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Laurentian and Zhejiang University offer innovative dual degree

Laurentian and Zhejiang University offer innovative dual degree

Hangzhou China (October 22, 2012) -  Laurentian University has announced a unique partnership with Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics (ZUFE) in Hangzhou, China to jointly deliver a Bachelor Degree program in Accounting.

The agreement was signed at a formal ceremony today in Hangzhou by ZUFE President Wang Junhao and by Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux. 

“We are delighted to offer our students this opportunity to study at Laurentian University and to enhance the value of their Bachelor Degree,” said President Wang.  “Our relationship with Laurentian will give our students an edge in the international marketplace,” he added.

The partnership is a first of its kind for Laurentian according to President Giroux. “We know that China’s Ministry of Education approves only a small number of applications for this kind of international collaboration, and we are honoured to be part of this elite group,” said Giroux. “This agreement puts us in a select group of universities world-wide.”

The dual degree accounting program will deliver the latest curriculum in the field of accounting, focussing on current issues and the challenges of globalization.

Under the agreement, students enrolled in the program will complete their first two years of studies at ZUFE,and then completethreesemesters at Laurentian University in Sudbury.  The program includes a final year back at ZUFE.  Under the agreement, between60 and 100 students will begin their third-year studies at Laurentian’s Sudbury campus in January 2015.  These students will earn a total of 42 credits at Laurentian toward the Bachelor degree.  The collaboration with ZUFE also provides students the opportunity to take Laurentian’s English preparatory program (English for Academic Preparation) in Hangzhou before they begin their third-year studies in Canada.

“This collaboration is the result of a lot of detailed planning and a lot of discussion about how to deliver a cutting-edge, global dual degree,” said Dr. Peter Luk, Dean, Faculty of Management, who also attended the signing in Hangzhou.  “We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of ZUFE Dean Wang Yaoxiang, who helped to realize this agreement, and of Professor Fu Liying, who worked with us to formulate the appropriate curriculum content,” said Dr. Luk.

While the ZUFE agreement is the first of its kind for Laurentian, the University has developed extensive relationships with several partners in education in China.  International enrolment overall has grown more than 40% to 648 students on campus in the past three years.  Laurentian has set an objective of increasing the proportion of international students from 6.1% in 2011 to 8% by 2017 in its strategic plan.    

Dominic Giroux Appointed to Second Term

Dominic Giroux Appointed to Second Term

October 18, 2012 - At its regular meeting held today in Barrie, the Board of Governors of Laurentian University endorsed the unanimous recommendation of the Presidential Review Committee to renew Dominic Giroux as President and Vice-Chancellor.

The Presidential Review Committee is comprised of Board members and faculty members serving as Senate representatives.  The Committee consulted broadly with students, faculty, staff, university associations, Senate, members of the external community and the education sector, to inform their recommendation. The Presidential Review Committee received input from 70 persons or organizations, both internal and external to the university community.

“The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive about the University’s accomplishments and progress since Dominic Giroux joined us,” said the Chair of Laurentian’s Board of Governors, Floyd Laughren. “Our Board is extremely pleased with President Giroux's performance and we are excited by the compelling vision that has been presented for the years ahead.  We are fully confident that President Giroux is the leader to make the vision a reality.”

“Dominic was brought in as an agent of change in 2009, and he has delivered,” said Board Vice-Chair Michael Atkins.  “Under his leadership, Laurentian has established clear priorities, while balancing the budget, and donations to the university are up exponentially, including this week’s announcement of a historic gift by Ned Goodman to name our new School of Mines.  We have been able to invest several million dollars into student services and into the classroom for faculty members.  We have created and staffed the Centre for Academic Excellence, we have set aside $51M for campus renewal and modernization, and we have a pragmatic and ambitious vision for our campus in Barrie. We have also secured funding for the School of Architecture to open in downtown Sudbury in 2013, and have built extensive new partnerships with community and industry.  There are many people at Laurentian who have contributed to these successes, but the inspiration really starts with Dominic Giroux,” said Atkins.

“I am delighted to congratulate Dominic on his reappointment. He understands the vital role a university plays in regional economic development, and he has been a champion for the cause of a downtown university campus in our city,” said Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman.  “I look forward to his continued innovative and strategic leadership,” added Lehman.

