91亚色 Biology Professor Kohitij Kar, in the Faculty of Science, will host the recipient of a prestigious (MSCA) Postdoctoral Global Fellowship in his lab for two years starting this November to advance cutting-edge work in artificial intelligence and visual tracking.  

The recipient, from the University of Udine in Italy, received a fellowship valued at C$340,000 from MSCA, which empowers researchers wishing to carry out their work abroad.

Dunnhofer is an award-winning researcher at the Machine Learning & Perception Lab in the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, & Physics of the University of Udine.

His fellowship project, titled 鈥淭owards primate-like artificial neural networks for visual object tracking,鈥� will focus on studying algorithms at the intersection of artificial intelligence and neuroscience in the field of visual object tracking. Visual object tracking is the use of algorithms in continuously recognizing objects, such as people and vehicles, and has applications in fields like autonomous driving, robotics and medicine.

The project will draw on Kar鈥檚 expertise as a Canada Research Chair in Visual Neuroscience and his experience leading the Visual Intelligence & Technological Advances Laboratory, which is a core part of the Vision: Science to Technology Application Program, the Centre for Integrative & Applied Neuroscience, and the Centre for Vision Research at 91亚色. His research lies at the intersection of neurophysiological investigations of visual intelligence in non-human primates and artificial intelligence systems. He is using his findings to develop artificial intelligence systems that mimic the primate brain in hopes of developing treatment strategies for neurological disorders.

As typically encouraged by the Marie Curie fellowships, Dunnhofer will augment his expertise in computer vision with Kar鈥檚 lab鈥檚 expertise in studying computations within biological vision systems like non-human primates.

For more information about the fellowship program, visit the .

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YSpace, 91亚色's innovation hub, has partnered with 91亚色 Region to launch the new ELLA Incubator program, an initiative designed to empower aspiring women entrepreneurs in the technology industry by offering essential resources and mentorship to help them grow and scale their business ventures beyond their launch.

YSpace ELLA was created to support women entrepreneurs in launching and growing their businesses. Since 2020, it has achieved significant success, supporting over 150 women entrepreneurs in raising over $10 million in capital, generating over $20 million in revenue and creating numerous jobs.

The ELLA Incubator program is part of YSpace鈥檚 broader Project JumpSTART initiative, which focuses on driving economic development and innovation within 91亚色 Region. The collaborative effort brings together YSpace, the Schulich School of Business鈥檚 Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, the Treefrog Accelerator and 91亚色 Region to foster a supportive environment for entrepreneurs.

The new program is membership based, offering participants access to networking events, educational workshops and webinars, regular check-ins with advisors and more.

"Our goal is to provide women entrepreneurs with the tools, mentorship and community they need to achieve their business aspirations,鈥� says Nicole Troster, ELLA entrepreneurship manager. 鈥淭he ELLA Incubator is dedicated to create an environment where innovative ideas can flourish.鈥�

David Kwok, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at YSpace, adds: "The ELLA Incubator program represents our commitment to fostering innovation, supporting women entrepreneurs.鈥�

The ELLA Incubator is part of YSpace's broader mission to cultivate a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, fostering collaboration between industry leaders and emerging entrepreneurs. This program is now open to women entrepreneurs in the technology sector, with a primary focus on companies that are based in or looking to expand into 91亚色 Region.

To learn more about the ELLA Incubator program and how to apply, visit YSpace's ELLA Incubator web page.

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Three researchers from the Lassonde School of Engineering at 91亚色 have received support for innovative interdisciplinary research projects from the Lassonde Innovation Fund (LIF), an initiative that helps advance work that addresses global challenges and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This year鈥檚 LIF initiatives focus on a range of topics, spanning from green roof innovation to exploring planetary skies. Through these projects, faculty members are committed to advancing scientific research and creating solutions for a more just and sustainable world.

Learn more about this year鈥檚 LIF projects below.

Project: 鈥淎ssessing Hydraulic and Thermal Performance of Green Roof鈥� by Magdalena Krol

Krol, an associate professor of civil engineering, will leverage her expertise, and that of civil engineering Professor Usman Khan, as well as the testing capacity of the , to compare the performance of conventional roofs against green roofs.

Green roofs have the ability to both mitigate flood risk by retaining storm water and reduce energy costs of buildings and homes. Currently, there is limited research that critically evaluates the performance difference between conventional and green roofs, creating a significant knowledge gap in urban sustainability.

