The University of the Future

Blog offers varied perspectives on future of university education in Canada

OTTAWA – What will the future demand of Canada’s universities? How will students be taught? How will the learning environment differ from that of today?

Those are some of the big questions being tackled in a new blog entitled University Commons. As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada launched University Commons to encourage a national, online dialogue about the future of university education in Canada. Visionary thinkers from across Canada have been invited to share their ideas on how universities can and should progress in the next 100 years.

The blog kicked off in late August with an essay from Daniel Woolf, Principal of Queen’s University, on striking a balance between teaching and research. Patrick Keeney, adjunct professor from Simon Fraser University, wrote a provocative piece on the purpose of a university education and how vocationalism has insinuated itself into academia.

AUCC’s University Commons will feature submissions from many of Canada’s university leaders, as well as a host of other visionary Canadian voices, both well-known and lesser known contributors. Acting as a central hub for innovative ideas on higher education, the AUCC blog is publishing new posts every three to five days until its centennial membership meetings in Montreal in late October. University Commons will help inform the forward-looking discussions taking place during these meetings. The blog is also designed to engage Canadians in a conversation on these important issues.

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 For more information or interview opportunities:

Helen Murphy
AUCC Communications Manager
hmurphy@aucc.ca
613-563-1236 ext. 238