Canada’s growing applied research sector is full of promise
Few transformations in the post-secondary landscape have been as impressive as the growth of the applied research sector in colleges and institutes across Canada. With institutions taking on more and more business-driven projects aimed at solving real-world challenges at the “speed of business,” they have given rise to a national network of research centres that […]
It’s time for Canada to learn its lesson about university research
After nearly two-and-a-half years of a global pandemic, the public is more engaged than ever with science and research. Never have there been more armchair experts in virology and vaccines. But while we may have collectively learned the difference between viral vector and mRNA vaccines, very few Canadians are aware of the many years of […]
Post-secondary transformation key to navigating the future
Canada’s post-secondary institutions have critical roles to play in helping fashion a more inclusive society, a cleaner environment, and a forward-looking economy that works better for everyone. Yet as they do so, Canada’s post-secondary institutions must also keep pace with changing times. Students today want and expect more from their post-secondary journeys, including more personalized […]
Canada needs research support to match our ambition
The start of this academic year is an exciting time for Canadian universities. But beyond welcoming students back to classes and laboratories, it is also a time to think about the critical role our institutions play in a successful national industrial policy. Researchers on campuses across the country lead pioneering research in many fields, including […]
Universities and Colleges
Federal departments eyeing mid-September return to office, but unions pushing back
Two and a half years into a COVID-19 pandemic that has dramatically altered workplace arrangements, some federal departments are moving to implement return-to-office policies, in many cases looking for employees to return two days per week starting Sept. 12. But as the seventh wave of the pandemic continues, and with many employees working productively from […]
Ten years after the ‘death of evidence,’ scientists again march on Parliament Hill
Ten years ago, thousands of scientists and their supporters marched through Ottawa to Parliament Hill in the “death of evidence” rally. Some wore white coats, while others came in grim reaper costumes, complete with scythes. All came to mourn the demise of science in Canada’s democracy. At the time, research sites were being shuttered and […]
NDP must counter Poilievre’s skill harnessing anger of people who feel left behind, say labour experts
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s union endorsements in the province’s June election were more a media coup than a real shift in the labour landscape, say labour experts and NDP strategists, but they reinforced a wider perception that conservative parties are becoming a home for working-class voters who are angry about being left behind by larger […]
Union win at Mexican auto plant brings new hope for labour rights
Supporters of labour rights in Mexico won a big victory on May 26 when workers at General Motors’ biggest auto plant, located in the city of Silao, ratified a first collective agreement negotiated by their new, independently elected union SINTTIA. The Silao truck plant, built in 1996 on the heels of the North American Free […]
Five House harassment complaints filed against MPs in 2021-22
The number of harassment complaints filed with the House of Commons quadrupled between 2020-21 and 2021-22, from two to eight—a jump reps with the House’s human resources directorate say has much to do with increased awareness and fewer people working from home as a result of COVID-19. Five of the eight complaints involved an MP […]