This project 鈥� a first of its kind 鈥� aims to bridge the gap by constructing modules of both roof types and monitoring their behaviour under realistic conditions such as fluctuating temperature, precipitation and humidity. Using various tools and technologies, data will be collected over time to analyze specific performance indicators, including storm water retention and energy dissipation.

Establishing a thorough understanding of green roof efficiency is crucial for further development of design guidelines and encouraging the adoption of these systems in urban areas.

Project: 鈥淚nterpretable Learning of Bio-signaling Systems via Data-driven Graph Analysis鈥� by Gene Cheung

A professor of electrical engineering and computer science, Cheung鈥檚 initiative will build on existing research exploring the use of a graph-based tool to evaluate and classify biological signals, as well as evaluate the response of cells, in the eye.

In collaboration with Andrew Eckford, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, as well as Yuji Nakatsukasa, an associate professor at the University of Oxford, the researchers will apply their expertise to refine the graph-based classifier to determine exactly which cells are responding to particular visual information.

This advanced tool has the potential to increase understanding of the visual system, helping inform the development of assistive technologies for visual impairments. The project also serves as a foundation for future work that aims to extend analyses to more diverse and complex biological signals.

Project: 鈥淧erceiving Planetary Skies through Space, Time, and Experience鈥� by John Moores

Moores, an associate professor in the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, will pursue a project that blends art and science to create space-themed immersive experiences inspired by data gathered from planetary skies. This research is driven by the idea that engaging with planetary data in a more captivating way can help reshape our understanding of other planets.

Moores will work in collaboration with Sarah Rugheimer, an associate professor in the Faculty of Science; Jennifer Steeves, a professor in the Faculty of Health; and Ian Garrett, an associate professor in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design.

The project includes three objectives: utilizing radiative heat transfer techniques to model alien skies, developing immersive exhibits that simulate exotic space environments, and analyzing individuals鈥� psychological and physiological responses to these space-themed displays.

This interdisciplinary research promises to investigate, inform and inspire, fostering a deeper connection between space and humanity, while advancing understanding of planetary skies.

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Janine Marchessault 鈥� a professor in 91亚色's School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design and the 91亚色 Research Chair in Media Arts and Community Engagement, who recently 鈥� is building alliances between institutional and community-led media archives from around the world through efforts like the Global Audiovisual Archiving (GAVA) Conference and more.

The GAVA Conference was conceived by the Eye Filmmuseum, a unique Dutch museum dedicated to film preservation and education, in 2021 as an international forum to forge connections and identify challenges within the field of media archiving. Smaller collections, in particular, are vulnerable to disappearance and inaccessibility and, according to Marchessault, are in urgent need of care as a matter of social justice and human rights.

鈥淭he problems that smaller archives face include a lack of storage space, funds to access digitization technologies, specialized labour and formal archival training," says Marchessault, the principal investigator of Archive/Counter-Archive, a project and research network dedicated to activating and preserving audiovisual archives created by Indigenous Peoples, Black communities and people of colour, women, 2SLGBT2QIA+ and immigrant communities. "Often, these kinds of 鈥榖est practices鈥� are defined by richer institutions, without due consideration of or engagement with the contexts, resources and politics of other regions.鈥�

Among the possible solutions is international collaboration, which GAVA looked to foster with the conference鈥檚 鈥淏uilding Alliances鈥� theme this year. Gathering an interdisciplinary assortment of over 200 archivists, artists, filmmakers, scholars and activists from around the world at the TIFF Lightbox in downtown Toronto, GAVA provided a space for new collaborations and partnerships to develop. The conference laid the foundation for a new global research network of community-based archives to work with and support one another.

鈥淲e gathered an impressive group of presenters whose innovative engagements are redefining what archives are, where they exist and how they are experienced,鈥� explains Marchessault. The goal is to build a platform that is more inclusive and accessible for smaller archival organizations and projects, which makes it different from other large international archiving conferences.

Supported through a Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant and Connections Grant, GAVA was co-organized by the 91亚色-based project Archive/Counter-Archive: Activating Canada's Moving Image Heritage, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Eye Filmmuseum. All three organizations are united by their dedication to generating new archival film methodologies and the preservation of precarious and marginalized media archives.

