Undergraduate Students

Saibal Ray and Anna Kim earn prestigious university awards

admin — Fri, 09 May 2025 16:54:49 +0000

Two researchers at Desautels were among the academics recognized by �� with prestigious internal awards for their outstanding scholarship and research excellence. Associate Professor Anna Kim was among the eleven associate and assistant professors honoured with a William Dawson Scholar award, which recognized the demonstrated potential to become a global leader in their field.

Eliminating the de minimis exemption will hit fast fashion shoppers hard

admin — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:17:50 +0000

A de minimis exemption allows goods below a certain value threshold to be traded internationally without paying duty. And on May 2 2025, the United States eliminated their de minimis exception for Hong Kong and China. That will drive up prices for shoppers on ultra-budget fast fashion platforms like Shein. With the changes to the rules, the price of a $20 dress on Shein could increase to more than $30.

�� Law launches Transnational Business+Law Network

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 18:48:36 +0000

Business + Law is different from Business Law. With this framing in mind – and recognising the plethora of issues emerging at the intersection of law, business and finance in an age of rapid climate and technological change – ��’s Business Law Platform and the University's Sustainable Growth Initiative launched a new collaboration and graduate student mentorship project, under the leadership of the CIBC Office of Sustainable Fina

Rebranding of DEI initiatives is a reactive response to external pressures

admin — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:45:44 +0000

The pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs gained momentum in the first half of 2025. And while some institutions are eliminating DEI initiatives, others are rebranding them.

Kate Arthur shares insights into literacy in the age of AI in UNESCO keynote

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:36:14 +0000

What does it mean to literate in the age of artificial intelligence? According to Kate Arthur (EMBA 2021) , literacy is about more than knowing how to read or write, it’s about having the tools to understand the world around us and our active role in shaping it. Arthur’s own sense of literacy was upended when she was introduced to language of computing. Now an adviser at the Montreal AI Ethics Institute, Arthur has been exploring traditional, computing and AI literacies since the early 2000s.

How AI and big data are reshaping the future of retail

admin — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:34:00 +0000

The emergence of e-commerce has made for a revolution in retail. Whenever you make a purchase online, you generate data, and that data allows for a higher degree of personalization.

Ottawa threatens to sue auto maker Stellantis for violating funding agreements

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:11:19 +0000

When the auto maker Stellantis announced its plan to shift production of the Jeep Compass SUV from Brampton, Ontario to Belvidere, Illinois, the Government of Canada didn’t take the news sitting down. It threatened to sue the multinational company, saying that the shift violated previous agreements between the multinational automotive company and the government, which stipulated the automaker had to maintain its Canadian footprint. “There is a huge amount of taxpayer money that has gone in to this company,” Prof.

Cohort-based hiring can improve Gen Z employee retention

admin — Fri, 02 May 2025 16:30:51 +0000

Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking, but having someone to lean on can help make it a little easier. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z employees leave their job within the first year, but a recent US study found that when new hires join an organization as a group, employee retention is better. While Gen Z is unlikely to stay in their jobs as long as previous generations, this could be a strategy to hang around longer than they currently do. “It's a good way for them to bond with each other, and with the organizations,” says Prof.

Tariffs are remaking global supply chains in real time

admin — Wed, 28 May 2025 19:28:50 +0000

The imposition of tariffs on an ever changing array of products is disrupting global supply chains. Businesses are scrambling to reroute shipments to avoid the hefty fees they could incur as tariffs exceeding 100% are imposed, delayed, or removed entirely—all seemingly at whim. “In the short term, this will be almost like COVID 2.0,” said Saibal Ray, Professor of Operations Management at �� Desautels.

Clarity is key when passing control of a family business to the next generation

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 18:27:40 +0000

Even the most successful family businesses often don’t withstand the march of time. Just because one generation had what the right skills and temperament to run a business doesn’t mean their grandchildren will. But the Vancouver-based chocolate maker Purdys Chocolate bucks the trend, with a third-generation leader poised to take the helm.

Businesses need to adapt to change to grow

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:21:07 +0000

For Quebec, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are an engine of economic growth. Many SMEs have grown into prosperous companies, writes Bensadoun School in Retail Management student William Bernasconi in an article for the Conseil québecois du commerce de detail. But it’s important to consider failures as well as successes. And local businesses have often struggled to grow because of operational constraints, shifting consumer behaviour, and intense competition.

�� Personal Financial Essentials course is basis for Cayman Islands financial literacy initiative

admin — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 17:47:58 +0000

Twenty-eight young people in the Cayman Islands recently became the first group to complete the British Overseas Territory’s Youth Financial Literacy Programme. The government sponsored program prepares youth for real-world financial challenges and opportunities—and it is centered on the �� Personal Financial Essentials course. The three-hour version of the course teaches youth budgeting, investing and retirement planning.

Companies are bringing employees back to the office, but over time, the trend could reverse

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:16:42 +0000

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.

Patrick Augustin sets the record straight about Luxembourg

admin — Thu, 15 May 2025 18:40:29 +0000

Luxembourg is best known as a wealthy tax haven--if people know it at all. The tiny and wealthy country is a significant financial centre, but it also has the reputation of being a little dull. But Professor of Finance Patrick Augustin begs to differ. “Of course, it is not comparable to major metropolitan cities like London or New York, but for its size, I think the country punches above its weight in terms of cultural and social activities,” says Augustin, a Luxembourger.

Leedana is bringing agriculture to the desert--and it got its start at Desautels

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:54:52 +0000

Egypt’s Nile River Valley has some of the most fertile land in the world. But most of the country is a barren desert where few plants can grow. Hassan Elrakhawy (BCom’24) wants to change that. The Egyptian-born entrepreneur founded Leedana, a startup that uses a technique called sandponics, which can reduce the amount of water needed to cultivate crops by up to 90%. The company already has farms in Egypt that grow cherry tomatoes, peppers, kale, lettuce and more. And other farms are under construction elsewhere.