Top Ten
April 29, 2019
NAIT applied research centre receives $2M to spark clean technology for electric power industry
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology has received nearly $2M from the Government of Canada’s Western Economic Diversification Canada program in support of its Centre for Grid Innovation. The centre will help companies to discover new technologies to generate, manage, and store energy, as well as reducing or eliminating greenhouse gases. The facility is a partnership between NAIT, ATCO, Siemens, and the University of Alberta’s Future Energy Systems research project. “Today’s investment in NAIT’s Centre for Grid Innovation builds on our competitive advantages and will result in small businesses testing new cleaner, greener grid technologies and bringing them to market, boosting economic growth and creating good, middle-class jobs for Canadians,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. NAIT (AB)
Why are Canadian universities so slow to adopt digital learning?
A national survey has found that three-quarters of Canadian postsecondary institutions have implemented online curricula to supplement in-person courses, but only one-in-five institutions provide significant blended learning options. Technology-enhanced education expert Tony Bates told Maclean’s that he has called for the creation of “digital learning universities.” Macleans reports that provincial and federal governments have supported Bates, but universities have not responded. David Porter, CEO of eCampusOntario, agreed with Bates’ assessment, but added that universities are adapting digital pedagogies, albeit at a slower pace than those in the US. Maclean's (National)
ULethbridge, Piikani receive $1.6M for environmental sensing, monitoring programs
The University of Lethbridge and Piikani First Nation have received grants worth $1.6M from Western Economic Diversification Canada. The university will use nearly $1.2M to enhance its Terrestrial Eco-system Remote Sensing program through the purchase of a new Titan multi-spectral LIDAR imaging system. The remaining $432K will go towards the Piikani Nation’s implementation of a community-based environmental monitoring program that integrates traditional Indigenous knowledge with emerging techniques. “The express purpose is to preserve important cultural sites but also for the purpose of doing business with non-Indigenous companies that might want to collaborate with local communities,” explained ULethbridge First Nations Transition Program co-ordinator Michelle Hogue. Lethbridge Herald (AB)
Ryerson brings business of cannabis course to Brampton
Ryerson University will be offering its Business of Cannabis course in Brampton through the Raymond G Chang School of Continuing Education’s satellite location in City Hall. The course covers topics such as financing for cannabis businesses, cultivation regulations, and marketing regulations. The Brampton Guardian states that, while the Government of Ontario cancelled the plans to establish a Ryerson campus in the city, the university and the City of Brampton have moved forward other elements of their planned partnership. The city was reportedly one of the first cities in Ontario to open a cannabis retail store. Brampton Guardian (ON)
Academic integrity experts call for laws to target predatory essay companies
Academic integrity experts say that custom essay companies are proliferating across the country as cheating methods become more sophisticated. According to CBC, custom essay companies are not illegal in Canada, even though universities do not permit students to submit work that is not their own. Ryerson University's Academic Integrity Office Director John Paul Foxe referred to these as “predatory companies,” adding that they have threatened to blackmail students if they refuse to pay additional fees. CBC adds that laws that target essay-writing companies have been introduced in Australia and New Zealand. CBC (National)
SFU celebrates opening of new facilities as part of Surrey expansion
Simon Fraser University has celebrated the official opening of new state-of-the-art facilities in Surrey’s City Centre, marking the first phase of SFU’s Surrey campus expansion. The facilities will focus on sustainable engineering, and the programming will prepare students for leadership in sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable food and water solutions, and clean power generation. “This isn’t just a building. It’s an innovation hub where energy engineering students will design solutions for smarter communities, cleaner energy and position BC as a global leader in clean tech,” said BC Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Melanie Mark. BC | SFU (BC)
U of T Global Professional Master of Laws program launches concentration in law of leadership
The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law has launched a new concentration in its Global Professional Master of Laws program focused on the law of leadership. The new concentration is focused on navigating increasingly complex human rights and health and safety legislation. “The legal obligations on employers are much more robust than they used to be,” says UofT Law Adjunct Professor Emma Phillips. “Employees are much more aware of what their rights and protections are, particularly in the wake of #MeToo.” Global Professional LLM Program Assistant Dean Emily Orchard states that the concentration is the first of its kind in Ontario. U of T (ON)
PAGC, USask announce education, reconciliation MOU
The Prince Albert Grand Council and the University of Saskatchewan have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on issues surrounding reconciliation and making the university more welcoming to Indigenous students. “Moving forward this is a very important area, of course education is the key to the era that we’re in, and that’s reconciliation,” said PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte. PA Now explains that the partnership has been in development since the original announcement of USask’s plan to establish a new campus in Prince Albert. USask President Peter Stoicheff stated that, while USask has made progress on Indigenization, there is still more to do. paNow (SK)
Lethbridge College Indigenous graduates to receive custom stole
Lethbridge College has unveiled a custom-designed stole for Indigenous convocates. The college reportedly presented Indigenous graduates with an eagle feather in previous years, but switched to a stole with the image of a buffalo in an effort to help preserve eagle populations. “The design of the new Indigenous stole was truly a collaborative effort to bring together the creative thought and vision of the image,” said Marcia Black Water, Lethbridge College’s Indigenous Services Coordinator. “The image alludes to the significance the buffalo has to the Blackfoot people and highlights aspects of traditional territory.” Nation Talk (AB)
HEC students to handle $5M fund from National Bank Investments
National Bank Investments has created the NBI-HEC Montréal Fund, a $5M fund to be handled by HEC students. A release states that the fund will give students the opportunity to manage a multi-asset portfolio and respond to changing market conditions. “Our students’ involvement in the NBI-HEC Montréal Fund will let them build on their academic skills with the experience of managing actual assets using industry best practices,” said the team’s supervisors, Associate Professor Tolga Cenesizoglu and Full-time Faculty Lecturer Alain Elkaim. “It’s a highly valuable experience for them, one that will give them a tremendous advantage when they launch their careers.” HEC (QC)
