Being an introvert or an extrovert isn’t an either-or proposition. People who fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum are called ambiverts, and ambiversion can be a beneficial trait in business leaders. Prof. Karl Moore estimates that about 20% of business leaders are true ambiverts. But ambiversion is a kind of superpower for a leader—it allows them to adapt with greater ease than people at either extreme of the spectrum.

Large Canadian companies such as Rogers, RBC and BMO recently announced their employees will be required to spend more time in the office moving forward. Many employees aren’t happy about it at all. “Research tells us that employees are more productive when they can work the way they want to,” said Prof. Jean-Nicolas Reyt in an interview with Radio-Canada’s Les faits d’abord. When employees telecommute, they have a greater ability to focus and don’t spend so much time commuting to and from work.

On August 1, a 35 per cent US tariff on Canadian goods came into effect. But these tariffs are less about trade and more about political leverage, says Vivek Astvansh, associate professor of quantitative marketing and analytics at McGill Desautels.

1. Anim EP, Mezzanotte J, Chu S, Stochaj U. Bioorthogonal Non-Canonical Amino Acid Tagging (BONCAT) to Detect Newly Synthesized Proteins in Cells and their Secretome. protocols io 10.17504, (2025). https://www.protocols.io/view/bioorthogonal-non-canonical-amino-acid-tagging-bon-gzcqbx2vx.html

Please be advised that the Lecture Recording System is currently unavailable for students, staff and faculty due to unexpected technical issues. Our IT team is actively working to resolve the problem and restore service as soon as possible.

more info can be found here: https://csmb-scbm.ca/membership/csmb-fellows/

Update - Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Afternoon:

Staff and students can now access Minerva without any issues.

Original announcement:

Staff and students may currently experience difficulties accessing Minerva. Our IT Services team is actively working to resolve the issue. We appreciate your patience and will provide updates as soon as possible.

The Faculty of Education is hosting three research presentations by Canada Research Chair candidates as part of a special open call for First Nations, Inuit and Métis applicants in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education. See the schedule below and consider participating in these enlightening opportunities for learning and connecting:

Nicole Lugosi-Schimpf, PhD

Speaking for Ourselves: Indigenous Educational and Leadership over our Identities, Stories, and Histories

August 19, 2025, 1:30 - 3:15 PM

August 14, 2025 | McGill University, in partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS), hosted Canada’s National Consultation for the upcoming X Summit of the Americas. Pearl Eliadis was among the contributors recognized for advancing an inter-American conversation rooted in openness, purpose, and collective action. The event, organized through the McGill School of Continuing Studies, brought together voices from civil society, academia, government, and communities.

McGill University is once again proud to be an Official Nominator of the Earthshot Prize. As an Official Nominator, we are part of a global community invited to submit nominations, selected for our ability to identify the most impactful solutions across all sectors worldwide.

The Earthshot Prize is a global environmental prize and platform for impact, dedicated to finding and growing solutions that will repair our planet this decade, in five categories or Earthshots.

August 13, 2025 | In The Logic, Jennifer Welsh was quoted on Canada’s longstanding overreliance on the United States. Drawing from her 2004 book, Welsh warned that Canada was deluding itself in thinking it was America’s “best friend,” since a hyperpower has only associates, not true allies. She argued that Canada suffers from “middle power syndrome,” a self-limiting mindset that prioritizes process and coalition-building over meaningful action, putting the country at risk of sliding into irrelevance as a sovereign state.

Last week, La Presse reporters spoke to agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault about a recent price surge of 62.58% for Ghanaian cocoa, a move aimed at supporting its struggling farmers. This significant price hike is expected to affect not only other cocoa-producing countries but also global chocolate manufacturers and consumers.

March 7, 2025 | Jennifer Welsh with Marie-Joëlle Zahar, authored “What Future for Peace Operations?” published by Cambridge University Press. The article examines the growing challenges facing UN peace operations, which have long been seen as a model of effective multilateralism. Welsh and Zahar highlight how changing conflict dynamics, rising expectations, and disinformation campaigns are straining the UN’s ability to deliver peace.

January 2025 | Jennifer Welsh, alongside co-authors Adam Kochanski and Emily K. M. Scott, wrote "Localization in World Politics: Bridging Theory and Practice" in Global Studies Quarterly. The article introduces a special forum on the concept of localization, exploring its significance in both international relations theory and real-world policy. It addresses why localization has gained attention, its historical roots, what and who is considered “local,” and how localization can be studied.

Welcome to McGill! McGill Office of Religious and Spiritual Life serves students of all backgrounds and belief systems seeking personal growth, inner wellness, interfaith community and learning, and spiritual support. All of our resources and activities, including our workshops, events, publications, lounge and meditation space are free of charge and open to all McGill students who pay student services fees. 

August 8, 2025 | Christopher Ragan was quoted by The Financial Post in the context of Ontario Premier Doug Ford publicly urging the Bank of Canada to cut interest rates—a move the article compares to Donald Trump’s public pressure on the U.S. Federal Reserve. Ragan emphasized that central bank independence from “day-to-day politics” is crucial for maintaining market and economic confidence.

August 5, 2025 | Anil Wasif, MPP '21, in his article for Policy Magazine, argues that low- and middle-income countries should prioritize context-specific solutions over expensive, large-scale AI models. He contends that successful adoption depends on adapting existing technologies to local realities. A process known as “architectural innovation” rather than pursuing capital-intensive invention.

August 12, 2025 | Vincent Rigby was quoted by The Walrus as one of several former Canadian intelligence leaders who have shifted from skepticism to support for creating a Canadian foreign spy agency. The article traces decades of Ottawa’s reluctance to build such a service, relying instead on allies like the U.S. and the U.K. for intelligence gathered abroad.

To all Finance users,

The month of July 2025 is closed. You may pick up your Minerva Financial Statements by logging into Minerva via https://horizon.mcgill.ca/minerva

This link will bring you directly to the Finance (Fund) Administration Menu >> Financial Statements menu option.

We are thrilled to announce that Yumi Dille, PhD student in Human Genetics program supervised by Dr. Myriam Srour, has received the Outstanding Oral Presentation Award at the BE-STEMM 2025 Conference, organized by the Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN) and hosted at the University of Calgary.