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Three Canadian schools make Top 50 Under 50 list

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) made global headlines last month when they released their QS Top 50 Under 50, which ranks the top universities in the world established in the last 50 years.

QS was founded in 1990 as an education and career network providing information through their website and hosting events.

For the Top 50 Under 50 list, the same criteria as on the QS World Top 300 Ranking: academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, student/faculty ratio, international student ratio and international faculty ratio.

In 2011, Queen’s placed 144 on the QS World Top 300 Ranking.

Canadian universities only hold three spots on the QS Top 50 Under 50, with Asian and Australian universities dominating the ranks.

The top Canadian universities are the University of Calgary at 17, Simon Fraser University at 25, and the University of Victoria at 34.

Earlier this month, British magazine also released their Top 100 under 50 rankings. The list included the University of Calgary at 28, Simon Fraser University at 30, the University of Guelph at 50 and Concordia University at 91.

— Rachel Herscovici

New Brunswick university’s anti-gay policy causes controversy

Moncton’s Crandall University is defending its policy to not hire people in gay relationships after gay rights activists called for the school’s government funding to be cut.

Crandall’s Statement of Moral Standards, demands staff to “be sexually pure, reserving sexual intimacy for within a traditional marriage between one man and one woman.”

The private Christian school, formerly called Atlantic Baptist University, has received $24 million in funding from all levels of government since 1996, which some are calling to put an end to.

The school’s vice-president of academic affairs Seth Crowell defended Crandall’s policy.

“The human rights standard does allow for certain bonafide impositions as it relates to faith and religious positions,” he told .

Crandall Student President Ian Pelkey told the that many students were unaware of this policy until recently, and don’t necessarily agree with it just because they are students at the school.

Gay rights activists told media outlets that the policy is a violation of human rights and that its funding should be cut.

— Rachel Herscovici

Canadian company offers university courses for smartphones

Taking a university course could soon become as easy as turning on your phone, according to technology firm ClevrU.

The Waterloo-based company designs virtual courses which feature video lectures and online correspondence between students. What makes ClevrU different from other virtual education models is their platform; while correspondence classes can be accessed on any desktop or tablet, ClevrU’s courses are designed for smartphones.

The company aims to use their platform to open up learning opportunities to students in developing countries who might not have access to quality education.

According to , mobile carrier executives recently called on the Global System for Mobile Communications Association to introduce sub-$50 smartphones in the growing markets of Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America.

“Most people don’t have a desktop computer. Many don’t have a notebook. They may not have a house. But the one thing they will have is a feature phone that connects to the Internet,” ClevrU’s CEO Dana Fox told . “If you need an education, and you have a mobile device, you can now have what we have in Canada.”

ClevrU has partnered with schools such as Conestoga College, Wilfrid Laurier University and Georgian College to develop correspondent courses for students in developing countries. Media organization TVO will also supply content, such as English language instruction videos.

Earlier this year, ClevrU launched a math course in China, which recently passed the United States in smartphone sales according to technology market analysis company Canalys. ClevrU signed agreements with China Unicom and China Telecom, two state-owned telecommunications operators, to offer their subscribers educational content and eventually expand to 50 other countries.

The company plans to move into India and Latin America next, according to .

— Holly Tousignant

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