Staff

Rim Hariss awarded NSERC Discovery Grant for retail operations research

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:54:55 +0000

Professor Rim Hariss is one of 122 ��VR��Ƶ researchers awarded funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) Discovery Grants competition, announced July 7 as part of a $30-million investment in ��VR��Ƶ research.

Harris's project, "Beyond the Stockout: A Behavioral-Analytical Framework for Optimizing Retail Operations," examines how consumers respond to product unavailability, using AI-enabled in-store tracking data to model search and substitution behavior.

Economic uncertainty creates new opportunities for growth

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:51:44 +0000

As Canada faces economic uncertainty driven by trade tensions, inflation and shifting global markets, Robert Nason, associate professor at ��VR��Ƶ Desautels, is urging businesses to adopt a more entrepreneurial mindset.

Rather than taking a “wait-and-see” approach, Nason argues that organizations should view uncertainty as an opportunity to experiment, diversify suppliers and explore new markets.

122 ��VR��Ƶ research projects awarded $30 million in NSERC Discovery Grants funding

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:43:39 +0000

Funding supports bold ideas across natural sciences and engineering disciplines at ��VR��Ƶ, in fields ranging from ophthalmology and physics to music research and electrical engineering.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has awarded 122 ��VR��Ƶ research projects funding from its Discovery Grants competition for a total investment of $30 million.

Olayinka Oni named non-executive director of Sterling Bank

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:17:57 +0000

Olayinka Oni (IMPM’26), has been appointed non-executive director of Sterling Bank in Nigeria, effective June 2026.

Oni has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of technology, operations and financial services. His earlier career includes senior roles at Sterling Bank, Wema Bank, Microsoft and First City Monument Bank.

Rethinking pension design for Canada’s changing workforce

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:22:19 +0000

More than nine million Canadians lack access to a workplace retirement plan, underscoring the need for pension design that better reflects how people work and live today.

Sébastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance at ��VR��Ƶ Desautels, says expanding access is only part of the solution. “Anything that increases access is good, but then there’s the quality of that retirement package and making sure we have cost-efficient solutions that actually close the gap,” he says.

Making plant‑based eating easy: Why visibility and affordability matter

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:27:53 +0000

Shifting diets toward more plant-based foods could significantly benefit both human and planetary health, yet progress remains slow. Food choices are not simply personal—they are shaped by price, convenience and what stands out in everyday shopping environments.

Recap of the 2026 Dobson International Fundraising Tour

julie.lapalme@affiliate.mcgill.ca — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:48:55 +0000

The Dobson International Fundraising Tour, in partnership with Investissement Québec and the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie, provides unique opportunities for our most promising startups to raise capital, form partnerships, and connect with government and industry leaders across key international markets.

This year, we are proud to have supported 24 ventures as they travelled across nine cities in North America, the UAE, and Europe.

Attractive assets key to bringing pension capital home

admin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:34:13 +0000

Governments across several countries are urging pension funds to increase domestic investments, but success hinges on offering sufficiently attractive, well-governed opportunities.

MIF Evolution II

admin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:59:09 +0000

Back for a 2nd year! Details to follow...

Patrick Augustin on European finance, talent and the case for financial literacy

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:18:38 +0000

Patrick Augustin, Associate Professor of Finance at Desautels and Director of the ��VR��Ƶ Luxembourg Centre for Finance (MLCF), recently joined Serge Weyland, CEO of the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI), on the RTL Luxembourg podcast The Lisa Burke Show to discuss the future of European finance, talent and financial literacy.

Governing AI: why the public must set the moral limits

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:46:49 +0000

Who should decide what artificial intelligence is allowed to do to us?

Increasingly, choices about fairness, risk, and harm are made not by the public, but by the companies building these systems. Even industry leaders admit this is a problem.

As Emmanuelle Vaast, professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management at ��VR��Ƶ puts it, “When corporations alone decide how AI shapes our lives, we risk outsourcing our moral responsibility.”

Canada’s AI strategy targets growth but raises concerns on accountability and equity

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:48:44 +0000

Canada’s “AI for All” strategy, unveiled June 4, pairs over $2 billion in spending with ambitious targets for economic growth and job creation by 2031. Built on pillars like infrastructure, skills and responsible AI, it aims to boost adoption and close Canada’s gap with G7 peers.

But as faculty lecturer Simon Blanchette writes in The Conversation, the plan emphasizes growth more than accountability. Key gaps remain around job displacement, worker protections and oversight of workplace AI, with entry-level roles and equity-seeking groups particularly vulnerable.

The Anthropic shock: Why Canada must rethink AI control

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:42:29 +0000

Who controls access to the artificial intelligence systems shaping our economies and institutions?

As Simon Blanchette, a faculty lecturer at ��VR��Ƶ Desautels, underscores, the U.S.-ordered suspension of Anthropic’s advanced models—cutting off global users overnight—shows how quickly a routine commercial relationship can turn into a strategic vulnerability.

Organizations in Canada and elsewhere lost critical tools without warning or recourse, revealing the risks of relying on foreign-owned AI governed by external laws and priorities.

Rethinking remote work beyond the productivity debate

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:44:12 +0000

As debates over remote work persist, Jean‑Nicolas Reyt, a professor at ��VR��Ƶ’s Desautels Faculty of Management, argues the issue is often misunderstood.

Remote work’s success is not inherent—it hinges on preparation and the quality of management. Reyt notes that early evidence of lower performance may reflect outdated practices rather than the limits of remote work itself.

Nkabom Africa Case Competition: Breaking silos to improve nutritional outcomes in Ghana

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:59:09 +0000

The Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI) Office of Sustainable Africa hosted the inaugural Nkabom Africa Case Competition, bringing together students, researchers, poli