This November, UBC Arts faculty made headlines across major outlets including Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, Time Magazine, CBC, and The Economist. Their expertise informed stories on climate policy, migration, political leadership, nuclear energy, and the social and psychological impacts of AI and technology.
Centre for Migration Studies
B.C. allocates one-third of international undergraduate seats to private institutions. Here’s why that matters
Dr. Lisa Brunner says recent policy shifts and rhetoric around international students have hurt Canada’s reputation and recruitment efforts.
Vancouver Sun
In Panama, migrants hail a boat ride south, away from their American dream
Dr. Caitlyn Yates cautions that current migration measures are only temporary fixes and that growing displacement will demand a more comprehensive long-term approach.
El Paso Times
Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions
Online harassment is silencing Canada’s health experts — institutions need to do more to protect them
Drs. Heidi Tworek and Chris Tenove and research assistant Netheena Neena Mathews write about how online harassment is silencing Canada’s health experts.
The Conversation
Department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies
Opinion: There is no fairness if we cannot cheat
Dr. Farid Laroussi reflects on how AI and digital technology are changing learning, thinking, and academic life.
The Ubyssey
Department of Geography
StatCan study: B.C. mothers born outside of Canada had half of all babies born last year in the province
Professor Emeritus Dr. David Ley explained that studies in places with very low fertility rates, including Singapore and Hong Kong, have shown affordability issues “loom large” in fertility behaviour.
Vancouver Sun
COP30: Governments must empower forest communities to keep fossil fuels underground
Dr. Philippe Le Billon writes that empowering forest communities and protecting their lands is essential to keeping fossil fuels in the ground and advancing global climate goals.
The Conversation
Department of History
Second World War veterans are a shrinking presence on Remembrance Day
Dr. David Borys comments on the impact of WWII veterans being present in Canadian life, and how it is changing.
The Globe and Mail
Department of Linguistics
UNILAG VC urges creation of homegrown African AI solutions
Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Mageed urged African researchers to build AI tools that reflect the continent’s linguistic and cultural diversity and noted that such efforts would give voice to the African continent.
The Punch
Department of Philosophy
New York Times draws backlash over podcast on ‘liberal feminism in the workplace’
Post-doctoral fellow Celia Edell warns that blaming women or “liberal” feminism for societal and institutional shifts is risky and reflects a broader “moral panic.”
CTVNews
Department of Political Science
Premier Eby to face leadership review vote during weekend B.C. NDP convention
Dr. Stewart Prest comments on the upcoming B.C. NDP leadership review vote and the political pressures surrounding it.
Abbotsford News
New York Times draws backlash over podcast on ‘liberal feminism in the workplace’
Dr. Jennifer Berdahl comments on public reactions to the NYT podcast on feminism in the workplace.
CP24
Carney’s fiscal plan to grow the Canadian economy
Dr. Stewart Prest comments on the release of the 2025 federal budget.
Global News, City News
Politics insider: Budget set to boost defence, trim public service
Dr. Michael Byers makes a brief comment on the risk of Canada’s complicity in the high-seas killings committed by the U.S.
The Globe and Mail
Mark Carney’s apology to Donald Trump: Far from ‘elbows up,’ it seems Canada has no elbows at all
Dr. Stewart Prest writes about Mark Carney’s controversial apology to Donald Trump, questioning its implications for Canada’s diplomatic standing.
Yahoo Canada
Space race with China drives antenna-building boom in Arctic
Dr. Michael Byers comments on how geopolitical competition with China is driving rapid infrastructure development in the Arctic.
Bloomberg
Will B.C. electrify its economy? BC Hydro doubts it
Dr. Kathryn Harrison discusses challenges and uncertainties in British Columbia’s transition to a fully electrified economy.
The Tyee
Green industrial policy race in Asia quickens despite US retreat
Dr. Yves Tiberghien analyzes the acceleration of green industrial strategies in Asia amid U.S. policy retreat.
East Asia Forum
Department of Psychology
‘Breathing’ robots reveal how fear spreads through touch
Professor Jessica Tracy’s Emotion Lab shows that emotions can be communicated via ‘breathing’ robots.
Medical Xpress
You’ve heard of FOMO. But do you have FOFO?
