Kuching’s urban gardens tell a unique story - from papaya trees at doorsteps to herbs on balconies, urban agriculture in Kuching connects residents to their culture, faith, and wellbeing. Research led by former McGill Geography PhD student Dr. Melody Lynch shows that people grow plants not just for food, but for spiritual and cultural reasons, weaving gardening into everyday community life.

January 29, 2026 | In Policy Magazine, Vincent Rigby, writing with Lawrence L. Herman, warns that U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to annex Greenland signals a bigger risk to Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic. They argue that renewed U.S. expansionist rhetoric alongside American rejection of Canada's claim that the Northwest Passage constitutes internal waters raises the prospect of future U.S. military or naval incursions in the region.

January 29, 2026 | Speaking with CBC's The Current, Taylor Owen argued that banning social media for children under 14 is neither feasible or effective, despite growing concerns about the harms young people face online. While acknowledging serious risks, such as mental health impacts and exposure to age-inappropriate content, Owen emphasized that social media also provides real benefits for youth, much as it does for adults.

The Schulich School of Music of McGill University is pleased to announce five finalists for the fourth edition of the Graham Sommer Competition for Young Composers. Established in 2017, this national competition recognizes works for chamber music formations with piano that show significant potential to engage audiences and become standard repertoire. Selected from over 60 Canadian applicants under the age of 35, this year’s finalists will compose new works for sextet (C flute, B-flat clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and vibraphone) to be premiered before a l

Hydrocephalus is a life-threatening condition that occurs in about 1 in 1,000 newborns and is often treated with invasive surgery. Now, a new study offers hope of preventing hydrocephalus before it even occurs.

A preclinical study published in Nature has found evidence that the hippocampus, the brain region that stores memory, also reorganizes memories to anticipate future outcomes.

La version française suit.

A global situation will affect the cost and availability of computer equipment over the next few years.

Key computer components are becoming harder to source and more expensive. This is mainly because large cloud and AI providers are purchasing equipment in increasing volumes, leaving less availability for others.

Industry leaders are warning that:

January 17, 2026 | Vincent Rigby was featured on the Canadian Global Affairs Institute's The Global Exchange podcast to discuss NATO and Canada's global security challenges. Rigby emphasized that strengthening Canada's capabilities, including NORAD modernization and Arctic operations, opens opportunities for collaboration with the United States. He noted the urgency of a former national security strategy, arguing that it has been 22 years since Canada last had one and that current global uncertainties make it more pressing than ever. 

January 26, 2026 | Vincent Rigby joined CBC News to discuss the implications of U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra's recent remarks on Canada's fighter jet procurement and the North American Air Defence Command (NORAD). Rigby described the remarks as "another off-the-cuff," noting that while they cannot be ignored, they should not be taken as a definitive statement on Canada-U.S. defence policy. NORAD remains a shared defence partnership, but political and operational decisions, such as whether to pursue Swedish Gripen or F-35s, can affect Canada's sovereignty.

January 27, 2026 | Vincent Rigby spoke on CBC News to analyze Canada's Arctic sovereignty amid growing concerns of U.S. intentions in the region. Rigby weighed in on the implications of the ICE (Icebreaker Collaboration Effort) Pact, noting its potential to affect control over the Northwest Passage and surrounding Arctic territories. He called for a two-track approach: continue cooperation where possible, while urgently strengthening its own Arctic military and surveillance capabilities.

The French government announced on Jan. 27 the rollout of its new videoconferencing platform, Visio. The domestically developed platform was created to replace U.S. tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams across all state services by 2027 as part of the French government’s broader push for digital sovereignty. Officials say the shift will also cut software licensing costs and strengthen security and confidentiality.

McGill experts are available to comment on this topic:

January 26, 2026 | MPP student Woyesa Worana wrote for the Policy Magazine on Ethiopia's rapidly shrinking civic space as the country approaches its June elections. He argued that the rollback of press freedom and civil society protections marks a sharp reversal from the optimism of the 2018 reforms. He further added that citizens are increasingly being excluded from decisions actively shaping their lives.

Premier événement francophone du Département de géographie à McGill!

Venez découvrir des recherches fascinantes présentées en français par nos profs, diplômé.e.s et étudiant.e.s. On aura même des petites sucreries pour terminer avec une belle réception!

Ouvert à toutes et à tous!

-

First francophone event of the McGill Geography Department!

Join us to learn about fascinating research presented in French by our Profs, alumni and students. We will even have some sweet treats to finish up the event with a nice reception!

Congratulations to Dr. Bridget Andersen, who has received the Dr. Allie Vibert Douglas Astrophysics PhD Thesis Prize! 

Karl Moore, Associate Professor (Prof.) of Strategy & Organization at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, argues that mental fitness is rapidly becoming a core leadership advantage. In his recent article, he highlights that leaders who are wellrested, physically prepared, and mentally regulated make clearer decisions and perform more effectively under pressure.

As US President Donald Trump threatened to take control of Greenland by any means necessary, European countries weighed a response. After decades of low levels of investment in their militaries, Europeans wouldn’t fare well in a head-to-head confrontation with an invading force from the United States. But collectively, Europe’s economy is huge, and they hold large numbers of US Treasury Bonds—the financial instrument through which the US government issues debt.

Generative AI is changing the way people work, but many organizations are still looking for ways to use it effectively. Organizations need to think about how they want to use AI, and what their level of risk appetite.

According to Study International, McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management is preparing graduates to thrive in a business landscape defined by data, speed, and global fluency.

Canada’s new trade deal with China will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles to be imported each year. That accounts for about 10% of electric vehicle sales in the country.

Research by an interdisciplinary team from McGill University and Université Laval provides new insights into the links between social factors and cognitive health among aging adults.

While previous research had found positive correlations between specific measures of social connectedness and a variety of health outcomes, this study appears to have been the first to create profiles aggregating multiple social factors and to see how those correlated with cognitive health in older adults, the researchers said.