Top Ten
November 25, 2019
UofT, UBC, McGill, UWaterloo, UMontreal, McMaster place in top 50 of THE World Rankings 2020 by subject
Times Higher Education has released its World University Rankings 2020 by subject. The University of Toronto led with 11 top-50 rankings, while the University of British Columbia had nine. Highlights of these rankings include UofT receiving sixth place in clinical, preclinical, and health; 10th place in the subject of law; and 14th place in education. UBC ranked 10th in psychology and 19th in education. McGill University also took a top-50 spot in eight subjects, ranking 20th in law and 23rd in clinical, pre-clinical and health. Universite de Montreal and the University of Waterloo ranked 31st and 40th in computer science, respectively. While McMaster University ranked 26th in clinical, pre-clinical, and health. Times Higher Education (National)
Colleges, institutes playing a growing role in Canadian business innovation
Colleges and institutes across Canada led over 6,000 applied research projects in 2017-2018, according to a newly released survey by Colleges and Institutes Canada. The survey report notes that these projects form a vital part of Canada’s innovation ecosystem, as they resulted in 2,100 prototypes, 880 new products, 480 processes, and 360 services. These projects were based on over 7,300 research partnerships, 64% of which included small-to-medium-sized enterprises that CICan notes “may not always have the capacity or resources to conduct cutting-edge research on their own.” $99M of the $296M in total funding for these projects came from the federal government, and CICan is calling for this number to rise by an additional $40M per year to continue growing these economically valuable business innovation projects. CICan (National)
ON Student Choice Initiative struck down by Divisional Court
Ontario’s Divisional Court has agreed with The Canadian Federation of Students and York Federation of Students’ challenge to the ON government’s Student Choice Initiative, a government measure that allowed postsecondary students to opt out of paying fees for services deemed ‘non-essential.’ In the decision, the court called the autonomy of universities "fundamental to the academic freedom that is their hallmark," adding, “there is no statutory authority authorizing Cabinet or the Minister to interfere in the internal affairs of these student associations," reports CBC. The court also pointed to a lack in explanation behind why certain fees were deemed essential—such as athletics— and others were not. A representative for the Ministry of Colleges and Universities said it is currently reviewing the decision and told CBC that it "will have more to say on this at a later date." CBC | The Nugget (ON)
Western receives $3M from RBC to create AI project
Western University has received a $3M investments from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) to establish a new AI project. The RBC Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Project at Western will focus on the ethical and social aspects of data analytics and artificial intelligence. The project consists of three integrated components: two new AI courses, two scholarship funds in Data Science and Software Engineering, and a design thinking program. “We’re excited to be partnering with RBC to help provide and promote training of 21st-century talent that’s not only technically proficient, but also ethically and socially aware,” said Western President Alan Shepard. Western (ON)
NBCC, Yorkville partner to offer pathways for business administration students
New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) has signed an agreement with Yorkville University to provide new pathways that will enable NBCC Business Administration diploma graduates to obtain a degree in less time. Specifically, students who complete NBCC’s two-year Business Administration program can now be awarded transfer credits and directly enter their third year of a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree at Yorkville University. “We know that the world of work is changing and there are going to be numerous labour disruptions in the next decade, making it more important than ever for our students to be able to transfer skills and credits with ease,” said NBCC President Mary Butler. NBCC (NB)
Holland College partners with Australian University to offer policing degree pathways
Holland College’s Atlantic Police Academy has signed an agreement with Australia’s Charles Sturt University (CSU) to create student pathways between the two institutions. The agreement stipulates that graduates from Holland College’s police science program who have two years of experience as a police officer and are currently employed by a Canadian policing organization can receive the equivalent of 14 subject credits toward a Bachelor of Policing degree from CSU, leaving students with only 10 more courses to complete their studies. “The program is offered entirely online, enabling students to study for their degree while continuing to work in the field of policing,” said Atlantic Police Academy Executive Director Forrest Spencer. Holland College (PE)
UManitoba receives $1M gift to support Stu Clark Graduate School
The University of Manitoba is making significant renovations to its Stu Clark Graduate School at the I.H. Asper School of Business thanks in part to a $1M gift Arni Thorsteinson and Susan Glass, both of whom are UManitoba honorary degree recipients and alumni. The university has renamed the student centre inside the Drake Centre as the Arni Thorsteinson and Susan Glass Student Commons. “Drs. Thorsteinson and Glass are influential philanthropic leaders in the Winnipeg community and great friends of the University of Manitoba and the Asper School of Business. Their generosity over the years has had a profound impact on the lives of our students,” says Gady Jacoby, Dean and CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership, Asper School of Business. UManitoba (MB)
George Brown, SaskPolytechnic create collaborative partnership
George Brown College and Saskatchewan Polytechnic have signed an agreement to explore opportunities to collaborate on curriculum development in Canada and investigate new relationships in Africa. A college release states that the partnership will also see the schools “build on each other’s strengths in developing programs that meet the needs of the Canadian labour market” by creating new opportunities to co-create and share curriculum. George Brown (ON)
Queen’s announces major technological upgrade for MRI facility
Queen’s University’s Centre for Neuroscience Studies (CNS) has recently unveiled a new state-of-the-art MRI machine to help researchers study the living human brain. The Siemens Magnetom 3T Prisma is a whole-body scanner that will enable scientists to investigate the structure and function of the brain in extreme detail. In addition, the CNS MRI Facility has been recently renovated with high-performance computers, monitoring equipment, and devices. “The new facility will allow us to be competitive with any imaging centre in the world for the next decade and beyond and help further cement Queens’ reputation as a top-tier center for neuroscience research,” said Queen’s CNS Director Roumen Milev. Queen’s Gazette (ON)
