Latest news with #Dalhousie University
National Post
2 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Peter MacKinnon: Something has to give for universities that are fighting for their survival
In a recent article in Halifax CityNews, journalist Rachel Morgan asked an important question: can Nova Scotia universities survive the red line? Budget deficits, tuition controls and caps on international student numbers combine to threaten their stability and perhaps, in some cases, their existence. The issues are not for Nova Scotia alone; they are present in all provinces. Article content Article content Though we sometimes speak of universities in generic terms, there are sharp differences among them. Dalhousie University in Halifax is a medical-doctoral institution well known throughout the Atlantic region and across Canada. Other universities in the province vary in size and stature but have more of a local impact, and some are embedded in communities that are dependent upon them, e.g. Acadia in Wolfville, St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, and Cape Breton University in Sydney. Ten universities are a lot in a province with a population approaching 1.1 million, but they are all established institutions with communities that are intent on their survival and success. Article content Article content The hurdles in their way are substantial. In Nova Scotia, as in other provinces, the percentage of budgets from government grants has been steadily declining but the decline has not been met by offsetting fee increases, and provincial governments continue to control tuition, prescribing levels that are insufficient to make up budget shortfalls. Where, historically, universities have been able to set their own tuition fees — for international students — the federal government has intervened to impose caps on their numbers. While the impact among universities varies depending on the extent of their reliance on students from other countries, it is felt by all. Article content Article content Clearly this situation is not sustainable; as the old saying goes, something has to give. Public support has to increase or universities must be given the latitude to make up through tuition the shortfalls between government grants and what they need to do their work well. Governments must recognize this choice and be guided by it. Article content Article content Universities, too, have choices to make. When the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents meets, do they talk about collaboration, rationalizing programs, collective procurement, outreach to business and working in solidarity to achieve better collective bargaining outcomes? Or are they focused on the latest issue or crisis? (I would bet on the latter). They should ask themselves, too, about why the standing of our universities with the public has declined. Canadians are losing confidence in their political neutrality and in what should be their commitment to non-discrimination and freedom of expression. These are not conditions that lead people to press their governments to support more public funding. Article content But despite their shortcomings, our universities are vitally important in shaping the future of Canada. Their futures depend on broad non-partisan support for their missions and activities and, until that support is recovered, they are unlikely to fare better — in Nova Scotia or elsewhere in Canada. Article content
CTV News
19-07-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Scientists confirm megathrust quake danger exists not only in southern B.C., but also in the north
The potential for large quakes and tsunamis off the south coast has long been known, but now scientists are confirming another theory in the north of the provin The potential for large quakes and tsunamis off the south coast has long been known, but now scientists are confirming another theory in the north of the province. Following years of debate, scientists can now confirm that a fault zone off B.C.'s northern coast is capable of producing powerful megathrust earthquakes, the kind that can generate tsunamis. The findings reveal what many researchers theorized: That the Pacific Plate is partially dipping beneath the North American Plate. This comes more than a decade after a powerful 7.8-magnitude quake struck near Haida Gwaii, on Oct. 27, 2012. At the time, scientists were puzzled by the quake's characteristics because it resembled activity normally seen much further south, in the Cascadia Subduction Zone off Vancouver Island and Washington State. The 2012 quake had a thrust mechanism which was not typical of the Queen Charlotte Fault, where plates usually slide past each other horizontally. 'So not just sliding, but also going a bit under North America,' said Mladen Nedimovic, a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie University. The research team used a state-of-the-art, 15-kilometre-long hydrophone streamer. Essentially, a very long wire with thousands of underwater microphones attached. They then scoured the fault from northern B.C. to southern Alaska. The breakthrough will allow researchers to better predict what types of earthquakes to expect. 'They're both large,' Nedimovic explained. 'But the ones where one plate pushes under another are the type that can produce tsunamis.' Scientists still can't predict exactly when a quake might hit, but the findings will help governments better prepare. 'It's not just about saving lives, but also about protecting critical infrastructure,' he added. The findings have been published in the journal Science Advances, and included research from Canadian and American scientists, including from Dalhousie University in Halifax.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Dalhousie University professor co-authors medical breakthrough
A new gene therapy developed at Dalhousie University is bringing hope for Canadians with a rare gene mutation called Fabry disease. Paul Hollingsworth reports.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Dalhousie professor co-authors gene therapy research, man with rare Fabry disease reports relief
A new gene therapy developed at Dalhousie University is bringing hope for Canadians with a rare gene mutation called Fabry disease. Paul Hollingsworth reports.