To extend the conference鈥檚 goal of sharing knowledge and resources between established and underfunded media archives, Marchessault is currently working with the Eye Filmmuseum to develop a new international platform for archivists, artists, activists, and scholars from around the world to share information and resources. She will also co-edit a special issue of the journal Public: Art/Culture/Ideas with other members of the GAVA advisory board to capture the cutting-edge ideas presented at the conference.

According to Marchessault, creating alliances with international archives 鈥� focusing on community-based organizations 鈥� is critical at this time. With the world facing shared ecological and political challenges, a global perspective on archives fosters important solidarities through shared resources and co-created knowledge.

Those alliances also underscore the driving premise of the GAVA Network, which is that community-based archives defined by social movements and shared identities can create forms of knowledge that challenge social and political inequities.

The outcome, says Marchessault, can lead to 鈥渄esigning practices of care and pedagogical approaches for the next generation of archivists, artists, activists, humanists and historians in ways that are inclusive, expansive and liberatory.鈥�

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New research from 91亚色鈥檚 Schulich School of Business shows that multinational enterprises (MNEs) face three key challenges when doing business in China: organizational legitimacy, the protection of property rights and adjusting to national industrial policies.

The research findings are contained in the paper titled 鈥�,鈥� published in the Journal of International Business Studies. The paper is co-authored by Yigang Pan, a professor of marketing and international business at Schulich, together with Caleb H. Tse from Nanyang Business School in Singapore, Klaus E. Meyer from Ivey Business School in London, Ont., and Tailan Chi from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The study reviewed 331 papers on MNE strategies and operations in China published in top international business and management journals between 2001 and 2022. The researchers looked at the opportunities and challenges that China鈥檚 distinct state-led capitalism created for MNEs in China. The researchers focused on six aspects of MNE strategies and operations: market entry, strategic alliances, innovation and knowledge sharing, global value chain strategies, guanxi (a Chinese term referring to the system of social networks and influential relationships that facilitate business dealings) and relationship management, and non-market strategies.    

鈥淎s China鈥檚 economy rose to become the second largest in the world, its institutions did not converge with those of other advanced economies as predicted by many western observers,鈥� says Pan. 鈥淎s a result, how multinational enterprises engage with China鈥檚 changing institutional context needed to be revisited, and this study shows how MNEs are adapting, as well as the key challenges they face.鈥�

Pan says the paper鈥檚 findings open the door to further research on other issues, including how MNEs are navigating the growing geopolitical tensions between China and the U.S. and the rise of deglobalization and protectionism.

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The 91亚色 SDGs-in-the-Classroom Toolkit, designed to assist the interdisciplinary infusion of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in academic curriculums, recently earned a prestigious spot as an international finalist for the Green Gown Awards, which recognize exceptional sustainability initiatives. It serves as culmination of the pioneering journey to create it.

The seed of the SDG toolkit began in 2021 with Provostial Fellow and Professor Cheryl van Daalen-Smith. She wanted to create shared practices to promote and enable the infusion of all 17 SDGs into classrooms across 91亚色 campuses and disciplines.

A community of practice was formed with over 60 educators and the decision was made that a toolkit could be a useful communal resource. Tracy Bhoola, a SDGs project coordinator and manager in the Graduate Supervisory Support Hub and former ESL instructor, as well as doctoral student and research assistant Nitima Bhatia, were enlisted to create a comprehensive online tool that would help faculty across 91亚色 better integrate SDGs into learning environments through discussions, lessons or curriculums.

But what should that toolkit look like?

Bhoola and Bhatia first turned to faculty, creating a survey asking participants what they would want out of the SDG toolkit, how they would use it, and what would make it most user-friendly.

鈥淲e wanted to know how we can make things easier and simpler for everybody so that they can access it,鈥� says Bhatia.

The survey provided two guiding principles: faculty wanted relevant resources to be accessible in three clicks or less, and that they be organized by discipline and individual SDG.

鈥淭hat forced us to make sure we were organized and ask, 鈥楥ould we get people what they wanted,鈥欌�� says Bhoola.

The pair began researching what toolkits may already exist at other academic institutions to gain inspiration from how they were organized. They found nothing comparable to what they had in mind for 91亚色. As for possible resources to include in the toolkits, most were only applicable to elementary education 鈥� not college or university.

