July 31, 2024

The University of Toronto’s Grid Modernization Centre has received $10M from the Government of Canada to accelerate the green energy transition. The Centre will serve as a collaborative hub where key industry stakeholders can access the equipment and expertise needed to test, develop, and commercialize green technologies. “By convening stakeholders across the electricity ecosystem, Climate Positive Energy and their partners will help ensure the electrical grid remains safe and reliable, while supporting the development of clean technologies and jobs,” said U of T’s VP of Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives Leah Cowen.

Immerse Education has released a series of rankings—organized by country or region—of the universities with the greatest percentage of alumni who have become CEOs. The rankings are based on an analysis of LinkedIn data. For the Canada ranking, the top 10 universities were McGill University (4.26% of alumni became CEOs), Queen’s University (4.02%), Western University (3.35%), University of British Columbia (3.33%), HEC Montréal (3.17%), University of Toronto (3.10%), Mount Allison University (2.96%), University of Alberta (2.89%), Saint Mary’s University (2.86%), and Acadia University (2.84%). Immerse Education CEO Sean Stevens emphasized the importance of higher education on the road to leadership, stating that “university is the first building block in a lifetime of growth, development, and success.”

Canadore College and Nipissing University have received funds from the Government of Ontario to help modernize their facilities and ensure that their students have modern learning tools and equipment. Canadore will use $3.1M to support its manufacturing, health, electric vehicle, and trades projects, while Nipissing will use $2.5M for its George and Helen Vari Simulation Centre and additional classroom renovation. “This support will ensure students at Canadore College and Nipissing University have access to modern instructional equipment to meet business and industry standards, increase student access to micro-credentials and enhance the overall student experience,” said Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.

The Government of Nova Scotia recently announced that it will fund four new clinical psychology residency seats at Dalhousie University. The 12-month positions will be split between Dalhousie’s Centre for Psychological Health and Student Health & Wellness Centre. Residents will rotate through the two sites, gaining experience with different types of clients. “Residency seats are not easy to create, and I’m pleased to support this program that increases our efforts to train, recruit and retain more healthcare professionals so Nova Scotians can continue to receive timely access to important mental health and addiction services,” said NS Minister of Addictions and Mental Health Brian Comer. NS is investing $311K—beginning in 2025-26—into the residency program.

Former Brandon University instructor Matt MacDonald has alleged that more than half of his students used AI to cheat on their assignments. According to the Brandon Sun, MacDonald reported 15 cases of cheating to university administration during his four-month contract at BrandonU; when his contract ended, BrandonU reportedly continued to investigate the identified cases of academic misconduct. The university agreed with MacDonald’s estimation in some cases, but in others “came to a different determination, either regarding the allegations themselves, or relating to the sanction [MacDonald] thought was most appropriate.” MacDonald has since alleged that some students, especially international students, were treated unfairly in the handling of these cases. BrandonU did not respond to this allegation but noted that students have the right to appeal the institution’s determination.

St Lawrence College recently sold 9.26 acres of land to the City of Brockville, which will use the space to construct a Multi Use Recreational Facility at the Brockville Memorial Centre. The city previously leased land from the college to construct the Memorial Centre but required additional lands to facilitate an expansion project. “We recognize the importance of collaborating with our community to foster growth and development,” said SLC Dean of the Faculty of Creative Industries and Brockville Campus Les Casson. “SLC’s partnership with the City of Brockville for the expansion of the Multi Use Recreational Facility is a great example of working together to support projects that benefit not only our students and employees, but also the broader community.”

U15 Canada has outlined a series of recommendations ahead of the release of the Government of Canada’s Budget 2025. As part of the federal Finance Committee’s pre-budget considerations, U15 has put forth the need to build on research investments from last year’s budgeting, including by investing in digital research infrastructure, international engagement through Horizon Europe, and indirect research costs. U15’s submission to the committee also identifies areas for strategic investment to maximize investment success and meet researcher needs. “In a turbulent time, Canada depends on the federal government to help support research universities to successfully engage in Horizon Europe; to meet the rising administrative and indirect costs of conducting research, including additional research security requirements; and to build globally competitive digital research infrastructure,” said U15 CEO Dr Chad Gaffield.

McGill University, the Université du Montréal, and the research institute Mila-Québec are collaborating on a research project that will use AI to combat online misinformation. Entitled “Une stratégie d’intelligence artificielle pour lutter contre la désinformation,” the partners will develop an online tool that can be integrated into website browsers to detect and counter disinformation and misinformation. The Government of Canada’s Digital Citizen Contributor Program is providing $292K to UMontréal toward the project. Canada Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said that the tool is expected to launch before October 2025.

Queen’s University has launched an Employee Wellbeing Road Map to foster positive change on campus. The map offers tools that can be used to guide the development of initiatives and programs, share best practices, and track and report on efforts to improve wellbeing on campus. The road map focuses on four key pillars: team culture in the workplace, belonging and social connection, personal wellbeing, and places. Queen’s HR department is also reportedly piloting the BeWell Grant, which will fund small-scale workplace well-being activities and projects.

The University of Manitoba Student Union (UMSU) is reportedly facing criticism from pro-Palestinian students for cancelling a meeting about a report on the definition of anti-Palestinian racism. Student advocates told CBC that the definition is important because it would bolster supports for students facing discrimination. The union cited safety concerns when it postponed the meeting and stated that its executive, board, and staff members have faced “repeated online and in-person harassment and intimidation.” UManitoba student Belkis Elmoudi told CBC that a previous meeting between a Palestine solidarity group and UMSU representatives was also cancelled, with the union president saying that they did not believe the meeting would be productive.