President Giroux became Laurentian University’s ninth President on April 1st, 2009, beginning a renewable 5-year term ending June 30, 2014. The process of Presidential Review is typically started about 18 months before the end of a term.  His second term, also renewable, will extend through June 30, 2019.

“The success of any university comes from the talent, commitment, and creativity of its students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters,” said President Giroux.  “It is a privilege to lead this university, and I am honoured and humbled by this vote of confidence from our Board of Governors.  It has been an exciting time at Laurentian and there are so many more achievements ahead, as we work to implement the 2012-2017 Strategic Plan.  I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue leading this collective effort,” he added.

 

President Giroux’s leadership has been recognized through his work as one of four members of the Drummond Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services, and by his appointment by the province as Co-Special Advisor on the implementation of a Northern Policy Institute. He is also one of four members of Ontario’s Ring of Fire Advisory Council. Respected by his peers, Giroux has been asked to serve as Co-Chair of the new Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT), and as one of 12 presidents on the board of directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). He is Co-Chair of the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS) and served as Vice-Chair of the Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne (AUFC). He was recently recruited to the Globe and Mail’s Higher Education Advisory Panel and to the Mowat Centre’s Advisory Board. Recipient of one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Awards in 2011, Giroux also received one of the Queen’s Jubilee Medals and was named the 2010 Education Personality of the Year by Radio-Canada/LeDroit.

Goodman Family Invests in Laurentian University’s School of Mines

Goodman Family Invests in Laurentian University’s School of Mines

October 15, 2012 - Ned Goodman, CEO of Dundee Corporation, and The Goodman Family Foundation - JODAMADA, announced today a historic gift to Laurentian University’s new School of Mines. In recognition of the Goodman family’s generosity, Laurentian University President Dominic Giroux announced that the university will name the school in the Goodman family’s honour.

Ned Goodman’s business and investment experience spans more than 40 years as a geologist, securities analyst, portfolio manager and senior executive, and he has an established reputation as one of Canada's most successful investment counselors. He was the driving force of the Dundee group of financial companies, which grew under his family’s leadership from a $300-million base to a $50-billion mutual fund entity. Mr. Goodman’s work in the mining sector helped bring investment and jobs to many remote northern Canadian communities. By providing financing to many junior companies and helping to build successful, growing companies, he helped thousands of other Canadians prosper. He described his family’s gift as a vote of confidence in the future of mining.

“Greater Sudbury has the best ore body and the largest concentration of expertise in mining supply, products and services in the world. We want to be associated with Laurentian University because it’s undoubtedly the go-to university for mineral exploration and mining in Canada. When I heard about Laurentian’s plans for a new innovative School of Mines, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. We will be encouraging our friends in industry to also support this great effort,” said Ned Goodman after a recent visit to Sudbury.

The combination of an aging workforce, competition for skilled workers, and declining enrolment in mining-oriented academic programs in most other Canadian universities is of great concern to the mining industry. These deficiencies will likely cause accelerated cost increases, delay of new projects and squeeze profit margins. Many industry leaders have reported a critical need for graduates whose technical competencies are supported by skills in commercial, cultural and environmental aspects of mining. 

A global search for the Founding Executive Director of The Goodman School of Mines is in its final stages. The position will work towards: 

  • Enhancing the skills of future professionals in mineral exploration and mining, in areas such as occupational health and safety, Indigenous relations, mining management and finance;
  • Driving the creation of executive programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in modular, short-course or distance education formats, and other delivery mechanisms as opportunities may arise;
  • Formalizing new provincial, national and international alliances with other post-secondary institutions, including an International Network of Schools of Mines with Laurentian serving as a major hub;
  • Doubling enrolment in mining related programs by 2020;
  • Improving the university experience for students in Earth Sciences and Engineering.

The Goodman School of Mines is a cross-Faculty initiative, reporting directly to the Vice-President, Academic and Provost, which will be supported by a Global Advisory Council and a $20 million endowment funded by donations from industry and by philanthropic gifts, a majority of which has now been raised. In addition, Laurentian University will be investing $5 million in the Goodman School by 2023.

