SFU to Host Visiting Indian Scholars with $500K Donation

Source: Simon Fraser University via Academica

[CIEC Academic Member] Simon Fraser University has received a $500K gift to provide students the opportunity to learn from world-class Indian scholars. Provided by Hari and Madhu Varshney, the gift will fund the Hari and Madhu Varshney Visiting Scholars Program in Indian Studies, which will help leading Indian academics come to SFU to share their knowledge and insights. “This wonderful gift will strengthen SFU’s commitment to engage the world,” says SFU president Andrew Petter. “Thanks to the Varshneys’ generosity, these scholars will enrich our educational and research environment, while deepening understanding of India’s rich culture and heritage amongst the communities we serve.”

SFU Opens Downtown Vancouver Residence, Social Innovation Hub

Source: Simon Fraser University via Academica

Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member] has opened the Charles Chang Innovation Centre, a new graduate student residence and innovation facility located in downtown Vancouver. The building is named after alumnus Charles Chang, who donated $10M to establish the Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship earlier this year. The new facility boasts 52 furnished rooms and can house 68 graduate students. It also features a social innovation and technology hub designed to connect students and community members who are looking to collaborate on new solutions to social challenges. “This exciting new building expands SFU’s presence in downtown Vancouver, and strengthens our commitment to be Canada’s engaged university,” said SFU President Andrew Petter.

SFU Partners with Online Course Provider

Source: 24 Hours Vancouver via Academica

[CIEC Member] Simon Fraser University has partnered with the online education company Kadenze to offer SFU students access to online courses that might not be otherwise available through the university. The system will allow students to receive SFU academic credit for courses they take with recognized international institutions through the online portal. The program allows students to browse course offerings for free, then charges varying membership prices for services such as feedback on assignments or taking full-credit courses. Kadenze said that the cost of full courses starts at $300.

BC Universities Show Fastest Growth in Federal Research Funding

Source: Vancouver Sun via Academica

BC’s research universities have experienced the fastest growth rate in federal research funding, according to the Research Universities Council of British Columbia (RUCBC). RUCBC’s figures show that in 2012–13, BC universities attracted more than $700 M in research funding from outside the province and increased their per capita share of federal research grants by 148%, which is almost double the Canadian average. RUCBC Chair and [CIEC Member] Simon Fraser University President Andrew Petter said, “the fact that we’re seeing this level of growth and the fact that we are outperforming other jurisdictions I think is evidence that we’ve done a good job of hiring the best and the brightest.”

SFU to Launch Pacific Water Research Centre

Source: SFU News Release via Academica

[CIEC Academic Member] Simon Fraser University will this week announce the creation of the new Pacific Water Research Centre (PWRC), part of its Faculty of Environment. The PWRC will respond to regional, national, and international concerns about the world’s water resources and provide a hub for cross-disciplinary, collaborative research to help address global water crises. Faculty of Environment Dean Ingrid Leman Stefanovic said, “the goal of the PWRC aims to inform research questions on the strength of local and regional priorities, to ensure that community-engaged research leads to positive, community-relevant changes.”

CFI Announces Recipients of $333 M in Infrastructure Funding

Source: CFI News Release via Academic

The Canada Foundation for Innovation on Friday announced that 87 projects will benefit from a total of $333 M in funding for research infrastructure. These projects include a collaborative effort by scholars at Carleton University [CIEC Academic Member], McGill University, Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member], and the University of Victoria to develop new components for the ATLAS detector at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) in Switzerland, which enabled the discovery of the Higgs boson; studies at Toronto General Hospital into healing human organs outside of the body for transplants; and research at Ryerson University into the social and cultural impact of the “Internet of Things.”

Canada Announces Funding for National Accelerator Initiatives

Source: SFU News Release via Academica

Canada has announced that Ryerson University, [CIEC Academic Member] Simon Fraser University, and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) will receive up to $10.7 M over the next 5 years in support of the Zones of Incubation and Innovation initiative. The funding will be distributed through the Canada Accelerator and Incubator Program (CAIP). The joint initiative between the 3 institutions is intended to provide universities and community-based entrepreneurs involved with digital technology start-ups access to facilities, business development resources, and mentoring. “The Zones of Incubation and Innovation Network will play an important role in SFU’s growing innovation agenda. We are pleased to be partnering with Ryerson University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology on this initiative and grateful for the financial support provided by the Government of Canada through the CAIP program,” said SFU VP Research Joy Johnson. Canada also announced $2.7 M in funding for The Next 36, a national accelerator and incubator program that includes 9 Canadian universities as academic partners.

SFU Working to Improve Research Around Teaching and Learning

Source: BCcampus News via Academica | February 2, 2015

[CIEC Academic Member] Simon Fraser University’s Institute for the Study of Teaching and Learning in the Disciplines (ISTLD) is working on the development of a framework and resource guide to assist faculty in designing and conducting research involving the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). “Institutions in other provinces have created tools designed to foster inquiry into teaching and learning,” said ISTLD’s Greg Hum, “But for the most part, they don’t focus enough on the specifics of research design and the analysis step in particular, and this is where we’ve seen many projects struggle. We saw the need for a new resource as an opportunity to create a better conceptualization—one that’s practical and will be embraced by our faculty.” SoTL research consists of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, but many researchers rely heavily on surveys and/or best practices that may limit the outcomes of the research. In addition to building the guide, ISTLD is also working to create user-friendly tools to assist with data analysis.