It fell then to Bhatia and Bhoola to be something of pioneers, investing uncountable hours to not only find existing resources and materials, but then adapt them for the university level curriculums. Along the way they leveraged their unique experiences and perspectives as teacher and student to aid the project, assessing resources based on how they might use them.

The pair also continued to draw on faculty feedback, not just from the survey but ongoing collaborations. 鈥淭hey needed to be involved because if people are asked questions and are involved in each step of the process, they're invested more,鈥� Bhoola says.

After six months of work, the SDGs-in-the-Classroom Toolkit launched in June 2022, featuring lesson plans, case studies, classroom support materials, reports, course design guidance and more.

Since its launch, the toolkit has been accessed by educators and students from over 50 countries, expanding its pool of collaborators along the way. Within Canada, for example, George Brown College reached out to partner on expanding the toolkit鈥檚 experiential education section, the University of Calgary鈥檚 Haskayne School of Business added to the business section, and the University of British Columbia contributed to the wellness section. International institutions have reached out to provide content as well.

鈥淚t's nice to have that collaboration and build on that community, so it's not just the 91亚色 community 鈥� it鈥檚 beyond,鈥� says Bhoola.

The external collaborations following the toolkit鈥檚 launch have been important too in contributing to one of the team鈥檚 major ongoing goals. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just that we got these resources and we created this toolkit and that鈥檚 it,鈥� says Bhatia. 鈥淲e wanted it to be a living and breathing thing.鈥�

As the toolkit moves forward and evolves, that鈥檚 something Bhoola and Bhatia want to remind internal collaborators too, urging faculty to continue sharing how they鈥檙e using the toolkit, what resources they like and if there鈥檚 something missing that they would like to see.

As Bhatia and Bhoola reflect on the year since the tool launched 鈥� and the recent Green Gown Awards finalist nomination 鈥� they feel grateful for the engagement. 鈥淚t validates our efforts, and the hours upon hours that we've put into it,鈥� says Bhoola.

It also gives them a push, says Bhatia. 鈥淚t keeps inspiring us, giving us the motivation and encouragement to keep going.鈥� Bhoola agrees: 鈥淚t reinforces our commitment towards the SDGs and our toolkit.鈥�

That commitment remains strong, especially as both are very cognizant of the stakes and potential impact the SDGs can have.

鈥淚f we can help bring those to them, or put them into the classroom, that's what's going to drive the change in the future,鈥� says Bhoola. 鈥淲e need to make sure that we're constantly there for teachers and students so that they can right the future.鈥�

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Understanding the behaviour of microplastics 鈥� the tiny plastic fragments causing concern across the globe due to risks they pose to human health and the environment 鈥� is crucial for the development of strategies to mitigate their environmental impact.

鈥淢icroplastics are showing up in impossible-to-reach places 鈥� as far as Arctic regions 鈥� and we want to know how these particles are being transported to such remote locations,鈥� says Mark Gordon, an associate professor in the Earth & Space Science & Engineering Department at 91亚色鈥檚 Lassonde School of Engineering. 鈥淥ne idea we have is that shape may have a significant impact on the way these particles travel.鈥�

Through ongoing research, Gordon and Ronald Hanson, an associate professor in Lassonde's Mechanical Engineering Department, are working collaboratively and applying their distinct expertise to answer the question of whether or not shape matters.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to assume that all particles are spheres, but microplastics aren鈥檛 one uniform shape,鈥� explains Hanson. 鈥淭hey are very interesting particles, with twists and turns and different sizes. Think about miniature shards of tires or tiny pieces of fabric threads.鈥�

Initiating this research, Gordon that investigates the deposition and trajectory of different sizes and shapes of microplastics using a model called HYSPLIT. This work was led by his graduate student Eric Ward, who committed many hours to number crunching and complex calculations, exploring the diverse behaviours of uniquely shaped microplastics.

Results of this study showed that irregularly shaped microplastics, specifically those larger than six micrometres, exhibit significantly different behaviour than common, sphere-shaped particles. In fact, some of the uniquely-shaped microplastics were deposited over an area that was 32 per cent larger than that covered by similarly sized, sphere-shaped particles.

This research serves as a starting point for future work that can support the development of more accurate air quality models, by incorporating information about the behaviour of different shapes of microplastics.

Complementary to this research, Hanson is working on to help establish the best parameters for representing microplastics of varying shape in air quality models.

鈥淲e are looking at how we should be modelling microplastics, what information we should put into these systems and how accurately models reflect real-world data,鈥� he explains.

