September 25, 2026

Red River College Polytechnic is the recipient of a $3.2M investment from Prairies Economic Development Canada designed to support the defence industry. Using this funding, RRC Polytech will create the Manitoba Defence and Dual-Use Innovation Bridge in collaboration with Manitoba Aerospace Inc and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. The initiative will provide supports to businesses to ease their entrance into defence supply chains and to help them identify dual-use technology. “Together we are strengthening Manitoba’s role in Canada’s defence industrial base while creating new opportunities for businesses, investments and economic growth throughout the province,” concluded RRC Polytech VP Research Partnerships & Innovation Dr Jolen Galaugher.

Lakeland College has received a $500K gift for its Student-Managed Farm Lab Revitalization project from Judy Sweet. This donation will be used to modernize the Vermilion campus’ calving barn. The upgrades will enhance agricultural instruction, applied research, animal care, and industry collaboration. “This gift will strengthen animal care, help advance applied research, and prepare graduates to make a meaningful impact in this essential industry,” said Lakeland President Dr Alice Wainwright-Stewart.

The University College of the North has celebrated the grand opening of its Bachelor in Ininimowin Program. The program provides students with the opportunity to develop their proficiency in Cree while learning about local cultures, histories, and worldviews through language. Students are not expected to have any Indigenous language experience and can pursue the program at both of UCN’s campuses. They can complete a certificate in Ininimowin after one year, a diploma after two years, or continue to a three-year bachelor’s degree. “Language is an important part of culture, identity and community,” said UCN President Doug Lauvstad.

HEC Montréal and the United Nations University have established an executive education partnership intended to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and decisions made by organizations. This partnership will begin with a program for senior executives and organizational leaders that leads to a Certification in Sustainable Leadership. “Today’s leaders must make decisions in an environment where transformations are accelerating and intersecting,” said HEC Montréal Executive Education Executive Director Dominique Anglade. “Executive education provides the space to step back, renew perspectives, and turn knowledge into decisions.”

Universities should substitute attributable demonstrations of competence for grading coursework, writes Simona Aimar (University College London) in a recent article for Times Higher Ed. Aimar writes that grading coursework has never perfectly shown student knowledge, regardless of the availability of AI. Higher ed should question whether essays provide enough evidence to show competency, writes Aimar. However, the author asserts that universities should not eliminate student coursework, as it provides students with practice and discussion opportunities. Assessments should be redesigned so students demonstrate what they have learned. “At key moments, universities should ensure they retain the ability to say: ‘We have seen this student demonstrate this competence,’” writes Aimar.

The University of New Brunswick and several UNB staff and faculty have been removed from a lawsuit by US politician Doug Mastriano. Mastriano accused the university of leaking his doctoral thesis and being part of a scheme to discredit his research. UNB and several UNB staff and faculty were named in the lawsuit, which alleged lost potential revenue from book sales and speaking engagements. CBC states that the university and the individuals connected to UNB sought to be removed from the case, arguing that they were immune under the US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. US Judge Bernard M Jones II dismissed the claims against the university and others associated with the institution.

The University of Guelph-Humber will be offering a new program in Business & Liberal Studies. This program will help students build the skillsets that professional organizations need, including finance, accounting, cultural analysis, and ethical communication. Students will gain hands-on experience through research opportunities and 100 hours of placement. “What you graduate with is not only a degree and a diploma but a demonstrated capacity to see a business problem whole, and to say so clearly in a room of your peers,” said UoGuelph-Humber Liberal Studies and Business & Liberal Studies Chair Dr Vasilis (Bill) Molos.

The University of King’s College and CIM | Chartered Managers Canada have partnered to launch a new pathway to professional management certifications for all liberal arts graduates in Nova Scotia. The Pathway to Management Recognition allows liberal arts graduates to use evidence from their work to earn competence badges and work towards professional management designations. CIM | Chartered Managers Canada Maritime Chapter Chair Belinda Riles explained that the initiative “gives us a rigorous way to assess what people have learned through their work against the same professional standard, without requiring them to return to the classroom to learn what they already know.” The free pathway is open until March 2028 or until funding is exhausted.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology has redesigned three of its two-year Broadcast and Media Production programs in response to changes in the media landscape. The Digital Content Creation and Performance option will teach students the skills they need to produce various kinds of content. The Broadcast and Online Journalism program will draw on a multi-platform approach that reflects the increasingly digital nature of journalism. The Television, Film, and Video program will give students the opportunity to learn how to produce a range of productions. The updated programs will all begin in the Fall 2027 semester.

Great Plains College will be offering a one-time, part-time Early Childhood Education Level 1 program in Maple Creek this fall. The community is preparing to open a new child-care facility in January 2027. The tuition-free program will be offered between November 2026 and March 2027 and will prepare learners with an understanding of children’s development stages and the importance of play as a vehicle for learning. Great Plains Interim President Keleah Ostrander stated that the program’s return will “align with the expected surge in need for additional daycare staffing with the imminent opening of the Maple Creek Childcare Co-op.”