From the U of G investing up to $4 million in funding to assist international students, to the explosion in Beirut, here is what we saw in the news this week.
U of G announces funding for international student initiatives
The University of Guelph will provide up to $4 million in funding through three new initiatives which will benefit international students for the 2020/2021 school year.
“U of G has a long tradition of welcoming international students to our campus where they form an important part of our community, adding new perspectives and enhancing the learning experience for all,” said Stuart McCook, assistant vice-president international, in a news release.
The Provost Incentive Offer is a one-time payment of $750 that will be given to international students who are registered for the fall 2020 semester. The money will automatically be put on the students’ account as long as they remain enrolled for the duration of the semester.
In addition to the Provost Incentive Offer, the school has also announced it is creating an International Tuition Assistance Bursary, which will provide students who are having difficulty paying for tuition $1,250 per semester for a total of $2,500 in funding per year.
The International Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships have also benefited from the new funding.
Students who have already received the scholarships will have the opportunity to be eligible for renewal amounts of $4,000 per year up to their fourth year of study. The students will have to be able to meet the renewal criteria to be eligible for the payment.
The funding is in addition to existing supports put in place for international students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the winter and spring semesters of 2020 the University allowed deferred tuition plans, enhanced existing emergency bursaries for international students and created a new bursary for COVID-19 which automatically gives international graduate students $2,500.
“We recognize the challenges that many of our international students are facing during this crisis and so we are taking these further actions to help them continue their studies,” McCook said.
Deadly explosion in Beirut
On Tuesday, 135 people were found dead and another 5,000 wounded after 2,750 pounds of ammonium nitrate ignited, sending a blast through the city of Beirut in Lebanon.
According to CNN, the ammonium nitrate was being stored improperly in a warehouse by Beirut’s port since 2014 after arriving on a Russian ship officials had detained the year prior. Investigators are focusing on how the chemical was stored and why nothing was done about the safety of the matter.
Lebanon will be distributing 100 billion Lebanese pounds, the equivalent of $66,335,000 USD, to deal with the damage and human suffering that has resulted.
UNICEF, the Red Cross, and local hospitals are currently working to treat, shelter and feed the wounded. Internationally, countries such as the U.S., Australia, Russia, France, Israel, the U.K., Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Iraq have all put in efforts, or announced their intentions, to help the people of Lebanon.
Canada will send up to $5 million to help the country recover.
Lebanon had already been dealing with many hardships prior to Tuesday’s blast. According to CBC, the country has been facing crises spanning from economic and political to health, including currency devaluation, high costs of living, civil unrest towards the government, the current pandemic, and intense weather conditions.
On Thursday, the University of Guelph expressed its sympathy towards the people of Beirut.
“Our thoughts go out to those most directly affected by this tragic incident as well as those working to provide healing now and in days to come in Lebanon. We are also thinking about our students, faculty and staff who live in or have family and friends in Beirut,” said Charlotte Yates, U of G president and vice-chancellor.
Global News has compiled a list of donation options for people looking to help.
Ontario announces agricultural research funding
On Tuesday, the provincial government announced $2.35 million in funding for a collaborative research project between the Ontario government and the University of Guelph, both of which form the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.
“The research we’re investing in will provide farmers with some of the latest knowledge and tools they need to keep farm animals and food safe,” said Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in a news release.
“This is one of the many ways we’re supporting the growth, productivity and competitiveness of Ontario’s livestock sector.”
The $2.35 million in funding is a part of the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance’s annual investment of $8.65 million towards the University and its partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, (OMAFRA).
“The University of Guelph is delighted to build on our powerful partnership with OMAFRA to advance livestock health, welfare, and productivity,” said Malcolm Campbell, Vice-President (Research) in the release.
“This research, undertaken by our world-class researchers, will create real-world solutions that support the competitiveness of our livestock industry; that ensure continued production of safe, sustainable, and nutritious food; and that fuel innovation that has positive, global impact.”
Health Canada recalls hand sanitizers
More than 50 brands of hand sanitizers have been recalled by Health Canada because they contain ethanol or denaturants, ingredients not approved to be used in hand sanitizers in Canada.
According to CBC, “denaturants are ingredients added to ethanol to make it unfit for human consumption.” Exposure to the ingredients may cause headaches and irritation to the skin, eyes and upper respiratory system.
Health Canada has compiled a list of affected products which are currently being recalled. The organization advises consumers to check it often as new products are added, avoid the use of these products, and to consult a health care practitioner if usage leads to health concerns.
Similarly in the U.S., officials have warned against ingredients in hand sanitizer causing health concerns. They cite methanol as one such ingredient, which has caused cases of poisoning due to ingestion. These poisonings have sometimes resulted in the visual impairment, or death, of the patient.
Health Canada suggests using hand sanitizer only if soap and water are unavailable for hand cleansing.
Online 24-hour improv fest launches
The University of Guelph has launched a 24-hour improvisational festival that will run from today at 8 p.m. until tomorrow at 8 p.m.
According to a news release, IF 2020 will showcase more than 150 artists from more than 20 countries. The event is being run online and is free to watch. The performers have been paid and have pre-recorded their performances.
In addition to improvisational artists, the festival has a wide range of performers including: dancers, musicians, visual artists, and poets. The performances were also executed in a variety of spaces like studios, outdoors stages and small rooms.
The University’s International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI) is a global leader in the study of improvisational arts. The festival received funding from the University’s COVID-19 Research Development and Catalyst Fund, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and Musagetes, an international arts organization.
“It seemed important for us to organize such an event at a time when concerts and performances were being cancelled, when opportunities to experience a sense of community were being diminished, when it was for many people becoming increasingly difficult to experience art and music,” said the festival’s Artistic Director Ajay Heble, IICSI director and professor in the School of English and Theatre Studies, in the release.
Heble said festivals are about “reinvigorating public life with the experience of community.”
He is confident people will experience a sense of community when they tune in to the festival.
“I hope, too, that the participating artists will reach new audiences and that our event might play even a very small role in somehow helping to quell the anxieties brought about as a result of the pandemic.”
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