Graduate School of Digital Media Being Contemplated For Toronto

Three Ontario universities - Ryerson, Waterloo and the University of Toronto - are contemplating the creation of a graduate school of digital media to be located in downtown Toronto and which could be up and running within two years.

Ryerson President Sheldon Levy said that the idea is to create a centre where industry can bring their most challenging problems in this field and where graduate students can gain real experience, according to the Globe and Mail. The 3 universities are said to already be collaborating in the area of digital media and the 2 years is really required to locate a physical home for the program.

Games not gangs

Microsoft, Humber College, YMCA, The City of Toronto, and the Humber Students' FederationGlobe and Mail story here. have all pledged funding and in kind contributions to offer a new media centre for inner city youth. The program is aimed at young people aged 9 to 25 and hopes to provide a free outlet to foster creativity by providing equipment, software, curriculum, and mentoring. Concentrating on two of the City's priority areas, Rexdale and Jamestown, the City hopes to take the program to 13 other neighbourhoods plagued by guns, gangs and violence. Truly and community effort here, hopefully support will continue and the program will flourish.

BC schools to offer masters program in digital media

Housed in Vancouver and jointly accredited by the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and British Columbia Institute of Technology, a new Masters Degree in Digital Media will begin with 35 students this fall. British Columbia, home to 1,100 digital media companies, most notably Electronic Arts Inc., sees the move as an attempt to maintain it's position in a global market that is heating up. The provincial government has contributed $40.5 million dollars to the program with support also coming from the private sector. The Globe and Mail has more here.