Best reads: our favourite stories from 2025

As we prepare for the year ahead, we are excited to share some of our team’s favourite stories from 2025. 

University Affairs would also like to thank all of our contributors, who continue to help us produce award-winning content for Canada’s academic community.

We look forward to covering the issues that matter most to you in the year to come.

“The long road to equity,” by Lesley Evans Ogden

The number of women faculty in Canada has increased from 10 per cent in the 1970s to more than 40 per cent today, according to Statistics Canada. While that represents a promising development for gender equity, as Malinda S. Smith, associate vice-president research (EDI) at University of Calgary reminds us, “progress has been glacially slow.”   

In the beginning of the year, University Affairs launched its first special issue dedicated to exploring both the challenges and opportunities to foster a more equitable and inclusive environment for women within Canadian universities. Our feature article, “The long road to equity,” by award-winning writer Lesley Evans Ogden, offered a powerful and poignant account of the state of gender equity in the academy. Complemented by a gender inclusivity survey conducted for UA, the article provided a deeper understanding of gender-based discrimination and bias that women and gender minorities continue to experience, and informed strategies for meaningful change, including the ways in which university administrations can continue to help faculty break down barriers to success.

As one of my staff picks for 2025, “The long road to equity” prompted critical conversation and served as a call to action to dismantle cultural biases that perpetuate inequality.  

Read: The long road to equity

“Solving the male enrolment puzzle,” by Sonia Mendes

Throughout North America, university campuses are primarily populated by female students while male enrolment has slowly but steadily declined. Long before the issue garnered national headlines, in early spring University Affairs published an exclusive and eye-opening feature article that shed light on why increasing numbers of bright, young men are choosing to forgo post-secondary education.  In “Solving the male enrolment puzzle”, author Sonia Mendes provided a mix of compelling interviews and critical analysis, exploring the economic and societal repercussions of the gender imbalance on campus and raising difficult questions, including whether institutions are prepared to address the decline and how we can find new ways to engage male students.  

The article is an informative, balanced example of what University Affairs does best: applying an academic lens to an issue in higher education while revealing how its ramifications shape the wider world. It’s also an important reminder of why, in the words of one professor quoted in the article, “we need men and women in all of the fields that make up a healthy society and economy.” 

– Daniel Halton, Editor-in-Chief

Read: Solving the male enrolment puzzle

“Time to Disagree?” by Hannah Liddle

The political winds veered precipitously while Hannah Liddle was writing her feature story “Time to Disagree?” When she began work on the article, left wing ideology held sway over university campuses, and activists used cries of anti-oppression to shut down speakers they found offensive. Then President Donald Trump was elected in the United States, and the right-wing backlash hit with hurricane force, censoring any mention of equity, diversity and inclusion. In the midst of this maelstrom, Hannah’s piece, profiling a group of Canadian academics who seek to preserve free speech and foster respectful debate, couldn’t be more timely.

– Kate Jaimet, Deputy Editor

Read: Time to Disagree?

This article became my favourite of the year because it speaks directly to something I care about deeply: academic freedom. Through Dr. Leighton’s story, it shows how personal history can strengthen a lifelong commitment to open debate and honest inquiry. The article also reflects a moment when many on campus hesitate to speak, unsure of how their ideas will be received. What stayed with me is its reminder that universities only thrive when they protect space for disagreement, curiosity and real dialogue. It is a powerful call to keep those principles alive.

– Mohamed Berrada, Francophone Associate Editor

“Organized criminals target international students,” by Marie-Lou Bernatchez

In a international education system celebrated for its openness and opportunities, few stories cut through the illusion as sharply as Marie-Lou Bernatchez’s investigation into the predatory schemes targeting international students in Canada. While universities and policymakers focus on enrolment numbers and institutional priorities, Marie-Lou exposes the dark underbelly: fake agents, fraudulent acceptance letters and scams that exploit students before they step on campus. The reporting leaves no room for complacency, linking these incidents to systemic vulnerabilities that demand immediate attention. In a moment when trust in higher education is both precious and precarious, this article serves as a stark warning and a call to action for protecting the integrity of the system and the students it serves.

– Geet Pawase, Digital Operations Lead

Read: Organized criminals target international students  

“BELIEVE,” by Edward Thomas Swan

I’m a sucker for an underdog story, and this is one of the best that U Sports has to offer. In the photo essay “Believe” [from our print magazine], Spencer Colby and I documented one of the largest upsets in University Cup history as the University of Ottawa became the first 8th seed to win the men’s hockey championship and the first host team to do since 2017.

– Edward Thomas Swan, Art Director, University Affairs

Want more in the new year? Our award-winning magazine is available in print and digital editions absolutely free of charge to faculty, staff and students at all Canadian universities.