September 28, 2026

York University’s Global Strategy Lab has received $9.6M from global health philanthropy organization Wellcome to support its AMR Policy Accelerator. The accelerator catalyzes scientific research and evidence-based policy to support governments as they act on the ongoing crisis of antimicrobial resistance. “Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent health threats of our time, and meeting it will take strong evidence, global collaboration and a real commitment to equity,” said YorkU Interim President Lisa Phillips. “The Global Strategy Lab brings all three. York is proud to be the home of this work, and grateful to Wellcome for backing it over the long term.”

Several institutions have shared updates recently on their enrolment levels. Laurentian University’s Francophone student enrolment has risen over the last three years and now makes up over 25% of its total student body. The university attributed the rise to its broader efforts to support French-language postsecondary education. Red Deer Polytechnic is also experiencing enrolment growth, which RDP VP of Academic & Student Experience Lindsay Engel attributed to new program launches and the Government of Alberta’s Targeted Enrolment Expansion. St Clair College has reported its highest domestic enrolment since 2017-18. St Clair President Michael Silvaggi stated that much of the growth has been on the fronts of health sciences, nursing, and skilled trades. The Telegraph-Journal reports that several universities in New Brunswick have experienced enrolment growth over last eyear, including Crandall University (16%), Mount Allison University (12%), and the Université de Moncton (5.7%).

Okanagan College has officially opened the doors to the first campus housing facility on its Penticton campus. The facility contains space for 101 students across a mix of studio, two-bedroom, and four-bedroom units. There will also be short-term living arrangements available to students in the trades and healthcare sectors, and Kelowna Capital News reports that the college hopes to use the units as hotel space when not occupied by students. “With this building, every Okanagan College campus now offers students a place to live close to where they learn,” said Okanagan Provost and VP Academic Dr Samantha Lenci. “In the past two years, we’ve celebrated new student housing openings in Kelowna, Vernon and Salmon Arm, and now it’s Penticton’s turn.”

In a recent article for The Conversation, Dale Kirby (Memorial University) examines the potential benefits and outstanding questions around the Government of Canada’s plans to join the EU’s Erasmus+ program. While Canada is already involved in some parts of the program, institutions are restricted in their participation. Kirby explains that joining Erasmus+ would allow Canadian institutions to take full advantage of a range of Erasmus+ initiatives that include exchanges, adult education, and institutional partnerships. At the same time, several practical issues would need to be addressed, such as tuition cost differences and credit recognition. Kirby says that these issues reframe the question to “not simply whether Canada is able to join Erasmus+, but what form Canadian participation would take.”

Brock University and the University of Portsmouth recently announced the launch of an International Double Degree in Musical Theatre and Education. The degree pathway allows eligible Brock Dramatic Arts students and Portsmouth Musical Theatre students to attend the other institution for the third year of the program and ultimately earn a Bachelor of Arts from both institutions. “We are equipping the next generation of theatre educators and artists with a high level of practical theatre training as well as critical training in how to teach music and theatre; you need both to produce dynamic musicals in any creative setting,” explained Brock Department of Dramatic Arts Chair Jennifer Roberts-Smith.

The University of New Brunswick has joined Cardiff University, the University of South Wales, and Marshall Land Systems to forge the Marshall Land Research Alliance. Through this defence technology partnership, academics and technology experts will come together to explore deployable infrastructure that can be used in military and humanitarian applications. The Memorandum of Understanding enables technology transfer, staff exchanges, and joint research and development work. “By leveraging our academic expertise and learning from our collaborators, we will address common challenges and create lasting benefits for our institutions, our industries, and our countries,” said UNB VP of Research Dr David MaGee.

Capilano University has announced that it is making “an important correction” to its land acknowledgement by removing references to Joe Capilano in the opening line. “Over the past several months, questions have been raised about the historical basis for the opening sentence of our acknowledgment referencing Joe Capilano,” explained CapilanoU President Jason Dewling. “Following further review and conversations led by Indigenous education & affairs with Elders, we have determined that this wording should no longer form part of the university’s land acknowledgment.” The updated acknowledgement also no longer references the now-closed shíshálh (Sechelt) campus. The acknowledgement will be updated on a rolling basis, beginning with CapilanoU’s digital platforms, email signatures, spoken land acknowledgements, and in-development materials and then moving to physical signage and other permanent materials.

Western University’s Board of Governors approved plans last week for a Bioconvergence Centre. This 383,000 square-foot facility will provide space to bring together biology researchers and those from other fields including medicine, engineering and computational sciences. The facility will contain adjacent wet and dry labs, advanced equipment, and will be home to more than 570 researchers. Western VP Academic Florentine Strzelczyk explained that as Canadians face increasingly complex health challenges, there exists a problematic gap between “discoveries and reaching the market and patients.” “Western’s Bioconvergence Centre is designed to close that gap,” concluded Strzelczyk. Construction on the facility is expected to start in 2027.

MacEwan University has been designated a Bee Campus by Bee City Canada. The designation recognizes work that MacEwan has done to support pollinators. “Our campus is home to a variety of hands-on initiatives that provide food, shelter, and habitat for pollinators,” says MacEwan Manager of Sustainability Bonnie Dong. “Between our community garden, native plantings and perennial beds, MacEwan helps create habitat for pollinators in the urban environment.” Dong concluded that as a Bee Campus, MacEwan hopes to connect with other Bee Campuses to find ways to best support pollinators.

In a letter to the community, St Francis Xavier University VP Advancement David Graham recently unveiled the university’s new online alumni magazine: xaverian digital. The magazine is published quarterly to supplement the annual print edition of the xaverian, and contains campus news, community perspectives, and highlights of accomplishments. The launch of the xaverian digital marks the second phase of its alumni communication revitalization.