Some Canadian universities have entered into agreements with corporations and other organizations to focus their research on matters relevant to their interests.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has acquired details about 12 such arrangements, which it will detail in a report to be released November 26.
The University of Alberta has begun a $13 million research program on the oil sands for which it has agreed to “focus on areas of strategic interest to Imperial Oil.”
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer Inc. has similarly entered into an agreement with the University of British Columbia, which has “bound” it to the company’s interests.
“What many of these universities have done in these partnerships is absolutely unacceptable,” stated James Turk, executive director of the CAUT, contending that the agreements compromise the independence of researchers and credibility of the universities.
With files from Post Media News
