An all-hands-on-deck approach needed if Western Canada is to maintain its advantage as a destination for global talent After years of high unemployment and economic uncertainty, driven by low commodity prices and the pandemic, economies across Western Canada are once again picking up steam – and facing severe labour shortages. Governments have committed to finding…
We need to learn to live with the now endemic coronavirus
The Canadian Academics for Covid Ethics (CA4CE) is a group of researchers and scholars from fields spanning the natural and social sciences and humanities. It is concerned with the mismanagement of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic response in Canada and around the world. The following commentary was written by Claus Rinner, Claudia Chaufan, Jennifer Tilk, Travis…
America is taking a tentative step to help students. Canada needs to do the same
American President Joe Biden is wiping US$10,000 in federal student loan debt for those with incomes under $125,000 a year or households that earn less than $250,000. He is also cancelling an additional $10,000 for students who received federal Pell Grants to attend college. For context, more than 45 million Americans collectively owe over $1.7…
Another sign of out-of-touch elitism
Proof of vaccination is required for students who want to reside at the University of Toronto. No, this wasn’t cut-and-paste from a 2021 article – it’s an actual requirement for the fall of 2022. Anyone who plans to live in residence at the University of Toronto must show proof of vaccination. Not only that, but…
Business administration, engineering, nursing, and biological and agricultural sciences ranked in top three in Canada and top 50 worldwide
University of Alberta programs in business, engineering, nursing and agricultural sciences rank among the top three in Canada, according to new global rankings. The U of A’s business administration program was ranked the best in Canada and 30th in the world, according to the 2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, or GRAS, after climbing steadily in…
Funding will allow for 2,000 more students in the next three years
With a focus on high-demand programs to meet Alberta’s emerging labour market needs, the provincial government has announced an investment of $48.3 million in the University of Alberta. The funding is part of the $171-million Targeted Enrolment Expansion program for post-secondary institutions, announced in February during the unveiling of the 2022-23 provincial budget. U of…
After escaping from Afghanistan, Aftikhar Mominzada feels an obligation to create opportunities for others
It was the worst case of bad timing. Aftikhar Mominzada was elated after graduating from the Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad, India, in the spring of 2021. When he started the academy’s international baccalaureate program in middle school, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, freeing him from the parochial religious education he was likely to receive…
Women stay in STEM when they have confidence and a sense of community, WISEST proves
While there have been efforts to increase female representation in STEM, the data show there’s still more to be done. The likelihood of a girl enrolled in Grade 1 in Canada going on to receive a PhD in the sciences or engineering is one in 225. When you’re up against those odds, it can be…A near-monopoly of left-wing opinion exists in our universities
Recent American studies have revealed a striking lack of variation in political views among the nation’s university professors. For example, 85 per cent of academics teaching political science rated themselves as left of centre; only 10 per cent considered themselves to be in the middle of the road and five per cent to be right…
Young mentors receive high school credits, job training and post-secondary opportunities
How can volunteering for an after-school program help you finish high school, go to university and even get a job? It’s all through the power of mentorship – having a role model and being one yourself. It promotes leadership skills, builds confidence, and fosters mino-bimaadiziwin (Anishinaabe) or mino-pimâtisiwin (Cree), which means “living in a good…