BC Awards $42.6 M in Research Funding to 6 Institutions

Source: BC News Release via Academica | Nov 4, 2014

British Columbia has awarded $42.6 M in research infrastructure funding to 6 PSE institutions in the province, to be distributed through the BC Knowledge Development Fund. The funds will support 100 research projects in BC, especially in the priority research areas of life sciences, technology, clean technology, and natural resources. “Our government invests in innovation to grow and diversify our economy. Development of research and innovation into commercial opportunities leads to the jobs and investments that make the technology sector a major contributor to the provincial economy,” said BC Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Andrew Wilkinson. Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member] will receive $12.6 M in funding to support projects ranging from chronic pain to solar energy, while UBC will receive $26.9 M for 70 research projects, including an initiative to map the universe and a project on personalizing cancer diagnosis and treatment.

SFU Formalizes Partnerships with Indian Firms

SFU Formalizes Partnerships with Indian Firms

Source: SFU News Release via Academica | October 21, 2014

Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member] and Ryerson University last week signed an agreement with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute (BSEI), formalizing a letter of intent signed in January. The signing officially creates the BSEI-Ryerson-SFU Accelerator Program India, a Mumbai-based incubator/accelerator that will help entrepreneurs in both countries launch start-ups and connect with mentors, investors, and customers. SFU also signed an agreement with Indian Oil Corp Ltd (IOCL) to further their collaborative research into hydrogen and fuel cell technology. SFU previously announced plans to work with IOCL on an initiative to bring Indian PhD students to SFU to train in the fuel cell technologies, hydrogen, and clean energy, a program which will commence in January. SFU also recently announced an agreement with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to create a new visiting scholars program.

SFU Establishes Visiting Scholars Program with India

Source: SFU News Release via Academica | Oct. 15, 2014

Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member] has formally signed an agreement with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to create a new visiting scholars program. The agreement reportedly makes SFU the first Canadian institution to receive ICCR support for such a program. Through the partnership, SFU will host scholars in disciplines including international studies, contemporary arts, business, and world literature. “This program strengthens our already extensive ties with India. Bringing leading Indian scholars to SFU will enrich our educational programs and research environment, while providing opportunities to further share India’s rich heritage and culture with the communities we serve,” said SFU President Andrew Petter.

Business Schools Offering International, Aboriginal Programs to Meet Diversity Needs

Source: Financial Post via Academica | Sept. 26, 2014

The Financial Post has published a report on how business schools are adjusting to meet the needs of International and Indigenous students in the face of a diversifying student body. Murali Chandrashekaran, Associate Dean of UBC’s Sauder School of Business, says that there is a broad need for a more diverse approach to business education. Diversity, he said, is critical for long-term sustainability of global business. 76% of Sauder’s business instructors have international backgrounds, up from approximately 40% 10 years ago. The school uses a team-teaching approach to provide a variety of perspectives to its students, who last year represented 32 different countries. [CIEC Academic Member] Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business has introduced an EMBA program in Aboriginal Business and Leadership to promote Aboriginal leaders’ business education as well as to help managers working with First Nations communities build stronger relationships. The program relies on guest speakers from Aboriginal communities and counts chiefs and counsellors among its student body. “There’s a lot of expertise in that room,” said Program Director Mark Selman, “and the best faculty members are the ones who learn to take advantage of that and use it as an asset in the classroom.”

Canada Launches New Mining Institute at UBC

Source: Vancouver Sun | January 30, 2014

The Canadian government has formally launched the Canadian International Institute for Resource Extraction and Development, and its first order of business is to pilot a project to train small-scale miners in improved techniques. The institute’s Executive Director, Bern Klein, says the project capitalizes on research done in the mining school at the University of British Columbia, one of 3 academic partners in the institute along with Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member] and École Polytechnique de Montréal. “The resource sector is a necessity,” said UBC VP Research John Hepburn. “So, unless you’re willing to give up your toys like [the iPhone], we do need the ores and minerals that we extract and that are in demand for all of our products.” In fall 2012, the 3 academic partners were given $25 million to create the institute.

TCS Insights: Growth in the mining industry has made the establishment of this institution much needed.  Academic partners from across Canada are uniting to educate those interested in the resource sector so that improved methodology can be taught to students and spread throughout this expanding industry over time.

Simon Fraser University

sfuFormed in 1965, Simon Fraser Univeristy has established itself as the lead comprehensive university in Canada. With campuses in three of the largest municipalities in British Columbia and connections to partner communities in the province and around the world, SFU aims to be the most community-engaged research university in the country. SFU is among the world’s top research and teaching universities with more than 30,000 students, 6,500 staff members and 120,000 alumni while also ranking on the Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 list of universities.

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