By David Kent. In my last post, I alluded to a wish list for our new government that would “inspire change across a country that has become, in international eyes, a non-supportive scientific environment.” When I began my PhD in 2003, there was much more liveliness in the science community of Canada: people had bold ideas for how to create vibrant scientific research environments, networks of scientists emerged, pooling resources to work together. More...
By Jonathan Thon. When you decide to launch your career search, it is important that you make it a concerted effort. The predominant questions you should be asking yourself is what you want and need from you career, and why? Experiences will vary and I can only speak to mine. More...
By Caroline Anne Kovesi. I am many things: the president of Mount Allison’s Sociology Society, a dance teacher, and a passionate learner. I am also a student living with anxiety and depression. As a firm believer in the value of learning from others’ lived experience, I think that we ought to take more time to listen closely to one another. More...
By Melonie Fullick. The Conference Board of Canada (CBoC) has been working on a study about PhDs in Canada, their career paths and contributions to the economy and society, titled Inside and Outside the Academy: Valuing and Preparing PhDs for Careers. The report, by Jessica Edge and Daniel Munro, was published earlier this week. I was keen to get a look at it because the issues in it relate directly to some of the things I’ve been researching and writing about over the past few years, both in this blog and in my dissertation (for example, in my previous two posts). There still isn’t much solid information available about the PhD in Canada and doctoral students’ choices and experiences, so new research is always a treat. More...
By Phil Octetes. As a lifelong liberal (please note the lower case “l” – this is not a partisan polemic), I thought I would never have cause to say this: Margaret Thatcher was right. I disagreed with almost all of her policies when she was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and in 1988 I was quite concerned when she decided to end the concept of academic tenure in U.K. universities. I pondered what this might mean for my future employment as an academic (as I was completing graduate work in the U.K. at the time) and whether this spelled disaster for finding permanent, stable employment. More...
http://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/ubc-residence-will-be-one-of-worlds-tallest-wood-buildings/
By Zach Bradley. A new student residence under construction on the University of British Columbia campus will be one of the tallest wood buildings in the world. UBC says the 18-storey structure builds on the university’s commitment to sustainability and innovation. The eco-friendly structure will stand 53 metres tall and house more than 400 students after its completion, planned for 2017. More...
By Zack Bradley. On the Origin of Species one of several valuable books taken from Mount Saint Vincent University’s library years ago. More...
By Léo Charbonneau. The latest report of the Science, Technology and Innovation Council, released Nov. 27, paints a fairly gloomy portrait of the state of innovation, science and technology (S&T) in Canada. This is the fourth report by the council, which was created in 2007 to advise the federal government on Canada’s S&T and innovation performance relative to that of other countries. More...
By Rosanna Tamburri. Some academics call for changes to Statistics Canada’s independence and data-gathering methods. More...
By Shawna Wagman. After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, a new, lesser-known chapter in its history began. Many large slabs, not to mention plenty of rubble-turned-souvenirs, began to circulate around the world, landing in various places—everywhere from dresser drawers and presidential libraries to museums, hotel lobbies, eBay and even a vacant lot in downtown Truro, Nova Scotia. More...
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