Niagara Falls is set to open its doors to post-secondary students with a brand-new university.
On Oct. 17, Global University Systems Canada (GUS) revealed that The University of Niagara Falls Canada had received approval from the Government of Ontario to open as an accredited establishment, with classes beginning in 2024.
The university will offer in-person, online, and hybrid classes, with in-person instruction planned to take place in the Hatch building near city hall before transitioning to a permanent space.
Opening a university has been a long-time dream of Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, “if there was one thing on my bucket list that we had still yet to do in a big way in our community, it was this,” said Diodati. “It has been a long road behind the scenes, with many challenges, but today makes it all worthwhile. This downtown and our community will be bustling with students, new technology education and all of the economic off-spin that will come with it.”
The economic effects of the new institution are expected to be quite substantial for Niagara Falls. According to economist Dr. Roslyn Kunin, the university is set to bring in $291 million in Gross Domestic Product, $194 million in labour income and $23 million in government tax revenue annually. GUS hopes that the student population at The University of Niagara Falls Canada will eventually reach 10,000.
The university will hold a digital perspective on learning and the future and will offer both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The university received permission to offer five programs to start with: biomedical sciences, digital economy and digital marketing, marketing analytics and operations analytics, emerging technology and entrepreneurship, and digital media and global communications. These courses have been specifically chosen to appeal to the needs of modern, tech-based employers.
The University of Niagara Falls Canada will utilize the benefits of GUS, a massive global education group, in order to succeed. GUS will be opening the institution as a private university. GUS already offers accredited programs in countries such as Germany, India and Singapore. GUS runs several post-secondary institutions within Canada as well, including University Canada West in Vancouver. Across its more than 57 institutions across the world, GUS educates about 100,000 students globally.
The University of Niagara Falls Canada hopes to bring in students of all ages to partake in its courses, which are based around the technology, digital-mindedness and overall spirit of the next generation.