October 17, 2025

Cape Breton University International Recruitment and Global Partnerships Director Victor Tomiczek is calling on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to adopt a regionalized approach to its International Student Program. Writing for The Pie News, Tomiczek argues that rural and economically vulnerable communities like Cape Breton Island rely on international students to sustain population levels, workforce needs, and institutional growth. “The international student cap was designed to address national concerns, such as housing pressures in major urban centres,” he writes. “But Cape Breton is not Toronto or Vancouver. Here, international students are not straining the system, they are sustaining it.” Tomiczek warns that without tailored policies, recent IRCC caps could reverse hard-won progress for institutions like CBU and the communities they serve.

Algoma University has approved the establishment of a Master of Psychotherapy program, which it calls the first of its kind in Northern Ontario. The program is offered in a full-time or part-time format. Psychotherapy students will gain professional experience through the program’s practicum and community-based internship components. AlgomaU Program Planning Lead Dr Teryn Bruni said that community input was key to the design of the program. “Every step of its design has been guided by local voices to ensure it truly reflects the realities and needs of people in Northern Ontario,” said Bruni.

The University of Saskatchewan has launched its two-year Master of Public Health Nursing program, which will be collaboratively offered by USask’s College of Nursing and its School of Public Health. The program—designed to further educate nurses on current public health challenges—is offered online and includes coursework and a thesis component. USask Nursing Graduate Chair Dr Wanda Martin explained that graduates will be prepared to lead in “prevention, education, and response” to public health issues. The first cohort will begin their studies in September 2026.

The Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program is a highly competitive, effective tool for attracting talent, but it operates at a scale that falls short of Canada’s growing intellectual needs, writes Concordia University PhD candidate Anton Clark. Clark proposes doubling the number of CRCs from 2,285 to 4,570, with a proportional increase in support for social sciences and humanities fields. He positions the expansion as both an economic and democratic investment, noting that “the current scale of Canada’s federally supported tenure scaffolding treats intellectual capacity as excess spending rather than an essential component of major projects.” Clark concludes that a larger CRC program would leverage existing infrastructure to retain Canadian talent, build research capacity, and support national sovereignty in a knowledge economy.

The University of Calgary plans to launch a Master of Finance program. Students enrolled in the 16-month program will complete 13 courses and a work-integrated learning component in the form of an internship or consulting project. UCalgary Haskayne School of Business Associate Dean of Professional Graduate Programs Dr J Ari Pandes said the program is designed to grow the financial sector in Western Canada, and that it will “future-proof” students to work in the sector. Students in the program will also benefit from two semesters of professional development with networking opportunities and exposure to the growing financial sector in Calgary.

The Université du Québec à Montréal has launched a chair focused on training and support for collective scientific writing. The chair will focus on two areas: the creation of training programs to support students in their scientific writing and the extension of work started at Thèsez-Vous?, which will support the creation and development of physical environments where people can write and learn to manage their time. The chair coordinators are also working to pilot a collaborative research thesis model. The chair includes members from across the UQuébec network, as well as Université de Sherbrooke and Université Laval.

The University of Regina has begun accepting applications for its new Online Bachelor of Education After Degree (Elementary) program, which will begin in Fall 2026. The program is based on a flexible, community-based model, which URegina Faculty of Education Dean Dr James Nahachewsky explained will allow students to remain connected to their communities while enrolled. Students will also have the option to pursue an accelerated or part-time option. To help increase the supply of teachers in remote and rural parts of Saskatchewan, applicants from these areas will be given preference in their applications.

Dalhousie University has announced that it has temporarily stopped working with cadavers after the laboratory failed air quality tests over the summer. The university is reportedly exploring ways to renovate the lab and alternative methods for preserving the bodies. In the interim, students will be learning through videos, from skeletal material, and by using anatomical models. Several anatomy professors from US institutions told CBC that working with donated cadavers is an irreplicable experience, but noted the growing discussion around the risks of exposure to formaldehyde, which is used to preserve the bodies.

Seneca Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Engineering – Software Engineering program has received three-year accreditation from the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. The program has been accredited for the maximum term, which Seneca says reflects the quality of the curriculum and faculty. “This accreditation is a testament to the rigorous academic standards and industry-informed learning experiences students will find within this program,” said Seneca Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering Technology Dean Dr Kacem Habiballah.

University of Lethbridge student Quentin Carlson is participating in the City of Lethbridge’s mayoral race while continuing his neuroscience studies. Carlson, who has lived in Lethbridge since childhood, said a lack of representation on the ballot prompted him to run. “We need voices in this race to ensure we get true representation,” he explained. Carlson has positioned himself as a candidate for younger and working-class voters, advocating for affordability, city-wide town halls, and transparency.