News Bites
Some of last week’s top headlines.
U of T dentistry dean on leave pending investigation into antisemitic course material
By Laila Alkelani
As of February, Dean at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto (U of T) Dr. Anil Kishen is on leave pending an investigation into his use of “antisemitic and discriminatory” images as part of his course material.
U of T Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young said that Kishen is cooperating fully with the investigation and has since apologized to his students and U of T faculty, according to CP24.
On February 26, B’nai Brith Canada (BBC), a Jewish advocacy organization, stated that Kishen has no excuse for his actions and is demanding accountability from U of T. “Our students deserve better, and we will not rest until our campuses are safe,” according to a post they made on X.
Conflict continues to spread across Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran
By Prekshaa Surana
A rapidly escalating conflict between Israel, the U.S. and Iran has spread across the Middle East following coordinated airstrikes that began on February 28.
U.S. and Israeli forces launched attacks targeting Iranian military infrastructure and leadership in Tehran and other cities, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, according to Reuters.
Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and locations hosting U.S. forces across the region, such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar. Additionally, Israel and Iran-aligned Lebanon began launching strikes against each other on March 2.
CBC News reported that, as of March 4, more than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began, with there being dozens of other casualties elsewhere in the region. These figures include at least 165 people, mostly children, who were killed at a girls’ school in the city of Miran. Iran blamed the attack on “the American-Zionist enemy,” while neither Israel nor the U.S. have claimed responsibility.
In a Truth Social post on March 6, U.S. President Donald Trump declared, “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”
UTSU announces election results as UTMSU campaigns begin
By Prekshaa Surana
The results of the 2026 executive election for the U of T Students’ Union (UTSU) went live on Wednesday, March 4 at 5 p.m., concluding the union’s annual vote for leadership positions.
According to U of T’s elections portal, Marie Kinderman was elected with 995 votes, beating out Adrian J. Lam with 928 votes and Safia Zaman with 662. A total of 4,498 ballots were cast in the election, representing a 10.9 per cent turnout.
Other executive positions were also decided in the vote. Nadège Jackiw was elected Vice-President (VP) Public and University Affairs, Verona Odhiambo was elected VP Student Life, Juan Diego Areiza was elected VP Equity, and Tony Guo was elected VP Finance and Operations. Although VP Finance candidates Sammy Onikoyi and Aliyah Kashkari each garnered more votes than Guo, they were both disqualified for breaching election rules, according to The Varsity.
While the UTSU elections have concluded, elections at the Mississauga campus are currently underway. As of March 2, campaigning has officially begun for the Spring elections of the U of T Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU).
The UTMSU elections timeline indicates the campaign period runs from March 2 until March 12. Students will be able to vote online and in person throughout campus from March 10 to March 12, and the results are expected to be announced shortly after the voting period concludes.
The UTMSU elections determine the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, who serve one-year terms representing undergraduate students at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
U of T inks deals with Indian schools amid Carney’s mission to reduce dependence on the U.S.
By Sara Al-Shrouf
On his mission to broaden Canada’s trade ties, Prime Minister Carney recently travelled to Australia, Japan, and India, becoming the first Canadian prime minister to conduct a bilateral visit to India since Justin Trudeau’s visit in 2018.
During his trip to India, Carney, alongside U of T President Melanie Woodin and other Canadian post-secondary administrators, announced a slew of new initiatives that are being developed between Canadian and Indian university partners.
U of T’s new commitments include the development of a centre of excellence in India focused on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and C$25 million “for more than 220 scholarships for Indian students,” according to U of T News and the Prime Minister’s Office. U of T will also receive C$520,000 from the federal government “to support partnership development through faculty and student mobility in India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.”
“Our strategic partnership, and the speed at which we are working to unleash its potential in energy, talent and AI, is the result of two confident, ambitious nations who want to build the future, together,” the prime minister said.
President Woodin stated that U of T will offer an additional 274 merit-based scholarships for prospective Indian undergraduates in the coming admissions cycle, as part of the school’s “commitment to reinvest six per cent of its international tuition revenue annually in scholarships for top ranked international undergraduate students from across the globe.”