The Goodman Family Foundation has placed a proviso that any financial commitment, present or future, remains confidential. The gift will be used exclusively by The Goodman School of Mines. “It will support the development of new mining-related courses and programs, improvements to the learning environment and opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, student recruitment, career and placement services, and guest speakers, and other specific use of funds to be mutually agreed upon,” explained Dominic Giroux. “Moreover, the Goodman family gift will ensure that we can attract the best and brightest students from around the world through scholarships, and promote our mining-related programs internationally.”

Mr. Goodman’s eldest son, Jonathan Goodman, PEng., CFA, MBA, a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines and a JODAMADA participant and director, will serve as an Adjunct Professor at Laurentian.

Ned Goodman was also attracted to Laurentian because he is a resident of Barrie. “I want to do everything possible to help secure Laurentian University’s new downtown Barrie campus, including attracting private gifts towards this important effort. Barrie absolutely needs it, and Laurentian has so much to offer.”  Laurentian has already pledged $14 million towards its new downtown Barrie campus, a commitment which is being matched by the City.

Laurentian University’s Next 50 Campaign, chaired by Terry MacGibbon, founder of FNX Mining, has now largely exceeded its original goal of $50 million, having raised $63.3 million so far with six months still to go before the end of the campaign.

For photos of the event, visit our Facebook page.

The honourable, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities,  Glen Murray. 

VALE LIVING WITH LAKES CENTRE SCIENTIST NAMED TO ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA

VALE LIVING WITH LAKES CENTRE SCIENTIST NAMED TO ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA

October 11, 2012 - Staff and visiting researchers at Laurentian University’s Vale Living With Lakes Centre (VLWLC) are congratulating their colleague in environmental and ecological studies, Dr. Norm Yan, who has been elected as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada.  “It is wonderful to see Norm recognized in this way,” said VLWLC Director Dr. John Gunn. “This is the highest honour any scholar can achieve in the sciences in Canada.”  The induction ceremony for Dr. Yan will be held in November in Ottawa.  Later this fall, Dr. Yan is to deliver the 2012 Watershed Lecture at Living With Lakes.  Details about the lecture will be circulated within the Laurentian community in the weeks ahead. 

STUDY OF FIRST NATIONS’ HEALING ARTS EARNS CIHR AWARD

STUDY OF FIRST NATIONS’ HEALING ARTS EARNS CIHR AWARD

October 11, 2012 - A PhD student in Laurentian’s Inter-disciplinary Rural and Northern Health program, Caroline Recollet has been awarded the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health Scientific Director Award through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.  The award is one of only three given to students working in aboriginal health research across the country.  Recollet was given the award for her presentation entitled “The Experiences of Algonquin, Ojibway and Métis Grandmothers who Practice Traditional Sacred Arts for Healing and Well-being.”  The Scientific Director Awards were given at the 12th Annual National Gathering of Graduate Students in Montreal in June

LAURENTIAN COMMERCE PROFESSOR WINS ‘BEST RESEARCH PAPER’ AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN PERU

LAURENTIAN COMMERCE PROFESSOR WINS ‘BEST RESEARCH PAPER’ AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN PERU

October 10, 2012

Laurentian Commerce Professor wins ‘Best Research Paper’
at International Conference in Peru

Professor of Business Administration Mohammad S. Pakkar was awarded a “Best Paper” citation at the International Conference on Business Performance Measurement and Management (ICBPMM) last month in Peru.  His paper was one of only two research presentations honoured as Best Paper at the 3-day international conference, attended by business scholars and theoreticians from the U.S. and Canada, Peru, Russia, Croatia, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa. The Conference was hosted by the CENTRUM Catolica Graduate School of Business, one of South America’s leading business schools. Dr. Pakkar’s paper was titled Measuring the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Decison-Making Units by Integrating the DEA and AHP Methodologies.  “I am so honoured to receive the best research paper award,” said Dr. Pakkar.  “I am also gratified by adding value and contributing to my field of specialization, Management Science.”

Mosquito trap claims to kill 90 per cent of West Nile Virus mosquitoes

Mosquito trap claims to kill 90 per cent of West Nile Virus mosquitoes

October 10, 2012 - Canadian scientist Gerardo Ulibarri is ready to start marketing a mosquito trap he says can kill 90 per cent of the pests in a few months. 

From the Toronto Star: 

Canadian scientist Gerardo Ulibarri is ready to start marketing a mosquito trap he says can kill 90 per cent of the pests in a few months.

