March 7, 2024

The findings of McMaster University researchers Debi Poinar and Hendrik Poinar have helped fuel a new probe into the 1973 death of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. While Neruda’s official cause of death was listed as prostate cancer, forensic tests carried out by researchers in Denmark and Canada—including at McMaster—found that Neruda’s blood contained a botulism-causing bacteria called Clostridium botulinum, which is not naturally found in the human body. NPR reports that, last December, a judge rejected a request from Neruda’s nephew to reopen the case to consider other causes of death. However, an appeals court in Santiago, Chile has recently ordered the reopening of the investigation into Neruda’s death and has ordered that a variety of procedures—including a meta-analysis of the lab tests—be carried out.

The history programs at Collège de Rosemont and the Université de Montréal have forged a partnership to increase academic and professional development opportunities for their students. Thanks to this partnership, Rosemont history students will be able to apply some of their college credits toward achieving a baccalaureate in history at UMontréal. Rosemont students engaging in the pathway will also have the opportunity to visit UMontréal to ask questions about the university program, take part in developmental activities and seminars run by UMontréal representatives, and participate in an archaeological dig internship in Greece.

College and Institutes Canada, the Government of Canada, and Palette Skills are partnering to offer upskilling programs that will prepare 1,000 Canadians for jobs that are vital to the innovation economy. These short programs will cover the skills needed to excel in one of four vital sectors: Biomanufacturing, AgriTech, Advanced Manufacturing, and CleanTech. Each program developed under this initiative will be made available to CICan’s member institutions as an open education resource. “Colleges and institutes are mobilizing their expertise and partnerships to meet Canada’s biggest challenges,” said CICan President Pari Johnston. “This initiative will benefit from their proven track record in creating innovative, flexible, and accessible programming to equip learners with the critical skills needed in high-growth innovation sectors.” This initiative is supported by $8M in funding.

The University College of the North and non-profit organization NORCAT have struck a partnership to advance mining exploration and projects in northern Manitoba. The collaboration will benefit the long-term sustainability of the sector by promoting, educating, and supporting entrepreneurs, tech innovators, and skills labour workers. “Cultivating opportunities in northern Manitoba is at the heart of this partnership with NORCAT,” said UCN President Doug Lauvstad. “This collaboration serves as a catalyst, paving the way for a wealth of opportunities in both the education and mining sectors while contributing to the prosperity of both individuals and communities across northern Manitoba.”

Laurentian University has shared further detail on the impact of the recent cyber incident that took down its systems, as well as the measures it is taking to address those impacts. The personal data of select employees and graduate students affiliated with the Living with Lakes Centre and students and postgraduate residents involved in the Northern Ontario School of Medicine program was reportedly stolen during the attack. “The data associated with these individuals that were exposed varies and we continue to investigate in order to determine the specifics of the data,” said Laurentian. “This process will likely take a number of months.” The university is offering free credit monitoring for two years for all individuals affected by the breach and is also implementing coursework and assignment extensions, exam date changes, and compassionate grading.

Horizon College & Seminary has partnered with The YWC Coalition for Youth Ministry Leadership to create a new program pathway for youth ministry leaders. Aspiring youth ministers will study for 16 months at Horizon before embarking on the Youth Coalition’s two-year, contextualized learning program, which features eight courses and a 3,000-hour practicum. “Coaching and mentoring happens while you’re in your youth ministry context. So, what you’re learning in the morning, you’re putting into practice in the evening in your youth ministry,” explained Director of the Coalition, Steve Zacharias. Students will be paired with leadership coaches and with mentors who will help them to develop their key competencies and personal character. Upon completion of the program, Horizon states that graduates will have both a degree and a resumé in hand.

In an article for the evoLLLution, Gregory Crawford (Miami University) and David Seidl (MiamiU) urge leaders in higher education to carefully reflect on the implications–both positive and negative–of AI, underlining that the technology is too powerful to ignore. The authors acknowledge that AI begets fear in the higher education sector and raises concerns about ethics, plagiarism, and data; but so too does it foster opportunities by improving accessibility, simplifying repetitive tasks, and offering editing and ideation support. Crawford and Seidl state that AI is available and unavoidable, underlining that postsecondary leadership must learn to work alongside the new technology, rather than ban it.

Assiniboine Community College has received a gift-in-kind from Conquest Planning Inc (Conquest) that will give business students access to an AI-powered advice engine. Students will be able to practice with Conquest’s Strategic Advice Manager in select courses and build their technical skills and knowledge. “We’re committed to providing a well-rounded educational experience that blends traditional academic pursuits with exposure to real-world scenarios that students will encounter in their professional careers,” said ACC Peters School of Business Dean Terry Burgess. “As such, we’re grateful for Conquest Planning’s generosity, which will give our students a deeper understanding of tools used in the financial advice industry.”

The National Post reports that an OCAD University student is avoiding campus after being targeted by antisemitic messages. Hateful messages were reportedly posted in the school’s “yellow staircase”—a place on campus where students are permitted to write on the walls and express themselves freely. After the student covered them with messages of peace, CTV News reports that she found her messages  covered with death threats and more hateful words and images, some of which named her outright. OCAD U responded by condemning all forms of discrimination and stating that “as soon as [the graffiti] was reported, the university cooperated with a Toronto police investigation and removed the graffiti.”

Cégep Édouard-Montpetit has unveiled Mots de tête, a free digital resource to promote and support French language usage in the health sector and broader community. The resource presents French terminology and bilingual definitions, along with photos and illustrations, for concepts that are specific to health professions such as dentistry, prosthetics, and optometry. The online resource is accessible to the community and can be used as an aide by students and professionals in the fields of optics and eyewear, dental hygiene, dentistry, and more. This project was funded by the Government of Québec and designed with support from Édouard-Montpetit’s Département de Techniques d’intégration multimedia.