Universities struggle with COVID-19 testing mandates

The Globe and Mail 04 September 2021

Major universities in Western Canada are still tinkering with the mechanics of their coronavirus vaccination and testing requirements for students, faculty and staff, even though classes resume this week and infections are climbing across the continent, writes Carrie Tait for The Globe and Mail.

The University of British Columbia, for example, said it will require COVID-19 tests for students, faculty and staff who are not vaccinated, but the school has not said when the screening programme will start or how it will work. At the University of Saskatchewan, those who are unvaccinated or prefer not to disclose their status will have to submit two negative COVID-19 rapid tests weekly, starting 13 September. However, the school has not yet released details about how the tests will be administered.

Faculty members across Western Canada pressured post-secondary institutions to limit access to their campuses to only those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 or test negative for the virus. But while major universities have announced such plans, unanswered questions remain, particularly around compliance and consequences.
Full report on The Globe and Mail site

Receive email updates from UWN

Global newsletters    Africa newsletters    Other
    (other includes related events and webinars)

Data will be processed according to our standard terms & conditions.

Research focuses on production of jet fuel from halophytes

UAE University staff

With an eye to developing a clean, alternative aviation fuel to reduce carbon emissions, researchers at the United Arab Emirates University have been focusing on the production of jet fuel from sustainable resources such as halophytes, which are salt-tolerant plants that could be cultivated on a wider scale in the region’s coastal areas.

The value of being human: How teachers can work alongside AI

Michael Milligan

Artificial intelligence is now a part of our evolution in technology and teachers need to be encouraged to find ways to bring AI into the classroom and have students use it in a way that is beneficial to them in the long term.

Ground-breaking research on seawater biodesalination

UAE University staff

As water scarcity reaches critical levels globally, a research team at the United Arab Emirates University seeks to revolutionise seawater desalination practices, offering a path to mitigate water scarcity while championing environmental preservation.