And they’re hoping you can help.

The Mosquito DMZ, as the Laurentian University professor and his partner Kris Holland call it, is the product of six years of research in Canada and Guatemala. No governments in Canada were providing research and development, money, however, so they have opened the door to crowdfunding. “The evidence is so overwhelming, we want to repeat it again next summer,” Ulibarri told the Toronto Star. He and Holland have discovered, after five years of trap use, that their northern Ontario properties have no signs of West Nile Virus mosquitoes. 

As a scientist, however, Ulibarri still looks south with trepidation, to the dangerous outbreak in Texas this past summer of the neurological type of West Nile that killed 71 people.“Here in Canada, we have been lucky to be very low on neurological cases, but this tendency in the southern states is alarming to me. Because they are transported by migrating birds, any summer we could have an outbreak.” One trap, which fits in a five-gallon bucket, works in a backyard area using a naturally decomposing plant material designed to attract a specific species of female mosquito to lay her eggs.

Other larvae traps on the market use pesticides that can’t be recycled, said Ulibarri. What he discovered, almost by accident, was that the more his simulated swamp solution is used, the more it becomes irresistible to egg-laying females. The downside? “We need to make it less smelly.”

His work has been concentrating on the Culex mosquito, carrier of West Nile Virus, because of outbreaks in Ontario. Different solutions can be adapted to different species of mosquito, including those that carry the malaria virus so deadly to people in Africa. The UN Environmental Programme is interested in the Mosquito DMZ but needs something that costs about $20 a unit for use in the developing world, he said. To that end, Ulibarri and Holland have created a crowdfunding account at Indiegogo.com to raise $350,000 to get their trap into production in Canada by next summer. Proceeds from Canadian sales will help lower the costs for organizations such as the United Nations.

Ulibarri is also planning a double-blind controlled study of the traps with the Sudbury and District Health Unit next summer, although he, Holland and their friends have been trying the traps out themselves for years. Ulibarri admitted the long research time was “a bit of my fault.” He explained, “I wanted from the very beginning to make the manufacture right here in Canada. I had invitations to go to Michigan about four years ago. But this is Canadian technology, I am Canadian, I wanted to do this for Canada.”

Ulibarri also wants to develop an automatic trap that won’t require the weekly maintenance of the manual version and will encourage more people to use it.

Sudbury Family Invests in Healthy Lakes

Sudbury Family Invests in Healthy Lakes

October 2, 2012 - The Vale Living with Lakes Centre has accepted a pledge of $500,000 from Nora and Milad Mansour of Sudbury, a donation in  support of environmental remediation studies to ensure the health and sustainability of the world’s freshwater systems. 

Members of the Laurentian University community and special guests attended a ceremony held Monday evening to recognize the Mansour family’s generosity, and to celebrate the official renaming of the Vale Living with Lake Centre’s atrium as the Milad Gebrael Mansour Atrium.

 “This contribution is very special,” said Dr. John Gunn, Director of the Vale Living with Lakes Centre and Canada Research Chair in Stressed Aquatic Systems.  “Private investment of this size from a prominent Sudbury family is a clear sign that members of this community understand the importance of the work being done here at the Centre.  Our students, staff and researchers will all benefit from this gift, as will the broader community and the whole of Northern Ontario.          

“The leadership shown today by the Mansour family is remarkable,” said Laurentian University President Dominic Giroux.  “I have no doubt that this donation will help us achieve the outcome in our 2012-2017 Strategic Plan of having established Laurentian world-wide as the University synonymous with fresh water research.  I’m excited about this new partnership, and proud to have the Mansour name associated with the Lakes Centre. ”       

“The future sustainability of our lakes is a pressing issue—one of the most important of our lifetimes,” said Milad Mansour, President of Milman Industries Inc.  “We need to find innovative solutions to ensure their preservation, and this is the absolute best place to do it, no question.”                

“I have always taught my children that giving is more precious than receiving,” said Nora Mansour. “It is a wonderful feeling to give back to our community by supporting Laurentian University.”

The Mansours’ gift will be counted among a growing list of contributions made through the Sudbury Families initiative, a university-led recognition program that honours and celebrates local families who have shaped the growth and development of the city.

