March 15, 2024

NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has announced a major expansion of its transatlantic network of accelerator sites and test centres. The expansion will bring 12 new sites and two new test centres in Canada. The Memorial University Marine Institute’s The Launch lab and the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) are among the newly designated test centres. “Part of DIANA’s strength is our unique transatlantic network of talent centres and innovation leaders working toward a common purpose,” said DIANA Managing Director Professor Deeph Chana.

With St Patrick’s Day falling on the weekend this year, several universities have announced initiatives to help students through the weekend and have issued stern reminders of the consequences of disruptive behaviour. CTV News states that the University of Guelph will be offering an alcohol recovery room on campus this weekend to help reduce any potential strain on the local hospital. Brock University, Conestoga College, McMaster University, the University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University have each reminded their student bodies of their student code of conduct and are discouraging students from hosting or attending large, unsanctioned gatherings. Brock is conducting a “Don’t Put the Bad in Badger” campaign with local police and bylaw officials to encourage students to be good neighbours.

Northlands College and the AI-based company RoboGarden Inc have partnered to bring new educational opportunities to the college’s learners. The collaboration will allow Northlands to offer RoboGarden’s programming—including courses on Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence and full-stack Development Bootcamps—to learners across northern Saskatchewan. “By integrating these forward-thinking programs, we are opening up new career opportunities for our learners, allowing them to seamlessly integrate with Industry 4.0 and contribute to the economic growth of Northern Saskatchewan,” explained Northlands President Karsten Henriksen.

A recent study commissioned by the British Council has found a historic correlation between the growth rates of the world GDP and the number of outbound students per nation and raised a warning about the slowing growth of both. The study predicted that the most significant growth rate slowdowns could be seen in China, India, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Indonesia. It also pointed to Nigeria, Turkey, Ghana, Pakistan, Brazil, and Mexico as countries facing “particularly high levels of macroeconomic risk” that could affect their outgoing international student numbers. The study named countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam as “rising stars” in the international student sector, given their supportive conditions for future growth and moderate risk levels. While growth is expected to continue, the researchers advised UK policy makers to take a strategic approach to targeting markets and allocating resources to meet international student recruitment targets.

The Université de Sudbury, University of Ottawa, and the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario are working together to bring more French-language programming to northeastern Ontario. Starting in September 2025, the partners will bring a variety of new Francophone programs—which will be determined in the coming months—to the region. USudbury President Serge Miville praised the partnership as “an innovative approach that serves as a model for achieving economies of scale and increasing the viability of the sector across French Ontario.” The partnership is reportedly an important step in USudbury’s progress toward compliance with its designation under the French Language Services Act.

McGill University has achieved the Platinum STARS sustainability rating six years ahead of its target. McGill is one of five universities in Canada to have achieved this status and, in terms of its infrastructure, is also the oldest university in the country to do so. “Reaching the Platinum sustainability rating is a significant milestone that we are proud of, but it’s not the end of our journey” explained François Miller, Executive Director of Sustainability at McGill. “With the world facing serious climate and biodiversity challenges, universities like McGill will continue to play an important role in finding solutions.”

The University of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Fine Arts has received a Blackfoot name from Iikaisskini (Low Horn) Dr Leroy Little Bear. The new name—Piiksinaasin—means Manifesting Beauty. “In many Indigenous communities, art is very much a part of our ways. It’s on the rocks, it’s on our tipis, each one with their own meaning,” explained Little Bear. “Each one of those arts has a name, there’s a story behind it.” ULethbridge faculty dean Dr Heather Davis-Fisch noted that the name gifted to the faculty comes with the ongoing responsibility of serving Indigenous students and the Blackfoot community, as well as the opportunity to reflect on the faculty’s work to date on supporting Indigenization.

Université de Sherbrooke and CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS are partnering to create a new research centre focused on management excellence in health services. The creation of the centre will formalize a collaborative partnership between the two partners, who have worked together on a variety of educational and research projects over the years. USherbrooke Professor Pierre-Luc Fournier will head the new centre.

Humber College has launched a seven-week certificate to train supervisors, managers, and senior leaders to build and lead resilient teams. Humber and the Resilience-Building Leader Program collaborated on the development and launch of the Building & Leading Resilient Teams Certificate of Accomplishment program. The program consists of seven modules that cover the skills and knowledge needed to bring a team together and “convert adversity into opportunity,” according to Humber Continuous Professional Learning Dean Frank Cappadocia. Those who complete the program will be prepared to complete the Resilience-Building Leadership Professional® certification exams.

The College of the North Atlantic’s Grand Falls-Windsor campus is facing criticism from the Canadian Federation of Students NL for its delayed recognition of Black History Month, report VOCM and Saltwire. In a statement issued by CFS-NL, incoming international student representative Johnny Selemani criticized the lack of action around Black History Month and stated that the campus missed an “opportunity for important conversations on Anti-Black sentiments in our communities.” CNA officials responded by stating that the month was recognized and celebrated at several campuses across the province, including at the Grand Falls–Windsor campus.