Yukon College leads country in college research intensity

Yukon College (YC) ranked first in Canada among all colleges for research intensity, and third and fifth respectively for research funding and partnerships among small colleges, according to the newly released Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges by Research Infosource Inc.

The study reports that research income growth for Canadian colleges has decreased significantly compared to previous years. In 2014, Canadian colleges saw a minimal increase of 4.7% in research income growth, following two strong years of +30%. Despite this change, Yukon College’s research income remained relatively stable at $4.2M, alongside large colleges whose student population overshadows YC’s small northern population.

While income growth appears to be declining nationally, faculty engagement has increased by 14.3%. Colleges have also increased their research partnerships by 15.6%, with Yukon College ranking 5th for small Canadian colleges.

“Our research partnerships rarely end when the project is completed; we have had a number of  partners return and engage in additional projects as our researchers are providing important information to help solve their problems”, said Dr. Chris Hawkins, VP Research & Community Engagement. “We are also building a strong knowledge economy with the involvement of students who then gain skills that make them competitive in the job market".

Expanding northern research and innovation is one of Yukon College’s strategic directions and an important element in its transition to becoming a university. It is through research and innovation that Yukon can improve the lives of northerners by solving northern problems with northern expertise. Yukon College is working throughout the territory with First Nations and local governments, industry, and communities, to address northern challenges. Student involvement has been a priority with over 50 students over the past few years, ranging from Yukon College students to PhD candidates.

Additional information on Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges can be found on the Research Infosource Inc. website.

Yukon Research Centre (YRC) is the research arm of Yukon College. The thematic research areas at the YRC include: biodiversity monitoring, climate change, cold climate innovation, environmental remediation, social science, and technology innovation. The Yukon Research Centre is funded by government of Yukon’s (YG) Department of Education with funding for innovation from YG’s Economic Development.