December 4, 2025

The Government of Quebec has announced $10M in support over the next five years for 10 new research chairs. These chairs will be used to attract US-based researchers working in areas that are strategic to the province. Francophone or Francophile researchers will be given preference and the prioritized fields include digital technology and AI, aeronautics, and life sciences. The chair selection criteria will include project feasibility in the short term and ease of integration of researchers. QC Ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur Martine Biron said that the creation of the chairs is a response to the current situation, which offers an opportunity to bring French-speaking researchers to QC.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Suncrest College, and the Good Spirit School Division (GSSD) have received a donations from The Mosaic Company to help prepare the next generation of mining professionals. Sask Polytech will receive $1.5M to enhance its Industrial Mechanic workshop at its new Saskatoon campus and improve the trades areas at its Moose Jaw campus, while Suncrest will use $1.5M to modernize its Esterhazy campus and expand its Industrial Mechanic (Millwright) Apprenticeship training. GSSD will use $1M to build a new lab, which will help more high school students prepare to enter postsecondary trades programs. The Mosaic Company also announced that it will be relaunching its training program for Indigenous learners in February 2026.

Sault College has responded to the recent layoffs at Algoma Steel by putting together supports to help affected employees as they transition to new careers. The college is offering employment and career support including career advising, resume support, and connections with employers; academic upgrading and pathways; and student success and wraparound supports. “Sault College is part of this community, and many of those impacted are our alumni, partners, friends, and neighbours,” said Sault College Interim President Sherri Smith.

One individual was arrested after a group gathered on the University of Victoria campus for an unsanctioned OneBC event. The speakers came to campus after being warned that they did not have the university’s permission to hold such an event. CBC reports that a UVic official told OneBC members that they were trespassing and asked them to leave. The majority were escorted off campus by police. One individual was arrested under the Trespass Act and was later released. In response to the event, Indigenous faculty and staff hosted a gathering in support of residential school survivors on campus that was reportedly attended by around 900 people.

Red River College Polytechnic will reportedly be laying off 44 faculty and staff members affiliated with its Centre for Newcomer Integration (CNI) after March 2026, due to the conclusion of federal funding for language training programs. CNI—which delivers language training—entered a three-year agreement with IRCC earlier this year that did not include sustained funding. The Winnipeg Free Press says that the IRCC has not confirmed whether it will continue to fund Stage 2 language training, and without this funding, the centre has been forced to reduce its capacity. “This information is difficult for all of us, and most importantly, for the dedicated members of the CNI team who care deeply about this incredible and important work,” said RRC Polytech VP Academic Christine Watson.

Dalhousie University has revised its Student Accommodation Policy to prioritize inclusive design and barrier mitigation. The policy’s revisions are intended to provide more clarity around roles and responsibilities, improve processes, and place a greater emphasis on inclusion across fronts like education and services. Dal says that the policy treats accommodation as a collective institutional responsibility, rather than limiting responses to a service unit. As part of the release, the university has released resources include a toolkit with information detailing the most common access adjustments requested and how professors can meet these needs. This guide will act as a living document that can be updated with new ways to accommodate students.

Toronto Metropolitan University has named its forthcoming centre the Nadir Mohamed Centre For Student Wellbeing. The centre is named in honour of the late Canadian business leader Nadir Mohamed, who served in several roles in connection with TMU, including as an honorary board member and as a founding member of The Image Centre’s advisory board. The new centre will offer an inter-professional holistic model of student care by consolidating a variety of services under one roof. “Nadir loved his time at TMU, helping students navigate their future and helping startups build their businesses,” said Shabin Mohamed, Nadir’s widow. “The new Centre for Student Wellbeing will bring a spirit of caring to students and to the entire TMU community for generations to come.”

Students at several postsecondary institutions are reporting that they can see the impacts of budget cuts on their student experience. CTV News reports that budget reductions have impacted studies and student life at Québec institutions like Concordia University and McGill University. In British Columbia, the Okanagan College Students’ Union recently met with college leadership to discuss their concerns about issues like course offerings and college housing. University of Ottawa Students Union President Jack Coen and Carleton University Students’ Association VP of Student Issues Aidan Kallioinen both asserted that the federal government’s policy changes around international students were damaging to student life and campus culture. In an editorial for The Gateway, University of Alberta student Breckyn Lagoutte summarized the situation by saying that “if Ottawa insists on cutting international visas, it must fund universities like institutions, not like businesses.”

The AI-powered reviewing tools that now exist must be reviewed before they are used, writes Giorgio F Gilestro. Gilestro explains that peer review serves two purposes: validating routine scientific work and recognizing rare discoveries that challenge established frameworks. While humans are capable of performing both of these functions, AI tools currently cannot capture what human experience brings to the review. Additionally, “algorithmic perfectionism” can lead to LLMs offering irrelevant feedback. Gilestro warns that using AI reviewing tools without proper review could ultimately destroy the review’s credibility before the tools can be used to build a system “in which algorithms handle the syntax so that humans can handle the significance.”

Two British Columbia universities have announced new certificates this week. The University of British Columbia is now offering a Mental Health and Substance Use Micro-certificate, which is designed for individuals in public-facing or community-support roles. Learners will develop the foundational skills they need to support individuals with mental health and substance abuse challenges. The program is offered in an online and self-paced format with optional live sessions and real-time instructor feedback. Meanwhile, the University of the Fraser Valley is preparing to launch a Social Innovation certificate that will be open to all UFV students. Available in Fall 2026, it will provide students with work experience, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to create a social innovation portfolio.