December News Briefs
The University of Toronto ranked the world’s most sustainable university.
QS World University Rankings, which evaluates post-secondary institutions for their environmental impact, social impact, and governance, named the University of Toronto (U of T) the most sustainable university in the world for the second consecutive year.
U of T President Meric Gertler said to U of T News, “On behalf of the University of Toronto, I am thrilled that our university is once again ranked first in the world in the QS Sustainability Rankings.”
U of T placed first overall out of more than 1,700 institutions across 95 countries and did especially well in two of the three main areas on which the ranking is based: firstly, environmental impact, which includes environmental education, research and sustainability and secondly, social impact, which includes employability and outcomes, equality, and health and well-being.
The placement comes after U of T secured 21st place in Times Higher Education’s 2025 World University Rankings. Canada is currently ranked as the top university in Canada, the third among public universities in North America, and the tenth among public universities globally.
Holiday tax break rolls out across Canada.
In mid-December 2024, the Canadian government implemented a temporary tax break for the holiday season, exempting the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on certain items such as groceries, children’s clothing, diapers, toys, books, and Christmas trees.
In provinces where both GST and HST are exempt—such as Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island—purchasing C$2,000 worth of such items during the tax break would realize GST savings of C$100 during that period. Canadian taxpayers are expected to save an estimated C$1.5 billion, which will be reduced from federal revenues.
The two-month tax break, lasting from December 14 to February 15, is intended to relieve some of the financial pressure of the holiday season, and “give Canadians more money in their pockets,” according to the Government of Canada.
Geoffery Hinton officially accepts Nobel Prize in Physics.
In December 2024, U of T Professor Emeritus of Computer Science Geoffrey Hinton officially accepted his Nobel Prize in Physics, which he was awarded in October 2024, during a formal ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.
Won alongside Professor John J. Hopfield of Princeton University, Hinton was awarded the prize for his contributions to the development of fundamental frameworks of modern artificial intelligence (AI). Hopfield is credited as the inventor of a network for saving and recreating patterns, which Hinton built upon to create the Boltzmann machine, which was capable of finding properties in data and performing tasks such as identifying specific elements in pictures.
Five days before the ceremony, Hinton took part in a panel discussion at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, where he discussed topics including AI development and its future. The next day, he visited the Nobel Prize Museum, to which he donated an early Boltzmann machine.
Hinton also participated in a Nobel tradition dating back to the event’s 100th anniversary in 2001, where laureates sign the underside of a chair in the Nobel Prize Museum’s restaurant.
U of T community members recognized by the Order of Canada
On December 18, Honourable Mary Simon, Canada’s Governor General, announced 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada, which included U of T faculty, alumni, and supporters.
The Order of Canada—one of the country’s top civilian honours—recognizes and celebrates Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to the nation. There have been over 8,000 inductees into the Order since its conception in 1967.
Thirteen U of T faculty members were included in the appointments, including Ophthalmology Professor Steve Arshinoff; Political Science Professor Sylvia Bashevkin; Nutritional Sciences Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta; Medicine Professor Sandy Buchman; Medicine Professor David Chitayat, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Professor Emeritus, Stacy Churchill; Medicine Professor Dafna Gladman; Professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Daniel Haas; Anthropology Professor Tania Li, Mathematics Professor Vijaya Kumar Murty; Medicine Professor Greg Ryan; Nutritional Sciences Professor Emerita Valeria Sue Tarasuk; and Medicine Professor Emeritus George Trusler. Moreover, 11 U of T alumni and friends were inducted into the Order.
In a statement, Governor General Simon stated, “Members of the Order of Canada are builders of hope for a better future. Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing its boundaries.”
