August 14, 2024

CIHR has announced the results of the second round of funding through the Clinical Trials Fund and Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research: $43.1M will be distributed to 14 new clinical trials projects. This funding will be used to assess treatments, diagnostic tests, and prevention tools for health concerns that range from sepsis to the flu. The recipients include researchers from Dalhousie University, Queen’s University, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Manitoba. “CIHR is proud to support 14 innovative clinical trials testing ground-breaking treatments and tools to protect people living in Canada from significant threats to our health,” said CIHR Acting President Dr Tammy Clifford.

The Government of Québec has announced that it will establish a provincial consultation forum to address issues related to AI in higher education. This forum will include representatives from postsecondary institutions, student associations, unions, and AI experts. The forum’s main goal is to develop guiding principles for the responsible, ethical, sustainable, and safe use of AI in higher education. The Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec reportedly welcomed this announcement, commenting that the time is right for higher education to adopt a common vision pertaining to AI.

The Government of Canada is investing $5M to support the construction of the Makwa Waakaa’igan Cultural Centre at Algoma University. The facility will include cultural and ceremonial spaces, learning and teaching spaces, a library, the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre archives, and–in partnership with NOSM University–the new Mental Health Addictions Research and Training Institute. “As part of answering the [Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s] Calls to Action, Makwa Waakaa’igan will foster cross-cultural excellence and a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous knowledge and traditions, creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive place for promoting cross-cultural understanding, teaching, learning, healing and reconciliation,” said AlgomaU President Asima Vezina. The facility was designed in partnership with the Children of the Shingwauk Alumni Association.

Colleges & Institutes Canada has compiled a submission of recommendations pertaining to the Government of Canada’s proposed plans to create a new capstone research funding organization. Among its recommendations, CICan proposes that the federal government identify key research gaps, tailor the organization’s strategy to meet the needs of key stakeholders, and provide the organization with sufficient funding. In the submission’s conclusion, CICan stated that this proposed organization is an “important and positive step” toward improving Canada’s research ecosystem, but the federal government must engage with the research community to ensure that the organization contributes to innovation and downstream impact.

Violent incidents and deaths abroad have sparked concern among the parents and relatives of Indian international students, but students remain interested in studying abroad, writes Shuriah Niazi of University World News. Niazi reports that more than 600 Indian students have died while studying abroad in the last five years and that nearly one-third of these deaths occurred in Canada, which is the top destination for Indian international students. Educational consultancy director Maria Mathai commented that while these figures were concerning, they must be considered in the broader context of the over 400,000 Indian students studying in Canada. Mathai further noted that Indian students are likely to continue to pursue studies in Canada “because universities in Canada have always been proactive in ensuring stringent safety measures combined with comprehensive support systems.”

In response to a newly appointed department chair’s question about faculty retreats, Kevin Dettmar shares advice on how to successfully run one of these perennial events. Dettmar outlines the pragmatic reasons why some faculty members strongly dislike faculty retreats: namely that many have experienced retreats that were badly planned, poorly run, and/or inconveniently scheduled. Building off of this, Dettmar offers tips for avoiding these missteps and designing more successful retreats, including by taking the retreat off campus to a new location, organizing the retreat into modular units, and covering topics that would not typically be covered during department meetings.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology is launching a new micro-credential program that will support internationally trained engineers entering the Canadian workforce. The Canadian Engineering Professional Practice program familiarizes internationally graduated engineers with the practice of engineering in Canada by covering relevant topics in ethics, law, professional practice, and communication. Canadian-graduated engineers can also use the program to prepare for the National Professional Practice Exam, which is one of the mandatory requirements for the licensing of engineers in Canada. This online program will be offered part-time, which will allow learners to work at the same time as they complete their studies.

In an interview with Shauna Cox of Modern Campus, Amrit Ahluwalia (Western University) and Bryan Benjamin (Western Ivey Academy) discuss the importance of cross-institution collaborations that offer lifelong learning. Ahluwalia and Benjamin highlight several influencing factors in the world of lifelong learning, including the shrinking traditional student demographic and the changing world of work. For lifelong learning offerings to succeed in this changing world, they emphasize the need for institutions to take a collaborative, customer-centric approach. “If our customer sees themselves as a customer, we need to treat them as a customer,” explains Ahluwalia, who explains that this entails offering a painless administrative system, relevant and applicable learning, and a reasonable price point and modality for prospective learners. Benjamin and Ahluwalia also highlight the importance of regularly updating programming and using data to shape continuing learning.

The University College of the North and NORCAT are partnering to deliver a Mining Readiness Training program in Manitoba. The program will launch in September 2024 in Sagkeeng First Nation near Lac du Bonnet; subsequent cohorts will be delivered in various locations across the province. Graduates of the program will receive a dual certificate of completion from UCN and NORCAT. “This program helps to ensure that Indigenous and Manitobans have opportunities to work in mining right here at home,” said UCN President Doug Lauvstad. The program has received over $1.2M in funding from Prairies Economic Delivery Canada.

In a recent article for Inside Higher Ed, Amy Braun (Johns Hopkins University) discusses how postsecondary institutions can better support humanities PhDs as they pursue careers outside of academia. Braun writes that many of the skills that are gained through doctoral-level humanities training–including analyzing complex arguments, synthesizing information, and communicating data–are transferable into non-academic roles. The author argues however, that postsecondary institutions could better prepare students for non-academic careers by also equipping them with skills in agility, cultural fluency, and collaboration. Braun concludes that experiential learning opportunities help to do just this, by providing students with the confidence and experience needed to make meaningful connections between scholars and employers.