July 24, 2023

The Government of Canada and Government of Manitoba have announced a $180M investment into childcare at postsecondary institutions and public schools across the province. Assiniboine Community College, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, Red River College Polytechnic, University College of the North, the Université de Saint-Boniface, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Winnipeg will receive funding for childcare space expansion projects that will result in a combined 746 daycare spaces. ACC, MITT, RRC Polytech, UCN, USB, and UWinnipeg also have been approved for learning labs, where early childhood education students will have the opportunity to gain practical learning experiences. “This project will make a real difference for families seeking higher education and help them as they complete their studies,” said MB Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko.

Vancouver Community College will be receiving $271.3M to create a new Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation. The centre will provide teaching and experiential learning in clean energy fields, while supporting progress toward provincial training, labour market, and environmental goals. The building will also reflect the college’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and its design will tell the story of Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and Coast Salish peoples. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2024.

The University of Toronto’s Solar Fuels Group has entered into a $1M research partnership with Hydrofuel Canada Inc. The partners will draw on U of T Solar Fuels Group’s research on photocatalysts and photoreactors to generate hydrogen from hydrogen carriers. This will result in the creation of “golden hydrogen,” which is created using renewable energy sources. U of T’s Solar Fuels Group will use Hydrofuel’s $1M funding commitment to retain six post-doctoral and doctoral candidates who will research photocatalysts and photoreactors.

An eye-catching logo can convey a research laboratory’s area of work, workplace culture, and collaborative potential in a single glance, writes Andy Tay for Nature. Creating a good logo does not need to take significant time or budgetary resources, but it does require creativity and forethought. Tay interviewed researchers and a graphic designer to get their perspective and advice on the development of logos for research labs. The interviewees explain that logos can help to amplify a lab’s outreach efforts, appeal to the interests of a younger generation of scientists and PhD candidates, and create a shared identity for all those who work in the lab. To ensure a positive outcome, they encourage keeping the design simple, identifying the top messages that should be conveyed by the logo, and, if working with an external graphic designer, taking the time to clearly communicate the lab’s research work in layman’s terms.

St Lawrence College recently announced that it has expanded and improved its virtual reality micro-credential programs with improvements to its Immersive Learning Platform. Learners will now be able to use a single app to access all VR simulations and will automatically be awarded their micro-credentials once the simulations are completed. The work was done through a partnership with UP360 using funding from the Government of Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ Virtual Learning Strategy. “This partnership will benefit our current and future learners who are upgrading their skills and credentials through our micro-credential offerings,” said SLC President Glenn Vollebregt.

The University of Manitoba will soon host a Research Chair in Potato Sustainability, thanks to over $1.3M in donations from 19 industry partners. The university states that the chair was born out of the 2022 Manitoba Potato Science and technology Strategy and is the first of its kind. The research chair will engage in research that addresses economic sustainability and climate resilience, foster collaborations with national and international partners, and bring new learning opportunities to UManitoba students. “The presence of a Research Chair is an important signal to the academic community, governments, granting bodies and industry partners that UM is deeply committed to potato research,” said Dr Nazim Çiçek, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at UManitoba.

Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Engineering has partnered with Ulnooweg Education Centre to improve educational opportunities in engineering for Indigenous students. The partners will lay the groundwork for an Indigenous stream of the Inclusive Pathways to Engineering Careers Program over the next year. This program will remove barriers for equity-deserving students by providing tailored supports, resources, and opportunities. “Indigenous peoples have been solving complex engineering problems across Turtle Island for time immemorial,” said Dal Faculty of Engineering Dean Dr John Newhook. “Our partnership with Ulnooweg will enhance opportunities to practice Etuaptumumk — the gift of multiple perspectives, which is also referred to as Two-Eyed Seeing.” Other local donors and partners include CBCL Limited, EverWind Fuels, and Dr Bernard and Ann MacIsaac.

North Island College, the North Vancouver Island Chefs Association, and LUSH Valley Food Action Society are partnering to provide a new culinary training opportunity in the Comox Valley. The Food Prep and Mobile Kitchen Training program includes 180 hours of hands-on training in cooking, knife skills, basic baking, and operations. “The partnership offered NIC the opportunity to coordinate a program we have wanted to develop for a long time – helping meet the needs of so many different employers in the Comox Valley, from grocery stores, delis, restaurants, food trucks and food processing,” said NIC Director of Continuing Education and Contract Training Bob Haugen.

Saint Mary’s University’s Sobey School of Business has received the Business School Impact System (BSIS) designation. The designation recognizes the business school’s social and intellectual impact and confirms Sobey’s status as an impactful business school that is embedded in the region’s business and cultural life. “Saint Mary’s University is known for our research that addresses real-world problems and for our strong partnerships with local businesses and communities,” said SMU President Dr Rob Summerby-Murray. “The BSIS designation demonstrates the role of the Sobey School in fulfilling these key strategic priorities for the University.” This is the second time that SMU has received the designation.

A display of outdoor Pride flags at the University of Fraser Valley’s Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) hub were reportedly vandalized nine times over the two months that they were on display. UFV CHASI Director Martha Dow explained that many people do not recognize this vandalism as an act of targeted violence: “They’re just these little flags. It sometimes takes a bit to explain and help people understand the significance.” In one instance, Dow shared that she confronted a student who was stomping on the flags, explaining that the act was harmful to the community watching from the CHASI window. The student then asked to come in and apologize. “There was this really great moment […] of someone truly understanding what these flags mean,” said Dow. At the end of June, the CHASI team took down the flags “on our own terms” with the intent of repurposing the flags into an art piece in the future.