In a recent opinion article for University World News, Fay Patel asserts that higher education—both public and private institutions—must reflect deeply on and take accountability for “the negative impact their environments have on international students.” Patel points to the many issues that international students must contend with in countries such as Canada, including a lack of housing or work and exploitation by supervisors. The author calls for an international code of conduct for international student safety and wellbeing, which would have host institutions guarantee housing and work placements, take responsibility for student safety and health during their stay in the host country, and modify payment policies based on EDI principles.

St Lawrence College has received national accreditation for its Bachelor of Science Nursing (BScN) program from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN). SLC says that it is the first college in Ontario to attain this accreditation for a stand-alone BScN degree. The accreditation process involved a review of the program’s education and delivery, focusing especially on continuous improvement and quality assurance. “This accreditation is an important step on our journey, and we look forward to continuing to elevate our programs and support our students,” said SLC Associate VP, Academic, Dr Barb LeBlanc. Looking forward, SLC hopes to work with CASN achieve accreditation for its RPN to RN Bridge program as well.

The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and the City of Terrebonne have launched a major communications campaign to raise awareness about the Quartier universitaire project, an initiative to develop a bustling university district that will serve the population of Lanaudière. Once the project has received sufficient financial backing, UQTR hopes that the district will accommodate 1,000 students; offer a multitude of programs in the sectors of education, healthcare, and information technology; and feature a sports centre, public library, research spaces, and more. The advertising campaign will inform the region’s population about the development project via social media, displays on bus shelters, advertising panels, and more.

Thompson Rivers University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) to support tourism students through a variety of initiatives. This partnership will provide tourism students with learning resources, industry mentorship, and referrals; TOTA will also support TRU’s Tourism Innovation Lab and provide funding for an annual scholarship for the top academic student in TRU’s Bachelor of Tourism Management Program. “Our partnership with TOTA ensures students have access to resources that are current and reflect the state of the industry today,” said TRU Tourism Innovation Lab Director David Carter.

A recent systematic review published in BMC Medical Education looks into a phenomenon known as second-victim experiences among healthcare students. It explains that when healthcare students are involved in or witness stressful clinical events during their practical training, this experience can result in an emotional disturbance known as a second-victim experience. The researchers reviewed 18 studies to understand the efforts, methods, and outcomes of interventions that were used to help health students in these situations. They highlight some successful interventions, but generally note that there are significant gaps in tested training interventions. They call for improved collaboration between healthcare training stakeholders to promote a learning culture in which students can learn from errors and develop the resilience they need to cope with the realities of clinical practice.

The University of Prince Edward Island Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) recently hosted a heart-warming retirement party for seven beagles. The dogs played an integral role in providing hands-on training to AVC students in the past by helping them to learn basic veterinary techniques. As the institution transitions to using lifelike model dogs, virtual reality simulations, and client-owned dogs, the seven beagles are being adopted by AVC students and community members who had already established a relationship with them. At their retirement party last week, the retirees were met with personalized certificates of appreciation, treats, toys, and best wishes as they embark on their happy retirement.