January 16, 2024

Government of Canada Immigration Minister Marc Miller recently stated that he is considering implementing a cap on temporary residents—including international students—as a means to address the ongoing housing affordability crisis. In an interview with CTV News, Miller referred to the number of international students in Canada as “disconcerting,” expressing: “It’s really a system that has gotten out of control.” Miller explained that the federal government plans to discuss the potential cap with provincial governments over the next two quarters. In an interview with CBC, Miller also floated the idea of reforming postgraduate work permits as part of this ongoing conversation pertaining to housing affordability and immigration.

The Government of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada have partnered on a $355M agreement to provide Nova Scotians with better healthcare. The three-year agreement will focus on a variety of initiatives, including several that will support healthcare education: investments in new nursing programs and nursing seats; the development of a new medical school in Cape Breton; the expansion of paramedic training; and the creation of new residency spaces. “We’re well on our way in implementing Action for Health, our road map for transforming healthcare in Nova Scotia, and changes across the system are making meaningful impacts on the front lines and beyond,” said NS Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has transferred the investigation of a recent police shooting of a University of Manitoba student to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT). UManitoba student Afolabi Stephen Opaso was fatally shot by the Winnipeg police after they were called to an apartment suite where he was experiencing a mental health crisis. IIU requested that ASIRT handle the investigation into the shooting to avoid perceived conflict of interest. “Our hope is that justice will be served, and there will be some accountability and truth,” said lawyer Jean-René Dominique Kwilu, who represents Opaso’s parents. Friends and community members recently held a vigil at a chapel at UManitoba to pay respects to Opaso and to celebrate his life. Several vigil attendees called for improved mental health supports for students.

To reduce cultural conflict, postsecondary leaders must redesign the learning environment instead of trying to address the issue solely through policy and procedure, writes Mike Magee (Minerva University) for the Chronicle of Higher Ed. Magee writes that campuses should be designed to bring diverse groups of students to live and learn together and provide them with the tools to communicate and solve conflict effectively. Magee discusses an example of how this works at Minerva University, where the student academic and residential experience helps students to develop a broader awareness of cultural differences and learn how to solve dilemmas and make connections with each other.

Conestoga College will open a Centre for Pharmaceutical Studies at its Kitchener – Doon campus, thanks in part to a $2.2M gift from Toronto-based philanthropist Diane Blake. Blake’s donation will be used to renovate the building, purchase equipment, hire staff, and establish a set of bursaries and scholarships. Conestoga will launch pharmacy technician and assistant programs this fall and has plans to offer post-graduate programs in pharmaceutical science, pharmaceutical discovery, and pharmacovigilance. “We are deeply grateful for Diane Blake’s leadership in supporting Conestoga’s efforts to address the growing needs of the communities we serve through the development of skilled pharmaceutical professionals,” said Conestoga President John Tibbits.

Journal de Montréal reports that representatives of MRC de Portneuf are looking to establish a college study centre in the Portneuf region. MRC states that Portneuf has a lower university graduation rate than the provincial average and has sufficient eligible students to support the centre’s viability. MRC prefect Bernard Gaudreau explained that a project to place a cégep in the region has been an ongoing discussion for a long time, but that the organization is now seeking to introduce a centre that is affiliated with an existing cégep. The Journal reports that a similar approach has been used to bring campuses to regions such as Lac-Mégantic, Sainte-Marie, and La Tuque. The MRC of Portneuf is hopeful of reaching an agreement with a cégep in the coming weeks.

Three postsecondary institutions have recently expanded their healthcare and wellness programming. Northern Lights College announced that it intends to launch three new health programs in 2027 and another two by 2028 in anticipation of the new Dawson Creek and District Hospital’s opening. The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies will add another 25 seats to its Mental Health and Wellness Diploma program, thanks to an $850K investment from the Government of Saskatchewan. York University’s Schulich ExecEd is partnering with the Government of Guyana to launch a new Guyana-Schulich ExecEd Masters Certificate in Physician Leadership program. The collaboration will also enable a second cohort of the Schulich ExecEd-Guyana Masters Certificate in Hospital Leadership program to run, starting this month.

In a recent article for University Affairs, Creso Sá (University of Toronto OISE) discusses the recent court decision to deny Chinese applicant Yuekang Li’s study permit due to concerns about espionage. Sá writes that the Government of Canada’s logic in excluding the student was to prevent a “precrime” – a reference to Philip K Dick’s The Minority Report — but argues that the government did not actually definitively know whether or not the student would collaborate with the Chinese government. The author contends that a different immigration officer could have concluded that Li might take a different route by taking inspiration from his proposed supervisor, who studied in China before completing her PhD at the University of Toronto and subsequently became a Canada Research Chair. Sá compares Ren’s experience in the 2000’s with Li’s experience today, questioning how the decision about Li will impact Canada’s “brain gain.”

The University of Niagara Falls Canada has partnered with Google to better prepare students for in-demand careers in data analytics, project management, and other fields. Through this collaboration, UNFC will provide students with access to the Google Career Certificates program and Google’s Grow with Google resources and content. “This new partnership enables [UNFC] to enrich its curriculum with Google Career Certificates, enhancing student employability and aligning with industry-specific specializations,” said UNFC Provost Dr David Gray. “These certificates can be integrated into [UNFC’s] course offerings as either credit or non-credit options and can be included in faculty-led courses or as independent learning opportunities for current and future students.”

College of the North Atlantic and the Qalipu First Nation have renewed their partnership with the signing of a five-year agreement focused on enhancing educational opportunities. Under the new agreement, the partners will support Qalipu members as they complete high school and enter postsecondary education; develop unique training and work opportunities; explore entrepreneurial and applied research opportunities; and improve equity, diversity, and inclusion through new initiatives. CNA President Elizabeth Kidd noted that the partners have accomplished many objectives together over the past few years, such as developing a work-integrated learning project for Qalipu-sponsored students. “Signing this new five-year MOU allows us to move those forward and continue exploring new areas of collaboration,” said Kidd.