Dr. Steven Taylor weighs in on the fear of finding out and why avoidance is becoming a modern anxiety response.
Time Magazine
The rumors are true: Everything is better when we share it together, new study finds
Dr. Elizabeth Dunn’s research shows that people experience more satisfaction when experiences are shared with others.
Ideastream Public Media
How to find your life’s purpose: The biggest lessons from the world’s top experts
Dr. Eric Kim notes that having a sense of purpose can help people cope better with stress and may support healthier aging overall.
Science Focus
Why time feels like it’s speeding up, and how to slow the pace
Dr. Kalina Christoff Hadjiilieva comments that making space for reflection, including revisiting memories and pausing to think, can help life feel less rushed and slow our sense of time passing.
The Globe and Mail
UBC professor, psychiatrist examines daily psychosocial factors, health effects
Dr. Nancy Sin explains that ordinary daily ups and downs, both stressors and positive moments, play a powerful role in shaping our long-term health.
The Hoya
Mystical beliefs predict a meaningful life even without organized religion
New research from Dr. Steven Heine provides evidence that holding mystical beliefs predicts a greater sense of meaning in life, regardless of whether one is religious or not.
PsyPost
Imagine if Donald Trump’s lies cost him his job. Wales is working on that law — and a Toronto doctor wants Canada next
Dr. Leanne ten Brinke discusses the potential consequences of public officials spreading false information.
The Star
People who know they’re really attractive display these behaviors
Dr. Jessica Tracy discusses how self‑perceived attractiveness can influence the way people behave.
Yahoo Life
Hillels expand mental-health supports as Jewish students retreat from campus life amid rising antisemitism
The article highlights research by PhD student Talia Morstead and Dr. Anita DeLongis on how Jewish students are coping after October 7, 2023.
The Canadian Jewish News
Department of Sociology
Artificial intelligence is front and centre at COP30
Dr. David Tindall highlights AI’s growing role at COP30 and its potential benefits and risks.
The Conversation
Is Canada adopting ICE anti-migrant tactics?
Dr. Irene Bloemraad examines Canadian migration policies in the context of U.S. border enforcement practices.
The Tyee
Museum of Anthropology
Learning to unlearn about Tibet
Curator and Associate Professor Dr. Fuyubi Nakamura writes about a new exhibit at MOA that seeks to challenge the enduring images of Tibet and Tibetans.
The Tyee
‘Entangled Territories’: UBC museum exhibit features Tibetan-Canadian heritage
The Museum of Anthropology showcases Tibetan-Canadian stories and cultural heritage through a new exhibit.
CityNews
School of Journalism, Writing and Media
Why the world’s largest-known spider web surprised this scientist
Alumna Catherine Zhu reports on the biggest spider web in the world.
CBC
School of Music
Dr. Robert Komaniecki cultivates confidence and community in the music room
Dr. Komaniecki, a UBC music theory lecturer, discusses how he helps students build confidence and explore music across genres.
The Ubyssey
School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Saskatchewan plans to use dirty coal as ‘bridge’ to nuclear
Dr. M.V. Ramana discusses environmental and financial impacts of Saskatchewan’s plans to use coal as a bridge to nuclear power.
The Flatlander
UNILAG, LASU partner to boost Nigeria’s fish production, employment
Dr. Rashid Sumaila is leading a team to address the challenges faced by Nigeria’s fisheries industry.
Nigerian Tribune
New U.S nuclear power boom begins with old, still-unsolved problem: What to do with radioactive waste
Dr. Allison Macfarlane emphasizes that nuclear waste can be safely managed with the right long-term approach.
CNBC
Playing pipeline politics: B.C. left out of rumoured Alberta MOU talks
Professor emeritus Dr. George Hoberg explains the political dynamics behind B.C.’s exclusion from Alberta’s pipeline discussions.
Abbotsford News
What Xi hopes to gain from tapping into his predecessor’s legacy
Dr. Timothy Cheek comments on the political significance of Xi Jinping invoking Hu Yaobang’s legacy.
The Christian Science Monitor
Vancouver School of Economics
Universal child care can harm children
Drs. Kevin Milligan and co-author Michael Baker (U of T) have their research cited in an article about universal childcare.
The Economist
