April 23, 2025

The Government of Ontario has announced a $750M investment into STEM programs at colleges and universities across the province. The funding will be used to create 20,500 seats per year in STEM programs with the goal of building a skilled, made-in-Ontario talent pool. “This investment will expand training capacity at our world-class publicly funded colleges and universities, connecting students to good-paying jobs and securing our world-class workforce for decades to come,” said ON Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence, and Security Nolan Quinn. ON also stated that it is “suspending funding recoveries for institutions that have fallen below their enrolment floor” for 2024-25 so that institutions can focus these funds on STEM program enrolment.

The University of Toronto has launched the Lawson Climate Institute, supported by a $60M gift from alumni Brian Lawson and Joannah Lawson. U of T says this is the largest donation a Canadian university has received to address climate change. The new institute will focus on sustainable technologies, equitable climate policy solutions, leadership development, and the transformation of U of T’s campus into “living labs.” The gift will also fund three endowed chairs—focused on policy innovation, sustainable energy, and sustainable food systems—and support 100 annual scholarships. “This gift will allow our research efforts to effect change and enable students to launch the careers that will take them, and us, to 2050,” said Lawson Climate Institute Interim Director David Sinton.

Several postsecondary organizations and research groups have signed an open letter urging Canadian federal party leaders to “defend and strengthen one of Canada’s best traditions: protecting refugees and welcoming newcomers” during the 2025 election campaign. It was drafted by the Canadian Council for Refugees, Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, and Amnesty International Canada and has more than 200 signatories. These include the Bridging Divides Research Program (Toronto Metropolitan University), Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration Program (TMU), Canadian Association of University Teachers, the Centre for Refugee Studies (York University), Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec, and North West College.

The NunatuKavut Community Council is pushing back against Memorial University’s draft Indigenous verification policy, which excludes the council from Memorial’s consultations with Indigenous groups. Memorial VP Indigenous Catharyn Andersen told CBC that the NunatuKavut Community Council would not meet the policy’s criteria of an Indigenous collective that is recognized either under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution Act or by its federally recognized Indigenous neighbours. While the organization is not recognized by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, it currently has an MOU with the Government of Canada that NunatuKavut President Todd Russell says is part of the process of obtaining Section 35 rights.

In a recent article for the Chronicle of Higher Ed, Bob Davies offers a guide for new university presidents looking to smoothly transition into their role. Davies breaks this transition down into three stages: the president-elect stage that runs between the initial appointment notice and first day in the role, the first 90 days that serve as an immersion and learning period, and the “Go! Phase” that is focused on leading. Davies outlines the key goals that a new president should have during each phase and the common mistakes to avoid. Among his concluding recommendations, Davies advises new leaders to keep their focus on their current role, ground themselves with personal reflection, and take the office—but not themselves—seriously.

The City of Burnaby has opened a new permanent fire station at the top of Burnaby Mountain, replacing a temporary on-campus facility that served Simon Fraser University. The $30M Fire Station 8 facility—funded by the federal government with land provided by SFU—is seismically built t and includes specialized equipment to respond to wildfires and mountain conditions. The facility features green design elements such as a low-carbon energy system and reflective roofing. The Daily Hive reports that the area previously relied on off-mountain crews navigating steep roads; the new station will ensure faster, safer response times. “Fire Station 8 is an exciting addition to the emergency response support on Burnaby Mountain,” said SFU President Joy Johnson.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is investing $1M to strengthen the province’s manufacturing sector through artificial intelligence training. As part of this investment, Keyin College will develop a micro-credential program focused on using AI in a manufacturing environment. The program will expand access to specialized AI training especially within rural, small-, and medium-sized enterprises. “This program is about empowering business leaders—especially those who don’t come from a technical background—to understand and embrace artificial intelligence in a way that’s practical, accessible, and immediately applicable to their operations,” said Keyin Co-Owner Steve Taylor. “Ultimately, it’s about helping drive productivity and competitiveness—not just here at home, but across Canada.”

Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) Leader Pierre Poilievre has stated that, if elected, he would cut funding to Canadian universities that fail to combat anti-Semitism on campus. Radio-Canada reports that the notion was initially introduced by CPC Montréal candidate Neil Oberman on Saturday. Poilievre then echoed his support for the idea at a press briefing on Sunday, stating that his government would not provide a “cent” to subsidize anti-Semitism in any form, according to the Montréal Gazette. These comments come amid sustained controversy and unrest on Canadian campuses over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a recent article for the Journal of Academic Ethics, Vagelis Plevris (Qatar University) explores the use of unethical citation practices in academic publishing. Plevris notes that citation counts can influence career advancement and funding, which has led some academics to engage in unethical citation practices. The author discusses the factors that influence unethical citation practices and the negative impact that these practices have on the broader scientific community. To combat the use of unethical citation practices, the author offers recommendations to researchers, reviewers, and journal editors. In the recommendations for researchers, the author outlines several ways to increase citation count ethically, such as by promoting work online or taking advantage of open-access publishing.

The University of Saskatchewan recently announced that it will raise tuition fees by an average of 3.8% for the 2025-26 academic year. The greatest increases will occur in graduate programs such as the Health Professions Education graduate certificate and Master of Education programs (25% each) and the Master of Nursing – Professional Practice (15%). The University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU) expressed concern about the tuition hike, noting that students are already under financial pressure. USSU President Krunal Chavda stated that he hopes the university will work with the Government of Saskatchewan to ensure postsecondary tuition remains affordable for all.