November 10, 2023

The Government of British Columbia’s International Credential Recognition Act has received royal assent. This act aims to increase fairness, efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the credential recognition process and make it easier for internationally trained professionals to work in their chosen careers and fill labour shortages across the province. 18 regulatory bodies are required to remove barriers in 29 professions by the time the act comes into effect in Summer 2024, so that qualified professionals can attain credential recognition at a faster pace. Affected occupations include engineers, early childhood educators, architects, social workers, veterinarians, lawyers, and professional agrologists.  

Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles has received a $15M grant from the Government of Canada to help advance climate change adaptation for communities in Mauritania, The Gambia, and Senegal. The Solutions écosystémiques d’adadaption durable (SEDAD) project will implement nature-based solutions and promote leadership opportunities for women, youth, and Indigenous peoples, with the aim of improving climate change adaptation for populations in the West African ecoregion. SEDAD will be delivered in partnership with le Partenariat régional pour la conservation de la zone côtière et marine over the course of two and a half years.  

The University of Manitoba Faculty of Law and the Asper School of Business have launched a joint JD/MBA degree program. This concurrent program is set to meet a growing demand amongst law students who want to enter the legal profession with the business and leadership skills required to start their own practice and advance their careers. “There’s advantages to the students — one is it’s four years instead of five for both degrees,” said UManitoba Dean of Law Richard Jochelson. “The other advantage is you’re networking across both sets of communities, which includes industry.” This program is set to launch Fall 2024. 

In a recent editorial for University World News, Shuriah Niazi discusses recent trends in the number of study visas issued to Indian students looking to pursue an education in Canada, the United Kingdom, or the United States. While the number of visas issued to Indian students for study in the UK and the US have increased, Niazi writes that applications have slowed down for Canada despite the country generally being seen as a preferred study destination. With the current diplomatic challenges between India and Canada and changes to application processing, Niazi reports that applications to Canadian programs – especially postgraduate diploma programs – could be negatively impacted. Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated that that the diplomatic challenges are likely to create delays in visa processing for Indian students, but that Canada will continue to welcome students from India.  

Three individuals were injured after an altercation at Concordia University between people with opposing views about the Israel-Hamas war. The two groups were holding fundraising and awareness events in close proximity to one another when tensions between the groups erupted into a heated exchange. One student was arrested after allegedly assaulting two members of Concordia’s campus safety team, and these three individuals reportedly sustained minor injuries. Montreal police were called to intervene. The Montreal Gazette reports that the university is investigating two other incidents that occurred on the same day: Swastikas were discovered in a Concordia building and a school group posted a social media message “that could reasonably be construed as inciting violence.” “Under no circumstances can we, as a community, tolerate the reprehensible acts of hate and violence that occurred,” wrote Concordia President Graham Carr. McGill University also reportedly increased security ahead of a protest yesterday. 

The Government of Nunavut Education Department has announced new interim funding for Inuit students through the territory’s Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students (FANS) program. “Each student will now be eligible to receive $500, called a wellness benefit, per semester,” explained NV Education Minister Pamela Gross. The territory is currently working with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc to complete a comprehensive review of the FANS program with the goal of “completely revamp[ing] and re-envision[ing]” the system. Gross noted that the review will take some time, but that students are in need of more support imminently; the wellness benefit was launched to address this gap and will be in place until the revised FANS program relaunches. 

The Michener Institute’s Continuing Education department has collaborated with the Dr Farah Essa Academy to launch an Advanced Diploma in Ultrasound program in Pakistan. The program will combine online theoretical education from Michener and scanning and clinical training from the Dr Farah Essa Academy, with the aim of creating competent, compassionate graduates who can fill healthcare needs within their country. The program will take two and a half years to complete and begin in Fall 2024.  “With this new partnership with Michener, we will be able to attract and train the best professionals in Pakistan, thereby contributing in increasing the standard of healthcare delivery across Pakistan and around the globe,” said Dr Farah Essa.  

The University of Calgary has received a $2M investment from Cenovus Energy to improve Indigenous peoples’ access to university, prepare women for leadership roles in STEM, and identify and reduce barriers to inclusion. Specifically, this funding will contribute to UCalgary’s Writing Symbols Lodge, Schulich School of Engineering, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, Innovate Calgary, and Haskayne School of Business. “Ultimately, Cenovus’s support is a concrete step toward promoting diverse perspectives and inclusion on campus and beyond,” said UCalgary President Ed McCauley. “We can foster a safe community where individuals are valued for their skills, intelligence, and contributions that will carry forward into the workforce and society.”  

Acadia University has signed an agreement with the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation (CCRF) to collaborate on the development of research and funding opportunities pertaining to musculoskeletal conditions and other related health issues. The collaboration aims to alleviate the load on Nova Scotia’s healthcare system, enhance economic performance in the field, and help people who are affected by musculoskeletal conditions. “This agreement supports our goal to create a long-term relationship that produces excellent value in areas such as rehabilitation, through Acadia’s network of health researchers from Kinesiology, the Centre of Lifestyle Studies (COLS) and the Acadia Institute of Data Analytics,” said Acadia Associate VP Research, Innovation and Graduate Studies Dr Anna Redden. 

Women’s hockey players at Western University will boycott games in protest of the return of coach Candice Moxley. Moxley was recently cleared of allegations of abuse and misconduct in a third-party review by lawyer Elizabeth Hewitt, but the players penned a letter requesting a new investigation into the allegations. “We do not believe that the investigation was fair, unbiased and transparent,” the players wrote in the letter, which noted Hewitt’s ties to the university. Global News reports that players have also requested a full-scale investigation into Western’s entire sports system and the implementation of a toll-free phone line so that former and current athletes can file anonymous reports.