September 20, 2023

The University of Waterloo has announced that it will begin construction on the Waterloo Eye Institute (WEI) next year, thanks to a combined $8.5M in recent donations from FYidoctors and IRIS. These recent donations have ultimately allowed the university to reach its $35M fundraising goal. WEI will support advances in vision research, optometric education, and patient care. UWaterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science Director Dr Stanely Woo said that WEI “will offer us a chance to train and collaborate with optometrists from around the world as well as help us reach underserved and marginalized communities that are often at greatest risk of eye conditions.”

Capilano University launched the “Be You at CapU” brand and student recruitment campaign earlier this week. The campaign consists of a landing page, videos, and advertising that shows current students being “unapologetically themselves.” Prospective students can use the dedicated online landing page to explore the university’s program offerings, request a free copy of the 2024-25 student guide, talk to an advisor, or apply to the institution. CapilanoU states that the campaign will be distributed across digital platforms and will appear across Metro Vancouver over the next six months.

Western University’s Senate has approved a recommendation to remove the Royal Anthem “God Save the King” from forthcoming convocation ceremonies in the Spring and Fall. This recommendation came from Western’s Convocation Board, which identified the removal of the song as an important step toward equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation. A report from the board added that many other universities across Canada have already removed the anthem from their graduation ceremonies. The report indicated that reviewing ceremonial practices–like convocation–is a crucial component of the university’s ongoing reconciliation work.

When it comes to coping with academic setbacks, a recent study has found that a sense of belonging at school is essential to building student resilience. Keiko CP Bostwick (UNSW Sydney), Andrew J Martin (UNSW Sydney), Emma Burns (Macquarie University), and Rebecca J Collie (UNSW Sydney) write about the findings of a recent study they conducted with over 70,000 high school students to better understand resilience. A student’s sense of belonging was the most notable factor in their resilience, both in terms of resilience at the individual-student level and average resilience at the whole-school level. The authors discuss how a sense of belonging protects students from stress and negativity and facilitates feelings of support. They further provide recommendations for cultivating a greater sense of belonging among the student body.

McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management is launching a virtual version of its Master of Management in Analytics (MMA) program. The 18-month program will follow the same curriculum and feature the same content as the existing in-person course. Students will be able to learn from any location through a mix of asynchronous classes, live sessions, tutorials, and optional in-person networking activities. “With the new online format, we are opening doors to a broader audience eager to enhance business analytics skills while seeking flexibility in their educational journey,” said McGill Desautels MMA program Academic Director Mehmet Gumus.

George Brown College’s Chef School has achieved the Gold Organic Campus Designation from the Canada Organic Trade Association. George Brown says that this marks the first time a chef school in Canada has attained this designation. The achievement was led by second-year Food Studies students who sought to increase the amount of organic produce used in the college’s culinary classes and integrate sustainability as a core component of the curriculum. As a result, these students were honoured with George Brown’s 2023 Innovation Leadership Award.

A former University of Manitoba law dean has had a request to delay a public hearing into accusations of embezzlement denied. Lawyer Jonathan Black-Branch oversaw the law school from July 2016 and June 2020. Sources report that he went on a leave of absence around the time that a report was released indicating that an unnamed manager had mismanaged and misused institutional funds, in addition to engaging a conflict of interest. The original hearing was scheduled for May 2021, but was rescheduled after Black-Branch requested a delay; Black-Branch reportedly requested another delay, but this request was denied.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the ILSC Education Group have signed a Unilateral Pathway Agreement to support ILSC language program participants as they transition into undergraduate studies. Upon meeting English proficiency requirements through the ILSC university pathway program, students can continue to KPU’s English Language Studies or other undergraduate programs. According to KPU Associate VP, International Carole St Laurent, this pathway ensures a “supportive and hurdle-free journey” for students. “By establishing a pathway for ILSC students to seamlessly transition into KPU’s diverse academic programs, we empower them to complete their education with hands-on learning experiences, effectively preparing them for careers in Canada or in their home countries,” said St Laurent.

Algonquin College and the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) have signed a formal letter of intent to strengthen their cooperation. Under a five-year partnership, Algonquin and BTVI will facilitate short-term staff and student exchanges, develop shared initiatives in applied research, and collaborate on program development. “The agreement signed today between Algonquin College and BTVI will offer expanded opportunities for our learners, faculty and employees to collaborate with internationally recognized applied training institutions,” said Algonquin President Claude Brulé. “We look forward to building on our shared knowledge to further innovation and education capabilities between our two institutions.”

Eight tropical institutions are working together to establish a new organization that will advance higher education and socio-economic development in the tropical regions. The League of Tropical Universities (LTU) aims to become a “powerhouse of education and innovation globally” that will contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals through science-driven transformation. The LTU will include China’s Hainan University, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Cairo University (Egypt), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia), University of São Paulo (Brazil), University of Malaya (Malaysia), and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (Malaysia).