Join ICICI Bank Canada CEO Sandeep Goel in conversation with Ananya Mukherjee, Provost & VP Academic at UBC Okanagan on February 5 from 12-1pm ET.
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Application Deadline – University of British Columbia Vancouver Summer Program
A four-week academic program offered by various Faculties at the University of British Columbia, in Canada, for students from cooperating universities.
Students From India Are UBC’s Fasting Growing International Group
Source: Daily Hive Vancouver
Indian enrolment in undergraduate programs at the Vancouver campus increased from 200 students in 2013/14 to 726 students in 2017/18.
International Students’ Choice of Residence After Graduation Hinges on Concept of Home
A new study from the University of British Columbia shows that ideas of home are a major factor in where international university students decide to live after graduation. “A lot of research focuses on where international students go to study, but few focus on where they go after graduation,” says study author Cary Wu, a PhD candidate in UBC’s department of sociology and an international student from China. “Our study shows that migration plans for international students are far more complex than this binary of stay or return.” Wu analyzed data from interviews with more than 200 international students from more than 50 countries who attended UBC from 2006 to 2013, and found that 16% of those surveyed said that they planned to stay in Canada, citing emotional attachments, interpersonal relationships, family, or political unrest.
New $4M Canada-India Initiative Looks to Jumpstart New Tech
Source: The Vancouver Sun
IC-IMPACTS, headed by UBC professor Nemy Banthia, is teaming up with India’s Department of Science and Technology, as well as the country’s Biotechnology Department, to provide $4 million for the research projects. Each project, said IC-IMPACTS communications manager Ashish Mohan, features Canadian and Indian researchers and are in later stages of development, ensuring the resulting technology can be brought to market.
For the complete article, visit The Vancouver Sun.
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
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.
India Provides $2M in Scholarships for PhD Students Wishing to Study at UBC
Source: UBC News via Academica
India has committed close to $2M to fund scholarships for students who want to study science and engineering at UBC. The program was developed with India’s Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and will provide $96,000 each to 20 PhD students from India to cover their living expenses while at UBC. The agreement, reportedly the first of its kind to be signed between SERB and a Canadian university, was conceived of by UBC President Arvind Gupta during a recent trade mission to India. “This scholarship will bring some of India’s bright, young talent to UBC,” said Gupta. “I hope this is the first of many collaborations with the Science and Engineering Research Board to create new opportunities for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and young scholars in both of our countries.” The program will run from 2016–17 to 2020–21.
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.
UBC VP Outlines 3 Common Responses to Unbundling
Source: Vancouver Sun via Academica
In an op-ed for the Vancouver Sun, UBC VP Anji Redish examines how technology is “destabilizing and empowering the educational landcape.” Redish notes that a key characteristic of the current technological moment is the disaggregation, or unbundling, of traditional university functions. Redish identifies 3 common reactions to unbundling. First, she notes that some institutions are investing in technologies that facilitate blended learning and flipped classrooms, or restructuring programs around modularization and personalized, competency-based assessment. Second, she sees more collaboration between institutions in pursuit of common goals, such as when colleges join forces with universities to provide high-quality, hands-on training bolstered by strong research expertise. Finally, she sees institutions expanding access to new segments of students. “Universities will survive this latest turbulence, but not all, and those that do may bear as little resemblance to the universities of the late 20th century as those universities did to the medieval institutions of the same name,” she concludes.
UBC Receives $5M For New Sports Medicine Facility
Source: UBC News Release via Academica
UBC has received a $5 M donation from local physician Chan Gunn toward the construction of a new facility devoted to sports medicine and the field of pain relief. The Chan Gunn Pavilion will be the new home of UBC’s sport and exercise medicine centre. The centre provides space for research, teaching, and patient care. Gunn made the donation in recognition of UBC’s efforts to research, teach, and use intramuscular stimulation (IMS), which was developed by Gunn as a non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical pain-relief technique. “The Chan Gunn Pavilion will create capacity to integrate IMS into the Division of Sports Medicine, and to expand research, teaching, and care into that technique and other therapies for sports injury and exercise-related health care,” said Gavin Stuart, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and VP Health. UBC is also committing $2.25 M toward the first phase of construction, expected to begin in December 2015, and will continue fundraising for the second phase. Gunn’s donation is part of UBC’s “start an evolution” campaign.