“The Mansours have been economic drivers in this city for many years,” said John Pollesel, The Next 50 Campaign volunteer and Sudbury Families co-chair. “Now they are driving efforts to ensure its long-term environmental health.  The example they have set here today will surely inspire others to aid in improving the quality of life of all Sudbury residents, Northern Ontarians and members of the global community.”

About Milman Industries Inc.

Milman Industries Inc. provides a wide array of products as well as services.  Located at two sites, Milman Industries Inc. features thirteen companies to serve the customer’s needs from hoses to diesel or electric locomotives, scrap metal recycling, railway equipment and track repair to sea and rail transloading on the onsite spur.

About The Next 50 Campaign

To ensure that Laurentian continues to drive creativity, innovation and prosperity, the university has launched The Next 50 Campaign—the most ambitious fundraising campaign ever undertaken in Northern Ontario—which aims to raise $50 million in new investments.  The campaign, which will continue through to April 2013, secures funds in support of Laurentian’s key projects, including the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre; the School of Architecture; a School of Mines and an expanded endowment fund to increase opportunities for researchers, graduate students, and student athletes to excel through the creation of chairs, fellowships, and scholarships.

 

Architecture Faculty Hiring Begins

Architecture Faculty Hiring Begins

September 25, 2012 -  Laurentian University’s School of Architecture this week began the process of interviewing and selecting faculty for the September, 2013 launch of the charter class.  Candidates for faculty positions are being interviewed by the selection committee over the next 6 weeks.   As part of the selection process, candidates have agreed to present talks on architecture projects and architectural approaches.  The series will be open to the public and will be held weekly, each Monday at 5:30 pm at the Laurentian Architecture Project Office in downtown Sudbury.

“We are very pleased with the calibre of the applicants, and the range of experience they represent,” said Laurentian School of Architecture Founding Director, Dr. Terrance Galvin.  “We have candidates from schools and from architecture firms in Canada and the U.S., and we have people coming in from Kuujjuaaq in northern Quebec, to Connecticut.  This is a very good start, and an exciting step in the process of building our school,” he added.   

Visiting candidates for positions in a faculty of architecture typically deliver talks for the selection committee, according to Dr. Galvin.  “We’re just taking that tradition and extending it into the community, so that anyone interested in learning about architecture will have the opportunity to hear and to enjoy these discussions,” he said.

Laurentian Architecture faculty are expected to begin their work in early January. 

The hiring of architecture faculty is among 24 faculty positions to be filled at Laurentian during the current academic year. 

 

Laurentian Architecture Receives Fednor Funding

Laurentian Architecture Receives Fednor Funding

September 21, 2012 - A $5-million dollar investment by the federal government’s regional development program in Laurentian University’s School of Architecture will help to fund construction of the new state-of-the-art facility at the historic crossroads of Downtown Sudbury.   

The funding announcement was made this morning at the downtown project office of Laurentian Architecture by Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement, the Minister responsible for FedNor.   

“By helping establish Canada’s first school of architecture in more than 40 years right here in Northern Ontario, our Government is delivering on its commitment to develop a competitive and diversified economy, create jobs, and support long-term growth and prosperity,” said Minister Clement.   

The $5-million is provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program.  It will help to support the construction of a new, 65,000-sq-ft landmark building at the intersection of Elm and Elgin Streets in the heart of Sudbury.  The funds will also support the renovation of two historic buildings at the site, both of which will be incorporated into the design of Canada’s newest School of Architecture.   

“This forward-looking investment by the Canadian government, along with the support previously affirmed by the Ontario government and the City of Sudbury, brings us close to our target for the capital cost of this ambitious project,” said Laurentian Vice President, Administration and Project Steering Committee Chair, Carol McAulay.  “With capital funding almost fully in place, and the design work underway, we are on track to welcome our first Architecture students in the fall of 2013,” she added.   

“We appreciate the federal government’s support of the vision for our School of Architecture,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux.  “This represents the latest in a series of federal government investments in Laurentian University, which include significant investments in support of our Vale Living With Lakes Centre, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.   With the new School of Architecture moving ahead to a fall 2013 launch, Laurentian and its partners are building a solid foundation for the future growth and development of Sudbury and Northern Ontario.”  

For more information on the School of Architecture, please visit www.laurentianarchitecture.ca

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