Maple: From Soil to Syrup
Maple syrup production contributes roughly $740 million USD to Canada’s GDP and employs thousands, yet scientific guidance on sustainable harvesting remains scarce. In October 2025, Université Laval established a Research Chair in Maple Syrup Production and Sugar Bush Management, partnered with the Quebec maple producers’ association. Led by Dr. Guillaume Moreau, the chair will integrate researchers, industry, governments and First Nations to study forest health, tourism, and forestry interactions. The initiative also aims to train a new cohort of experts to advance sustainable practices and industry innovation.
Art Schools Grapple with AI
Canadian art and design schools are cautiously adopting artificial intelligence, crafting ethical guidelines while confronting the risk that AI could displace entry‑level creative jobs. OCAD University has instituted policies to protect student intellectual property and embeds AI literacy across curricula,...
What Are Universities Really for and Why Does It Matters Now?
The edited volume *Knowledge Under Siege* examines how intensified political scrutiny, budget cuts, and neoliberal governance are reshaping universities beyond financial strain. Contributors argue that higher‑education institutions face sustained attacks on academic freedom, tenure, and curricular autonomy, positioning them as...
Universities Canada, CAUBO Warn Federal Action Is Needed as Canada’s Universities Face Worsening Financial Outlook
Universities Canada and the Canadian Association of University Business Officers released a report warning that Canada’s public universities face a worsening financial outlook due to years of under‑funding, rising operating costs, and aging infrastructure. The report urges the federal government...
No More ‘Soft Touch’ on Student Visa Fraud, IRCC Vows
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced it will end the "soft touch" approach to suspected student visa fraud, deploying stronger IT tools to detect and reject fraudulent applications early. The department plans to complete its Digital Platform Modernization (DPM)...
Medical Profs Question Ontario’s “Merit”-Based Admissions Law
Ontario’s Bill 33, enacted last November, forces publicly‑assisted universities to assess medical school applicants solely on “merit,” yet the law offers no definition of the term. Two senior medical professors argue the legislation threatens existing holistic admission pathways that have helped...
Reconsidering the Value of Exams in the Age of AI
Universities are reverting to in‑person, secure assessments as generative AI reshapes learning environments. The article outlines three core drawbacks of proctored exams—logistical burdens, evolving security gaps (including AI‑enabled wearables), and questionable validity in measuring true mastery. It highlights alternative formats...
The Human Face of Arctic Research
Jackie Dawson, a Canada Research Chair at the University of Ottawa, leads interdisciplinary, solutions‑based Arctic research that partners directly with Inuit communities. Her Arctic Corridors Northern Voices project mapped culturally important marine zones, prompting the Canadian Hydrographic Service to adjust...
Jeremy Hansen: From Physics to the Moon
Col. Jeremy Hansen is set to become the first Canadian to fly around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission. A graduate of the Royal Military College with honours in space science and a master’s in physics, he combines a distinguished...
Federal Science Cuts May Have Ripple Effect on Universities
The 2025 Canadian federal budget mandates a 15% operating‑cost reduction for most departments by 2030, while research granting agencies see only a 2% cut. Cuts target Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Fisheries and Oceans, Environment and Climate Change, among others,...
Behind the Curve
The rapid rise of generative AI is outpacing medical education in Canada, leaving most students without formal AI training. A 2022 survey found 85% of Canadian medical students reported no AI curriculum, while recent initiatives at schools such as U...
The Grey Area of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is rapidly infiltrating Canadian universities, from exam proctoring to campus services, but legal and privacy safeguards have lagged. In February 2024, Ontario’s privacy commissioner ruled that McMaster University violated student privacy by using Respondus AI to analyze exam...