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.
UBC Releases Details of Flexible Learning Strategy
Source: University of British Columbia Update via Academica | September 17, 2014
UBC has published its flexible learning strategy. The strategy document identifies a series of trends that have informed its creation. These include changing expectations of students and employers, demographic shifts such as the increasing proportion of older and international students, government policies that have increased universities’ reliance on tuition revenue, and an increased emphasis on the measured value of university programs. The strategy suggests that these trends are reinforced by the development of disruptive technologies including massive open online courses (MOOCs), automated assessments and adaptive learning, and increased transparency. To respond to these changes, the strategy prioritizes 3 key areas. First, UBC plans to improve its learning technology ecosystem, based on feedback from faculty and staff. Second, UBC aims to support new personal, professional, and career development programs through the creation of a new unit in the Provost’s office. This role will support the university’s faculties with development, marketing, planning, and budgeting for innovative new credit programs. The third priority area identified by UBC is its membership in edX as a contributing charter member.
Canadian Business Schools Make Executive Education Rankings
Source: Globe & Mail via Academica | May, 16, 2014
The Financial Times has released its 2014 ranking of executive education programs at business schools, with 6 Canadian institutions making the list in the open enrolment category (top 70), and 4 in the customized programs (top 80) category. In the open enrolment category, University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management tied for 20th spot, followed by Ivey Business School at Western University (22); Queen’s University’s School of Business (28); York University’s Schulich School of Business (39); Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia (49); and the University of Alberta’s School of Business (66). In the customized programs category, Rotman placed 42nd followed by Ivey (45), Schulich (57), and Alberta (77). uAlberta was a newcomer to both lists this year.
TCS Insights: Canadian institutions are continuing to see their reputations rise in 2014 as another ranking system has validated what Leiden, Times Higher Education and others have said. International students would do well to consider pursuing higher education in Canada.
Canadian Universities Work With India on Water for Health Project
Source: uAlberta News via Academica | May 9, 2014
A joint initiative between Canadian universities and the Government of India will help provide people in need with safe drinking water. The $3-million Water for Health initiative brings together India’s Department of Biotechnology and IC-IMPACTS, a Canada–India Research Centre of Excellence [and CIEC Academic Member]. The University of Alberta will play a critical role researching management practices for safe drinking water, including quality monitoring and finding affordable treatment solutions. The University of British Columbia, meanwhile, will focus on sustainable infrastructure and the University of Toronto will tackle public health. “We have a common goal, a common passion to make a big difference in Canada and India,” said uAlberta professor Sushanta Mitra. It is hoped that the research will benefit not only India but also the 5 million people in Canada who do not have access to safe drinking water.
TCS Insights: Established educational institutions from across Canada are taking initiative to aid those without access to safe drinking water in India. The impact of this work will not only grow the relationship between both nations but will help citizens in need on both sides of the world.
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.
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.
Canada Announces $43 Million in NSERC Grants
Source: Canada News Release, Courtesy of Academica | January 9, 2014
Canadian Minister of State (Science and Technology) Greg Rickford today announced that the most recent round of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding will provide $43 million to 77 research teams at universities across the country. The funding will go towards 2 grants: the Strategic Network Grants and the Strategic Project Grants. The funds will help researchers work with companies and other organizations on long-term projects to address industrial and societal challenges.
TCS Insights: The Canadian government aims to use these grants to increase research and training in areas that influence the Canadian economy and environment over the next decade. Additionally, this funding will go towards research that involves interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and institutions such as solar power and cloud-based computing projects.
India-Canada Conference on Distance Learning
Source: Connect – Canada in India
Representatives from Canada’s Athabasca University and the University of British Columbia and participants from across India shared perspectives on the developing field of distance learning at an India-Canada International Conference on Open and Flexible Distance Learning, from February 20-22, at the Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women’s University, Mumbai, University Grants Commission Area Studies’ Centre for Canadian Studies. Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayana, and Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra’s Minister of Higher and Technical education, opened the conference which included a roundtable on Higher Education in Canada.