Monthly Archives: March 2012

2012 federal budget: “We in Canada have yet to learn, so it seems”

Posted on March 31, 2012 by

My friend had called from Ottawa right after the budget lock-up to “re-assure me” that the three research councils did OK. The AUCC president, Paul Davidson, had also issued a press release offering praise for “investments (that) will preserve current levels of … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

What to expect on the R&D front from tomorrow’s “transformational” budget?

Posted on March 29, 2012 by

Canada’s federal budget is due in less than 24 hours, and so we still have some time to speculate about it. There are four elements to work with and to extrapolate from. First, Harper’s declarations at Davos indicate a will … Continue reading →

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We have a plan!

Posted on March 23, 2012 by

A UBC Housing Action Plan that is, which –I believe– will help improve housing choice and affordability for faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students on the Vancouver campus. Actually, it is still only a discussion paper waiting for your … Continue reading →

Posted in Board of Governors, UBC Housing Action Plan | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Back to my almost asbestos-free alma mater

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

I had walked this route so many times over the years, first as a graduate student, then as a frequent visiting researcher. The little bookstore is still there, but I had to resist the urge to buy “Libération”, a daily … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds | 1 Comment

With the women of the “Laplacian”, who needs diversity tsars?

Posted on March 18, 2012 by

“Wherever my travels may lead, paradise is where I am.” ~Voltaire In case you have been wondering why I haven’t been blogging lately, I am presently in Rome having too much fun working, lecturing, and enjoying life with my friends … Continue reading →

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Everything you wanted to know about GERD, BERD, GovERD and HERD

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

The UK department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) released its annual science, engineering and technology statistics, including a good deal of data on how much the G7 countries spend on research and development (R&D). Canada is fifth out of seven in the … Continue reading →

Posted in R&D Policy | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Are Canada’s best researchers failing the country’s innovation agenda?

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

Or is it that the system and current programs are failing to capture their talent and their expertise? Needless to say, both questions assume that “Innovation” is not really having a good ride in Canada, at least compared to other … Continue reading →

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