Posts By: Karl Low

Alek Golijanin

Alek Golijanin is an Athabasca University alum. He has represented Athabasca University at a number of competitions both at the Provincial and International level. Alek’s articles revolve around his passion for learning and innovation, as he summarizes research and presents it in ways that compels readers and continues the tradition of life-long learning, and some of the articles are even inspired by investigative journalism shows like CTV’s W5, CBC’s The Fifth Estate and Marketplace, and CBS’ 60 Minutes.

“Every now and then a man’s mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. 1858.

The Foreign Interference Commission—Connecting with Canada’s Economic and Security Partners

In 2025, Canada is set to reassume the G7 presidency.  But the Foreign Interference Commission submitting their findings to members of Parliament on December 31st, 2024, which will likely influence Canada’s G7 priorities.  Foreign interference is a problem that troubles democracies around the world, yet Canada happens to be the only country to ever set… Read more »

Background Checks Against Racialized Canadians

Non-criminal police interactions may have cost a racialized Canadian the opportunity to pursue employment with the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) as a special constable.  The applicant, described as “Middle Eastern” and “Brown” by police officers in general occurrence reports, saw the dispute get escalated to Ontario’s Court of Appeal after the Divisional Court sided… Read more »

Filling Up Canada—Empty, Full, or Overflowing?

Immigrants are continuing to get accepted to Canada despite that there are housing shortages across the country, with many Canadians struggling to find affordable and adequate housing.  So many immigrants have no option but overcrowding and living in such tight spaces; nobody should want that for themselves.  Immigrants also happen to be taking up jobs… Read more »

Immigration Pathology—Mandatory Minimum Punitive Thinking

Most Canadians are unlikely to be aware that the penalty for having used a fake university admissions letter is the same penalty for someone using forged identity documents like a fake passport: deportation and a 5-year ban from Canada.  That same penalty also applies for misrepresentation that occurs at the application stage, whether or not… Read more »

The Foreign Interference Commission Wants to Hear from Canadians

Canadians have only a few more days to make a written submission about their experiences, observations, and ideas on the matter of foreign interference in Canada’s federal electoral processes and democratic institutions.  All submissions received by August 12, 2024, will be read and considered by the Commission, but there are some important things the Commission… Read more »

Over 9000! The Case of Lola Akinlade and International Students at Risk

One year ago, hundreds of international students from India were facing deportation because they had been identified as having the same immigration consultant who submitted bogus admissions letters to obtain study permits for those students.  As it turns out, this bogus admissions loophole has been getting exploited by supposed immigration consultants from all around the… Read more »

The Dead Internet Theory

Society has largely come around to accept the fact that internet activity and search results are being heavily influenced by bots and algorithm curation, reducing organic activity and replacing it with non-organic content focused on the “consumer experience”.  Although there is no consensus on the start date of the manipulation, there was a time when… Read more »

An AU Lens on AI Improvements through ADMN 405

Athabasca University is one of the first universities in the world to incorporate AI-powered co-op learning experiences, with Administration (ADMN) 405: – Capstone 2: Application and Integration of Contemporary Business Topics.  Having been a learner in the first cohort of ADMN405, then getting invited to contribute to the development of the course, it has allowed… Read more »

Preventing Mass Violence–The Need to Knows and What to Dos

Violent extremism, whether it is religiously, politically, or ideologically motivated, has continued to represent a significant threat to the safety and wellbeing of Canadians.  It is important to understand that extremism can stem from a range of motivations and personal grievances, driven by hatred and fear, and includes a complex range of threat actors.  The… Read more »