Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • National

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) will receive $5M from the Government of Canada over five years to advance environment-related academic programs in Tunisia. With this funding, CICan and Tunisian higher institutes of applied sciences and technology will prepare graduates to tackle the ecological transition in regions of Tunisia that are particularly affected by climate change. This federal funding is part of a larger $50M investment into efforts to advance global education, skills training, and economic opportunities for marginalized youth. “In the spirit of International Development Week’s 2025 theme of Building a Better World Together, Canada is proud to partner with Canadian leaders on global education,” said Canada Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen.

Canada (Release), Canada (Backgrounder)

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • SK

The University of Saskatchewan recently received multiple donations to support agricultural research and training. A $15M gift from Nutrien will be used for a variety of initiatives, including the creation of the Nutrien Centre for Sustainable and Digital Agriculture and the establishment of a fund to support scholarships and community engagement. The university will also use a $6.5M gift from the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission to create a new chair in applied genomics and pre-breeding. The research chair will develop cutting-edge technologies and strategies to assess genetic diversity in new crop varieties, while also providing mentorship and supervision to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

USask (Nutrien), USask (Sask Wheat), CKOM 650

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • National

Postsecondary institutions are currently recognizing the 35th anniversary of International Development Week, which is celebrated from February 2-8. Brock University is hosting a discussion panel on the global impact of its research, an internationally themed trivia night, and a handmade market. North Island College is holding information sessions and playing videos about international projects, while St Francis Xavier University is highlighting its international initiatives with the release of a new publication, webinar, and pizza party. Centennial College and the University of Niagara Falls Canada hosted film screenings and discussion events.

Brock, Centennial, NIC, StFX, UNFC 

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • International

In a recent article for the evoLLLution, Insiya Bream (University of Maryland) discusses the role that registrars play in the adoption of AI tools. Drawing on a conversation with her peers, Bream writes that registrars will need to be involved in the consideration of data privacy and protections when integrating AI into institutional systems. This work also situates registrars to work with IT teams to guide the usage of AI tools in other departments. Within the registrar’s office, Bream asserts that registrars will need to assess the best use cases of AI-powered tools, including where they can save time and when it is better to have a human team member handle a particular task.

The evoLLLution

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • ON

McMaster University recently unveiled the Mary Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine. Established using part of Mary and Marnix Heersink’s $32M donation to McMaster, the new school will advance global health and social medicine research, education, and humanitarian work. It will especially focus on populations at risk, human migration, planetary health, and food and health equity. The new school will introduce several new initiatives, including a humanitarian and service delivery program; a diploma in global surgery; a social medicine and entrepreneurship community program; and a global health fellowship program.

McMaster

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • BC, ON

Loyalist College and Simon Fraser University have announced new programs focused on the health sector. Loyalist has launched a Pharmacy Technician program and an Acupuncture program, which will prepare graduates for careers working alongside primary healthcare providers to support community wellbeing. SFU has launched an Equity in Healthcare Certificate program that will prepare healthcare professionals for work with diverse populations. “Our new program aims to improve healthcare outcomes for everyone by providing specialized training in creating an inclusive, culturally safe healthcare environment,” said SFU Dean of Lifelong Learning Julia Denholm.

Loyalist, SFU, Intelligencer (Loyalist)

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • PEI

The University of Prince Edward Island Student Union has called on the Government of Prince Edward Island to improve the supports the government provides to PSE students. UPEISU members presented six recommendations to MLAs last week, which included removing barriers to financial aid, setting a limit on tuition increases, and facilitating the transition from academia to the workforce. “These recommendations aren’t only about education,” said UPEISU VP Shreesh Agrawal. “They’re also really to sustain the future of PEI and ensure that the economy keeps going and developing… by retaining young talent.” A report including the union’s recommendations will be provided to PEI for further consideration.

CBC

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • ON

In The Conversation, Salmaan Khan (Toronto Metropolitan University) argues that the issue of students using generative AI (genAI) to cheat on their coursework stems from systemic issues in postsecondary education. The author asserts that declining public funding for postsecondary education has led to the marketization of education, rising tuition fees, and precarious faculty employment. Institutions, in turn, have increasingly relied on larger class sizes, while students face mounting financial challenges. Khan maintains that students feel pressured to pass due to the high cost of education, spurring them to cheat using genAI. Khan notes that students also cheat when they feel disconnected from the coursework, which is a side effect of today‘s larger class sizes. The author concludes that concerns about genAI-enabled cheating must be understood within this broader context and addressed at the systemic level.

The Conversation

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • BC

Several colleges and universities in the Vancouver region closed their campuses earlier this week as the region contended with the recent snowfall. CBC reports that Environment Canada issued several snowfall, arctic outflow, and extreme cold warnings for parts of the province. Several institutions temporarily closed their doors and moved their classes online, including the British Columbia Institute of Technology, select Capilano University campuses, select Kwantlen Polytechnic University campuses, the University of British Columbia, the University of the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Community College.

Camosun, CBC (1), CBC (2), Daily Hive

Top Ten News

Feb 05, 2025 • ON

The University of Niagara Falls Canada has partnered with Saba University School of Medicine and the Medical University of the Americas to create a new pathway for its students to pursue medical school. Under this partnership, UNFC biomedical sciences students will be able to complete their first three years at UNFC before embarking on two semesters of Doctor of Medicine studies at one of the two partner schools. Upon completion, students will hold both an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a medical degree. Students will also be eligible for dedicated scholarships and financial aid.

UNFC