February 10, 2025

The Government of Canada has announced a new National Cyber Security Strategy that outlines a national, society-wide approach to cyber security to protect the country against digital threats. The strategy follows two overarching principles: Agile leadership and whole-of-society engagement through partnerships with key sectors such as academia. As part of the strategy, Canada indicated that it is committed to strengthening its relationship with academia and referenced its recent investment into UNB’s Cyber Attribution Data Centre.

St Clair College will be suspending 18 programs this fall and offering early incentive leaves for staff and faculty, reports CTV News. AM 800 reports that the programs being suspended include the college’s power engineering, hospitality, and event management programs. The affected programs typically have cohorts of between 20 and 25 students. “Those programs will not have intakes in September,” said St Clair President Michael Silvaggi. “It’s an opportunity to potentially reimagine the program, but [… ] if students are showing interest and applicants are calling us and contacting us, we have opportunities to run those in January and May of next year.”

Red Deer Polytechnic is considering how it can address a projected $10M deficit for the 2025-26 academic year. The polytechnic is reportedly considering structural changes that would include program suspensions, reduced staff with approximately 35-40 permanent layoffs, and reduced operating budgets. RDP President Stuart Cullum emphasized that maintaining the student experience will a core priority as the budget discussions continue, telling RD News Now that “no students are going to be left behind.” Cullum stated that the polytechnic’s situation could change with the release of the Government of Alberta’s 2025 budget. Currently, the polytechnic is exploring opportunities to build partnerships and find alternative sources of revenue.

Conestoga College will be transitioning its Stratford campus to a new location in time for the Fall semester. The new facility will have space for 800 students and will offer education in nine different disciplines, including business, media foundations, and general arts and sciences. The college will offer personal support worker programs with a dedicated PSW teaching lab at the new location. Conestoga Chair of Nursing and Health sciences Michelle Heyer said that the new campus will enable more students to study where they live. “Our population is aging, so we think that bringing PSW here in a bigger way is going to help impact the community,” said Heyer.

Recent Statistics Canada data suggests that international students who find employment after graduation earn “substantially” less than their domestic counterparts, reports the Globe and Mail. StatCan analyzed the National Graduates Survey data to compare labour market outcomes for the class of 2020 and found that, overall, international student graduates earned less than Canadian graduates regardless of their level of study. Additionally, international graduates have different employment outcomes: The Globe and Mail reports that approximately 28% of international graduates worked in sales and service jobs, compared to 12% of their Canadian counterparts.

The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal are reportedly investigating a case of vandalism at McGill University that occurred on Wednesday night. CBC reports that a group of people reportedly targeted five McGill buildings, smashing the windows and disrupting the classes and exams taking place at the time. Graffiti was also left on the walls, according to TVA Nouvelles. McGill described the vandalism as an attempt to “bully” the institution into changing its decision to refuse to adopt a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policy against Israel. No injuries were reported.

The University of Waterloo will be growing its Computer Research Endowment and creating a new lab, thanks to a $1M USD pledge from Interop Labs. The new open-source research lab—called the GENESIS Lab (Generative AI for Secure, Interconnected Systems)—will focus on AI and blockchain research. It will offer 12 PhD fellowships and six undergraduate fellowships administered via Waterloo Blockchain. “This partnership leverages the expertise of both organizations to drive innovation at the intersection of blockchain and AI—an area poised to redefine the future of society,” said David R Cheriton School Director Dr Raouf Boutaba.

Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick has signed a partnership agreement with Polaris that will bring new technical training opportunities to college students. CCNB students will have access to approximately 50 hours of Polaris technical training across 80 courses. They will gain practical knowledge and develop their skills as they work with the motor vehicle company’s workshop manuals and diagnostic tools. CCNB Instructor Rémi Perron remarked that the partnership will ensure students are better prepared for the job market, as they will graduate with industry-recognized training and hands-on experience with cutting-edge equipment.

Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles is launching a Techniques d’administration et de gestion program in Fall 2025. This program replaces three of the cégep’s former administration and commerce technical programs and introduces an updated curriculum that is more in line with labour market needs. Students will learn about administration and management as they study topics such as sustainable development, workplace wellbeing, and advertising. They will also complete a four-week internship. This program will be offered at the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Carleton-sur-Mer and Gaspé campuses.

Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig and Wahkohtowin Development have partnered to accredit the Wahkohtowin Guardian Program. The program helps Indigenous students develop their knowledge and skills in conservation, cultural knowledge, and environmental monitoring, preparing them to act as Indigenous land stewards. Students who complete the program will receive high school and postsecondary education credits. “This collaboration ensures that Indigenous Knowledge and land stewardship are not only preserved but also formally recognized within our education systems,” said SKG President Mary Wabano-McKay.