September 25, 2025

Two research projects—one led by McGill University and one led by researchers from the University of Alberta and University of Ottawa—have each received $10M from the Weston Family Foundation for health research projects. Both projects are multi-year initiatives. At McGill, Dr Pedro Rosa-Neto will lead a project focused on identifying biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to use these biomarkers for achieving earlier diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, and developing personalized therapies. The second project is led by Dr Heather Armstrong (UAlberta) and Dr Alain Stintzi (UOttawa). Armstrong and Stintzi are completing clinical trials to validate a tool that tests gut microbiomes and offers precision diets to help restore them.

The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) has received a three-year, $9.4M investment from the Government of Canada to strengthen Canada’s WIL ecosystem. The funds will be used to expand WIL opportunities in strategic sectors like clean tech, construction, and digital transformation; and engage employers through BHER’s national network. This investment will create WIL opportunities for an additional 8,000 students, with a key focus on Francophone and equity-deserving student groups. Students will get on-the-job experience and become workforce ready while employers will gain access to skilled talent.

Okanagan College is helping students and staff learn more about misinformation with a giant interactive cell phone in its Centre for Learning Atrium. The interactive nine-foot-tall installation—part of a campaign by the Government of British Columbia Office of the Human Rights Commissioner—offers passersby an opportunity to learn more about false or misleading information and how they can avoid spreading it. BC Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender explained that the installation highlights how cell phones have a large impact on our lives. “Fake news and myths play a big role in rising hate and discrimination in our communities,” said Govender. “This campaign is about giving people the tools to recognize and stop the spread of false information.”

The University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC) will receive $1.8M in funding over three years from the Canadian Barley Research Coalition. This investment will support USask CDC’s barley breeding program by extending the centre’s core barley breeding agreement and enabling the program to continue developing new varieties that will benefit barley farmers. “The keys to past success within the CDC barley breeding program have been the skilled staff, our in-house malt and molecular marker labs and the ability to evaluate large numbers of breeding lines,” said USask CDC Director Dr Curtis Pozniak. “This CBRC funding will support these pillars moving forward.”

In a recent interview with The EvoLLLution, Zoe MacLeod (Royal Roads University) discusses the strategy of aligning non-credit learning experiences with for-credit programs. MacLeod explains that the purpose of this alignment is to help learners carry their achievements forward if they want to pursue more education. To achieve this alignment, MacLeod says that universities need to treat learning that is often regarded in binaries—like workforce training and academic study—as part of the same ecosystem and work to undo the financial, technological, and other barriers that prevent learners from continuing their education. “It’s about building seamless bridges,” said MacLeod, “so professional education isn’t a detour but a true stepping stone into higher education.”

Seneca Polytechnic has launched its Master of Artificial Intelligence Design & Development, which is its first master’s degree offering. The two-year program will cover machine-learning, natural language processing, computer vision, data science, and AI ethics. Students will also have the opportunity to complete 840 hours of hands-on experience through internships with industry partners. “Launching our first master’s degree program is an historic moment for Seneca,” said Seneca President David Agnew. “This program reflects our commitment to innovation, applied research and industry collaboration, ensuring our graduates are not only job-ready but also equipped to lead in the AI-driven economy.”

The Concordia Student Union’s 2025/26 Student Handbook has generated controversy for its cover and contents. The handbook’s cover depicts pro-Palestinian protestors and its contents reportedly include sections on protest tactics, counter-surveillance, and the student union’s history of activism. The Montréal Gazette reports that the Federation CJA and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs have spoken out against the handbook. Concordia University distanced itself from the CSU in its comments to The Suburban and Gazette, emphasizing CSU’s identity as “an independent student association” and confirming that it has raised its concerns about the handbook with the union.

The University of the Fraser Valley has been designated as a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U, a global organisation that supports social innovation and networking. Ashoka U’s decision to designate UFV as a Changemaker Campus was based on an evaluation of UFV’s innovations in several areas, including community-engaged teaching, leadership, and research. UFV Senior Advisor for Changemaking Martha Dow explained that the designation signals a beginning rather than an end to the school’s commitment to changemaking. “It’s a signal to continue building systems that work better for more people, starting right here in the Fraser Valley,” said Dow.

In a recent article about student assessment and AI, Olivia Mair (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) discusses the importance of looking to non-Anglophone cultures for other evaluation options. While some writers from Australia and the US have proposed a “return” to what they call the “medieval” practice of oral exams, Mair writes that Italian and German universities never moved away from oral assessment. Reflecting on her experience at an Italian institution, Mair describes the benefits of oral exams—such as how they allow teachers to better understand students’ reasoning—as well as the challenges around time, human resources, and design considerations for these exams.

Both Bishop’s University and St Francis Xavier University have repurposed rooms on campus to provide new opportunities for students. Bishop’s opened its Psychology Clinic, which provides mental health support to the university community, as well as research and training opportunities for psychology students. Sessions at the clinic are available at a reduced fee and are available in both English and French. StFX has opened the Schwartz Women & Business Hub—the idea of business student Erica Cameron—which is intended as a place for networking and collaboration. “The impact I want to see is for women in business at Schwartz to feel celebrated and supported, and for the wider student body to have a space that sparks collaboration and inclusivity,” Cameron said.