Specifically, Hanson worked with his PhD student Amirhossein Hamidi and former MASc student Daniel Daramsing to investigate how straight and cylindrical, rod-shaped microplastics behave during transport and deposition. Together, they designed an experiment that involved dropping tiny rods into a solution of water and glycerine to simulate microplastic transport. Images of this activity were captured using specialized cameras and analyzed with their custom-built software.

鈥淭hrough laboratory experiments, we were able to study the activity of different shaped rods and apply mathematical calibrations to determine their trajectory,鈥� he says.

Among the many findings, results from these experiments demonstrated that curved, cylindrical rods settle much faster than straight rods, and curvature has a direct impact on the speed at which rods fall.

Not only did this project provide insight into the behaviour of rod-shaped microplastics during transport but it also helped establish a usable model that can predict specific properties of microplastic fibres in the atmosphere.

So, does the shape of microplastics matter? According to the research of professors Gordon and Hanson, it probably does.

In support of future work, the duo is hoping to recruit additional student researchers and further explore how air quality models can be enhanced by incorporating the behaviour of uniquely shaped microplastics. This initiative aims to support scientific research advancement, while contributing to the development of practical solutions for a sustainable world, by improving methods for accurate monitoring and control of microplastic pollution.

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Four undergraduate students from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculties of Science and Health were among 17 individuals selected from across Canada to participate in the 2024 Ward Family Summer Student Research Program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

The 12-week program offers students an opportunity to work alongside leading scientists in the field of pediatric disability and developmental differences.

The 91亚色 students and their summer research projects are:

Vivien Ayllon-Kovacs

Ayllon-Kovacs is entering her third year in biomedical science (honours). Her research focuses on the relationship between brain activity and connectivity and language impairments across neurodevelopmental disorders. Her summer project explored the use of the Oral and Written Language Scales, 2nd edition (OWLS-II) tool to determine the relationship between oral language and brain measures in neurodivergent children compared to typically developing children.

The study found that the OWLS-II is effective for measuring language functionality, and that some brain regions may have a different influence on language functionality in both subject groups.

Huda Jirreh

Jirreh recently graduated with a BSc in biomedical science (honours) from 91亚色. She is interested in exploring the clinical applications of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology as a means to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. During the Ward research program, she designed a BCI-controlled music instrument in collaboration with other researchers, clinicians, and music therapists.

Following the completion of the summer program, Jirreh will conduct a case study to analyze the effectiveness of using the instrument in music therapy to improve attention in children with cerebral palsy.

Sajeela Rana

Rana is entering her third year of biomedical science, minoring in psychology. During the Ward summer program, she conducted a systematic chart review of patients from Holland Bloorview鈥檚 psychopharmacology clinic, allowing her to gain a deeper grasp on the holistic aspects of client and family care. This work inspired her research question examining the relationship between financial barriers to care and burnout for caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

She hopes that, in the near future, comprehensive care can consist of support for caregivers鈥� mental health, respite access and financial resource navigation to reduce caregiver strain.

Zahra Wakif

Wakif is a third-year student in psychology (specialized honours). She is interested in accessible care with a focus on mental health, and aspires to recognize and alleviate inequities in healthcare. Much of her work is around children鈥檚 health, development, resilience and social inclusion, with a focus on children with developmental delays or differences. Wakif鈥檚 summer research project focused on identifying the current diagnostic facilitators and barriers that community pediatricians across Ontario face in conducting autism assessments. The research aims to help develop toolkits for clinicians that would encourage more assessments and improve diagnosis and care access for families.

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91亚色 Professor Spiros Pagiatakis received the Canadian Geophysical Union鈥檚 J. Tuzo Wilson Medal, which recognizes a Canadian scholar鈥檚 outstanding contributions throughout their career to the geosciences 鈥� the study of the Earth 鈥� and counts as the highest national honour earned by those in the field.

鈥淚 am deeply honoured and privileged to be awarded the highest accolade of geosciences and join the previous 45 laureates,鈥� says Pagiatakis of the medal, which was given to him in recognition of a lifetime of contributions to the advancement of knowledge and education in Canadian geosciences. He is only the third 91亚色-affiliated person to receive the award.

