McGill signs MoU with Indian University to Establish Infectious Disease Centre

Source: Times of India via Academica

McGill University has partnered with India’s Manipal University to launch the new Manipal McGill Center for Infectious Diseases. A recently signed MoU commits both schools to supporting collaboration on research and training initiatives relating to the study and treatment of infectious and tropical diseases. The Times of India reports that both schools have major strengths in the study of these diseases and that the new MoU builds on research collaborations already being undertaken by the schools. Manipal Vice-Chancellor Vinod Bhat declared in his inaugural address that the Centre will work to inform the scientific community, guide policy makers, and provide public health education.

Registrars Look to Enhance Transmission of Student Data Through New International Network

Source: University Affairs via Academica

Registrars are looking to enhance the ways that student transcripts and other data can be transmitted within the country and abroad, reports Becky Rynor for University Affairs. In May 2015, the Association of Registrars of Universities and Colleges of Canada signed on the country’s behalf to join the Groningen Declaration Network on Digital Student Data Portability, an initiative designed to create digital networks between academic institutions to improve the exchange of transcripts, diplomas, and applications. “It’s about making it easier for Canadians to transmit their credentials within Canada and abroad and to have them fairly recognized in a timely fashion,” said McGill University Executive Director of Enrolment Services Kathleen Massey. “We don’t want Canada to be left behind.”

Three Canadian Universities Make the CWUR Top 100

Source: Center for World University Rankings via Academica

The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) has released its 2015 list of the world’s top 1000 universities. Three Canadian universities have made the top ten: the University of Toronto (#32), McGill University (#42), and UBC (#62). CWUR boasts that it is the only global ranking that measures quality and prestige without relying on surveys or submissions of data from the universities themselves. Altogether, there were 33 Canadian universities in the top 1000 in the world.

CCAE Announces Winners of Annual Prix d’Excellence

Source: CCAE via Academica

The Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) has announced the winners of its annual Prix d’Excellence, which recognizes Canada’s postsecondary institutions for excellence across 24 categories, including marketing, development, and student recruitment.  This year, uAlberta led the group with seven awards, followed by uCalgary and MUN with five awards each. uToronto, uSask, UBC, and Trent each received four nods, with uWaterloo, UoGuelph, Sheridan, Queen’s, McMaster, and McGill each garnering three. 15 other PSE institutions across Canada received one or two awards.

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.”

uToronto, McGill, UBC among top 100 in THE’s World Reputation Rankings

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica

Times Higher Education has released its annual World Reputation Rankings. The University of Toronto was the top Canadian university ranked, moving up from 20th to 16th spot. McGill University and UBC also appear in the top 100, but dropped slightly compared to last year’s positioning. McGill is ranked 35th in this year’s rankings and UBC 37th; the institutions tied for 33rd last year. The rankings are based on responses to THE‘s Academic Reputation Survey, which was completed by roughly 10,000 scholars from around the world. “U of T scholars and students are doing brilliant work, every day in every discipline. As a result, when it comes time for their peers to rank the world’s top universities, the University of Toronto is placed very high on the list,” said uToronto President Meric Gertler. Harvard University took top spot on the list, followed by the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.

New Canadian Additions to This Year’s Financial Times World MBA Rankings

Source: Financial Times via Academica | January 27, 2015

The Financial Times has released this year’s rankings of the top MBA programs in the world, with 6 Canadian universities making the top 100. The Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto is the top-ranking Canadian business school, but dropped 3 places from last year to come in at 53rd. Second place in Canada goes to UBC’s Sauder School of Business (81), with the University of Alberta’s School of Business and Queen’s University’s School of Business tying for third in Canada and 86th overall. Both uAlberta and Queen’s re-entered the rankings this year. [CIEC Academic Member] Western University’s Ivey Business School (97) and McGill University’s Desautels School of Management (100) round out the remaining Canadian schools that appeared in the top 100. Harvard Business School topped the list this year, followed by London Business School in second. The rankings are based on surveys of business schools and alumni, including criteria such as the career progression of alumni, “idea generation,” and the diversity of students and faculty.

5 Canadian Institutions Among Top 100 in Global Employability Rankings

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica | December 9, 2014

Times Higher Education has released its 2014 Global Employability survey rankings. The rankings are based on surveys of 2,500 international recruiters in 20 countries. The top Canadian university on this year’s list is the University of Toronto, which appears in 13th position, up one spot from last year. McGill University finished in 28th position, up 2 places from last year. HEC Montréal moved up 12 spots, from 59th in 2013 to 47th this year. UBC dropped 4 spots from 51st to 55th, and McMaster University dropped from 73rd to 80th. The University of Cambridge finished in first place overall, followed by Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Oxford, and the California Institute of Technology.

2014 Leiden Rankings of Scientific Performance Released

Source: Leiden News Release via Academica | April 30, 2014

Leiden University’s Centre for Science and Technology Studies has released its latest annual rankings. The Leiden rankings measure the scientific performance of 750 universities worldwide, including each institution’s scientific impact and involvement in scientific collaboration. This year, 28 Canadian universities appear on the list. Only the University of Toronto cracked the top 100, appearing in 87th place. The University of British Columbia (109) and McGill University (119) also made strong showings, while the University of Victoria was Canada’s top-ranked university without a medical school, at 183rd. The University of Ottawa (185) rounds out Canada’s top 5. New York’s Rockefeller University ranked first overall. The rankings are based on a bibliometric methodology that considers citation impact and scientific collaboration, corrected for scientific fields. Rockefeller’s first-place finish reflects that it had the highest percentage of frequently cited publications.

TCS Insights: Canadian academic institutions currently find themselves ranked among the top tier in the world, in terms of scientific collaboration and impact. Both international and domestic students interested in a career in science would do well to consider pursuing higher education at any of these places of study.