July 20, 2026

Memorial University and six other partners have officially founded the Canadian Arctic Maritime Security Consortium. The consortium is focused on supporting Canada’s evolving defence priorities while strengthening Atlantic Canada’s position as a sovereign defence industrial base. Memorial’s Marine Institute will contribute to the consortium through marine education, applied research, operational testing, and Arctic training. “We look forward to working with our partners to develop the skilled people, technologies, and operational solutions needed to support Canada’s evolving maritime and defence priorities,” said Memorial President Dr Janet Morrison.

A recent article for CBC highlights the challenges that pre-apprenticeship graduates face in securing an apprenticeship. “We have all these hands-on skills, we get tools, we get set up for the field, but they don’t have career services,” said North American Trade Schools student Kayla Climenhaga. “I’ve sent resumes in, just hoping [I’ll] get picked.” Several members of industry told CBC that there is demand in the trades, but there is fierce competition for the limited number of registered apprenticeship opportunities and many apprentices do not complete their apprenticeships. The article also highlighted Skilled Trades Ontario’s recently released toolkit for apprentices, which provides a roadmap and practical information on registration, in-school training, financial supports, and other aspects of apprenticeship training.

Université Laval will proceed with plans to create a new research station in Northern Québec thanks to $4.1M in funding from the Government of Québec. Located in Umiujaq, Nunavik, the station will be managed by the university’s Centre d’études Nordiques. It will serve as a base for researchers studying permafrost and global warming impacts on the Arctic. QC’s funding will build on the existing $1.8M in funding for the station provided by the Government of Canada’s ARDEC North program. ULaval Rectrice Sophie D’Amours explained that as climate change accelerates, the station will be essential to understanding changes to ecosystems and developing solutions. The station is planned to open by 2028.

The University of Toronto has signed a multi-year partnership with Toronto-based sovereign AI company Cohere. U of T Chief Information Officer Donna Kidwell explained that the partnership will “bring strategists, builders and our community together to demonstrate how secure, sovereign, human-centred AI can be deployed across the university.” Cohere’s agentic AI platform, North, will support the co-ordination of tasks across systems in U of T’s forthcoming enterprise-wide AI platform.

The Université du Québec à Rimouski has received a commitment of more than $2.6M from the Government of Québec toward the relocation of its Baie-Comeau branch to a larger space within the community. The branch will move from its existing location at the Cégep de Baie-Comeau to the Centre de services scolaire de l’Estuaire’s Pavillon André-Jacob. The larger space will include classrooms, laboratories, and offices and will reportedly accommodate approximately 100 students and at least 15 staff. The move will be completed in time for Fall 2027.

The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine has signed a formal articulation agreement with Southern Cross University in Australia that expands academic opportunities for CCNM graduates. Through the partnership, CCNM graduates will be able to continue their education in the Australian university’s online Master of Integrative Medicine program with advanced standing. CCNM President Dr Rahim Karim stated that the partnership will create a new opportunity for CCNM graduates to gain advanced knowledge in integrative medicine and team-based care so they are prepared to work in complex health care environments.

Université de Montréal’s Faculté de médecine vétérinaire has received a financial commitment from the Government of Québec to build a new animal centre at the university’s St-Hyacinthe campus. The centre will provide space for research and teaching activities, as well as an increased student capacity. The faculty’s existing pet refuge will be placed in the centre alongside a new clinical competence centre, which UMontréal Faculté de médecine vétérinaire dean David Francoz explained would provide students with improved learning opportunities. The centre is expected to open in 2031.

Two recent University Business articles assert that programs in the areas of philosophy and the liberal arts are becoming more important in the era of AI. Brooke Barnett (Rollins College) argues that AI has made the case for a liberal arts education “more urgent” by creating a greater demand for skills around discernment, ethical judgement, and communication. However, she notes that AI brings with it complications that must be dealt with “closely, critically, and with attention to consequences we cannot yet fully see.” Meanwhile, Oisín Keohane (University of Dundee) reflects on the closure of philosophy programs in the UK and asserts that this is counterintuitive at a time when industry is looking for the connected thinking taught by philosophy.

Unions at Brock University and the University of Victoria have ratified agreements with their members. At Brock, the Brock University Faculty Association ratified a collective agreement that will be in effect until June 30, 2029. Brock states that the agreement will be posted publicly at a later date. Meanwhile, UVic and CUPE 951—representing office workers, technicians, and other staff—have ratified an agreement that will be effective until March 31, 2029. The agreement includes wage increases, improved benefits, new leave provisions, and new coverage for workers over the age of 72.

Seneca Polytechnic and Khon Kaen University in Thailand have announced a partnership that will support aviation education and training. The partnership will focus on curriculum sharing, joint research, and exchange opportunities for faculty and students. Seneca President David Agnew and Khon Kaen President Dr Charnchai Panthongviriyakul each explained that the partnership will share their institutions’ expertise in aviation, making improvements to the future of flight education.