Pagiatakis joined 91亚色 U in 2001, after already having made a nearly decade-long impact in the field as a lead senior research scientist for the federal Department of Natural Resources Canada. In both his professional and academic careers, Pagiatakis has dedicated himself to the study of the Earth as observed from terrestrial and space platforms, with highly innovative work and discoveries starting from the Earth鈥檚 inner core motions. He has specialized in measuring and understanding the planet鈥檚 geometric and physical shape, and how its internal forces 鈥� like plate tectonics 鈥� bend form, deform and more, as well as how its atmosphere and gravity operate.

Pagiatakis has tackled innovative research questions across the spectrum of geodesy and Earth sciences, with groundbreaking findings that led to the recent recognition.

Among Pagiatakis鈥檚 innovations in the field, he pioneered a better understanding of deformation of the Earth due to the dynamics of ocean tides, as well developed the first map of Canada and the U.S. showing how gravity changes with time due to the rebounding of the Canadian land mass due to climate change and the melting of the ice since the last ice age glacial maximum, some 23 thousand years ago.

Since joining 91亚色 U, his interests have shifted to space science, which has led to important discoveries highlighting how dynamics in the Earth鈥檚 lower and upper atmosphere influence, impact and shape climate science.

Pagiatakis's work has been recognized and funded by the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada, the GEOIDE National Centre of Excellence, the Carbon Management Canada National Centre of Excellence, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Innovation Trust and Natural Resources Canada.

Pagiatakis's impact has also extended beyond research by influencing future generations in the field, notably at 91亚色. He was one of a handful of pioneers who created the first engineering programs and accreditation at 91亚色 U, which ultimately led to the founding of the Lassonde School of Engineering, where he served as the inaugural associate dean of research and graduate studies for five years. He has also led the development of innovative methods of teaching in a virtual classroom environment and in blended course delivery to university students and engineering professionals before online teaching became commonplace.

A lifetime of efforts aren't limited to the administrative, however. Pagiatakis has been a passionate teacher, deeply invested in collaborating and supervising graduate students to help guide the next generation of pioneers in the field of geophysics. Former students 鈥� many of whom now work for top organizations like NASA, the European Space Agency and the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, and in academia in Canada and abroad 鈥� credit him for providing high-quality graduate education, training and mentoring opportunities in an equitable, safe, welcoming and encouraging environment built on trust, where acceptance, openness, motivation, enthusiasm and curiosity have been paramount.

For his part, Pagiatakis is reluctant to take too much credit for what he has accomplished. 鈥淢y graduate students are the heart, the soul and inspiration of our research; without them nothing would be possible鈥� he says.

Nonetheless, as one of his J. Tuzo Wilson Medal nominators emphasized, Pagiatakis 鈥渋s one of those exceptional scientists who do not shy away from various administrative and organizational duties someone has to undertake in order to keep science healthy.鈥� His dedication to doing just that 鈥� keeping his field of science thriving with his career, academic work and mentorship 鈥� are what now have earned him the recognition his students would agree he鈥檚 long deserved.

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New research from 91亚色鈥檚 Schulich School of Business shows that digital inclusion 鈥� the policy of providing greater access to high-speed internet 鈥� plays a key role in gaining greater access to credit, particularly in regions with marginalized and underserved populations.

The research findings are contained in the paper "," published in the Journal of Business Ethics. The paper was co-authored by Kiridaran (Giri) Kanagaretnam, a professor of accounting and the Ron Binns Chair in Financial Reporting, Banking and Governance at Schulich, together with Xiaoran (Jason) Jia, an assistant professor of accounting at Laurier University鈥檚 Lazaridis School of Business & Economics and a former PhD student of Kanagaretnam's.

鈥淲e found robust evidence that digital inclusion 鈥� a public policy designed to provide high-speed internet infrastructure for historically digitally excluded populations 鈥� is positively associated with the greater access to capital by people from marginalized communities,鈥� said Kanagaretnam.  

The study generated a number of additional findings, including the discovery that digital inclusion may contribute to higher lending rates due to the availability of more information about borrowers that assist lenders in their decision-making process, and the strong likelihood that digital inclusion may facilitate faster loan approvals. 

The research findings also showed digital inclusion led to higher lending penetration in areas underserved by traditional banks as well as areas with greater minority populations.

鈥淭hese results suggest that digital inclusion plays a key role in financial inclusion, particularly in regions with more vulnerable and/or underserved populations,鈥� noted Kanagaretnam.

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