December 8, 2023

Government of Canada Minister of National Defence Bill Blair has announced the members and mandate of a board that will lead a review of Canada’s military colleges amid the ongoing sexual misconduct crisis. The Canadian Military Colleges Review Board is comprised of five external education and culture experts and two Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces members, who will have a year to make recommendations pertaining to part of former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louise Arbour’s Independent External Comprehensive Review Report. The board will review the advantages and disadvantages of how Royal Military College Kingston and Royal Military College Saint-Jean operate and will assess the different potential options for educating naval and officer cadets. “The education experience that naval officer cadets receive must reflect the values of the Canadian Armed Forces and the 21st-century Canada in which we live,” said Blair.

Re$earch Infosource Inc has released its Top 50 Research Universities 2023 rankings and Top 50 Research Colleges 2023 rankings. The rankings assess the institutions according to their research income in the 2022 fiscal year. The top five research universities stayed consistent with the rankings for 2022. Overall, the University of Toronto took first place, followed by the University of British Columbia (2), McGill University (3), Université de Montréal (4), and the University of Alberta (5). The top five research colleges were Niagara College (1), Cégep de Trois-Rivières (2), Lambton College (3), Olds College (4), and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (5).

Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue has committed to training all its students in Indigenous perspectives by 2026. This initiative will integrate Indigenous knowledge into the academic curriculum of each UQAT department, offering courses and programs that have been designed, evaluated, and revised by and with First Peoples. Work is already underway and is being led by the Dean of Studies and the Mamawi Mikimodan Service. “Through this initiative, UQAT recognizes that Indigenous knowledge is just as important as scientific knowledge,” said UQAT Rector Vincent Rousson. “This recognition gives Indigenous perspectives a place in the programs offered at UQAT, thereby building on a plurality of knowledge.”

Capilano University has announced the courses that it will offer at its new Squamish campus in September 2024. Marking the beginning of its academic operations at the former Quest University campus, CapilanoU will offer courses in the following programs: Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Interdisciplinary Studies and Associate Arts Degree; Tourism Management Co-operative Education Diploma; Early Childhood Care and Education Diploma; and Adult Basic Education – General Upgrading. CapilanoU is also consulting with Indigenous communities to explore course offerings specific to Indigenous learners at the Squamish site.

NOSM University will offer a new residency program in urology. The program will prepare students to provide urological care to rural patients who may not have access to a urologist in their community. The program covers topics such as voiding dysfunction, reconstructive urology, oncology, pediatrics, and infertility. Residents will be based in Thunder Bay and will complete additional training in smaller communities and regional hospitals. The University of Toronto will provide additional mandatory rotations that will provide specific training not available in Northern Ontario clinical settings through an inter-institutional agreement. “Training urologists in the North will encourage more specialists to stay here to practise and to fill regional health-care needs,” said NOSM U Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education Dr Rob Anderson.

In an interview with University Affairs’ editor Daniel Halton, Universities Canada Board of Directors Chair and McGill University President Deep Saini discusses the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing the postsecondary sector. Saini discusses diversity, international students, and funding, and highlights the importance of using education to combat ignorance. “Ignorance thrives in dark places,” states Saini. “An education, however, has the power to shine a light on those dark places, to open new horizons and sensibilities that prevent disinformation and misinformation from taking root.” Saini additionally underscores the significance of listening to young people about their concerns and harnessing their “tremendous energy” to tackle the pressing problems of the day, including climate change and global disorder.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic, the University of Regina, and the University of Saskatchewan recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will provide the framework for the establishment of the Saskatchewan-based Global Institute for Energy, Mines and Society (GIEMS). This institute will develop high-level research to meet the needs of the mining and energy industries and provide training and experiential learning for the province’s tradespeople, engineers, and scientists. “Our institutions have a shared commitment to be highly responsive to the needs of the economy […] by providing quality post-secondary research, education and training opportunities,” said URegina President Dr Jeff Keshen. “[W]orking collaboratively through GIEMS provides an exciting opportunity to amplify our global impact as innovators in sustainable energy and mining.”

King’s University College has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Economics and Law (UEL) at Viet Nam National University to foster global perspectives, academic excellence, and cross-cultural understanding. Under this MOU, the two institutions will collaborate to facilitate student exchange programs for study abroad initiatives; explore opportunities for 2+2 pathway or dual degree options; and encourage faculty and staff exchanges, seminars, joint research projects and co-authored publications. “I know our students, faculty, and staff would find UEL to be a perfect place for a global exchange, and we can’t wait to welcome UEL students, faculty, and staff to King’s,” said King’s President Dr David Malloy.

Thompson Rivers University has unveiled its Regenerative Agriculture (RGEN) program, which was previously known as the Applied Sustainable Ranching program but has since been renamed and restructured to better suit the needs of its students and the changing environment. The program retains its foundations in business management and soil health, but features a number of updates, including new courses in Food Sovereignty, Technology in Agriculture, and Emergency Preparedness; three-week course lengths to better suit students’ schedules; and a formalization of the host-farm practicum credit course. “With the effects of climate change looming all around us, the importance of understanding and learning how to apply regenerative agriculture practices has never been more vital,” said TRU RGEN Program Coordinator Gillian Watt.

Sault College has announced that five of its School of Natural Environment programs have received Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (ECO Canada) accreditation. The following programs were granted seven-year accreditation: Natural Environment Technician – Conservation and Management, Forestry Technician – Conservation, Adventure Recreation and Parks Technician, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Technician, and Natural Resource/Environmental Law – Inspection and Enforcement. This accreditation gives students access to Environmental Professional in training student membership and demonstrates that the programs provide learners with competencies aligning with the National Occupational Standard for Environmental Employment.