December 5, 2007
The government of Canada has announced $68.8 million over 4 years to fund three Networks Centres of Excellence. The Auto21 NCE based at uWindsor will receive $5.8 million per year for its research on the automotive industry. The Canadian Water Network based at uWaterloo will receive $5 million per year, and the Stem Cell Network based at uOttawa will receive $6.4 annually.
Canadian students have shown significant improvement in science and maths, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Only students from Finland and Hong Kong were able to outscore Canadians in the OECD's 3rd international test of science ability across 57 countries. Some quickly point out that while our youth show strength in the sciences, Canada is not producing as many science graduates as other countries. Canadian students jumped 8 places from 2003's ranking, from #11 to #3.
Concordia University's John Molson School of Business has received a $2.5 million gift from BMO Financial Group. The donation will fund the new BMO Amphitheatre -- a 300-seat, dual-level facility that will include state-of-the-art sound and video technology. A lecture series will also be funded.
Husky Energy has announced a $1 million endowed gift to the University of Manitoba, which will double the size of the school's medicine student and faculty exchange program with China. 4 students from uManitoba and 4 students from partnering Chinese universities will spend up to 8 weeks visiting each other's countries each year. They will take courses and receive hands-on training opportunities. The faculty exchanges will help build English-language medical curricula in China.
The Canadian government has announced $2 million to support research and advocacy for organic agriculture. The Atlantic BioVenture Centre, a division of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, will receive almost $1 million to build and test a portable micro-factory that will help small-scale producers.
2 Ohio university students have pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery and six counts of kidnapping for a $130,000 crime spree last July, which may see the 20-year-olds spend the next 20 years in prison. Because tuition increases outpaced scholarships and financial aid, the students were
"strapped for cash" and felt they had "nothing to lose." Nova Scotia plans to change its welfare policy, which has been criticized as unduly strict, to allow more students to stay on welfare while attending university. In late 2006, the NS welfare policy was revised to require students to be on income assistance for at least 12 of the past 16 months, obtain a student loan and go through all other government funding options prior to qualifying for welfare -- and were only eligible if their program of study guaranteed employment. Out of 50 spots available, only 2 students successfully met all the requirements.
A new report suggests that French-immersion students in Canada might be losing their French language skills. Knowledge of French is shown to be in decline among teenagers aged 15 to 19. Ten years ago, more than 16% of anglophones in this age group reported themselves as bilingual; now, only 13% claim to speak both languages. There are about 300,000 Canadian students outside of Quebec enrolled in French immersion programs.
Last month, Barclay & Knap Educational Services opened in Burlington Ontario. A partnership by two former guidance professionals at Ontario independent schools, B&K offers
"an individualized, student-centred approach to the college or university application process," as well as academic and career counsel and connections at schools throughout Canada, the US, UK, Australia and Europe. We've seen the practice widespread in the US, but this is the first Canadian firm to come to our attention. (B&K News Release) The University of Wisconsin at Madison is suing Washburn University, a small liberal arts college in Topeka Kansas, for trademark infringement. Over the past six years, UW has repeatedly asked WU to stop using a "confusingly similar" W mark, and while WU has apparently said it would comply, its use of the W logo has only expanded, alleges UW. UW has aggressively pursued all infringers, including high schools. WU says they have "no idea" how the two logos could be confused -- judge for yourself!
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