World

First Forensic Body Farm Is Coming To Canada This summer

Published

7 years ago

June 21, 2019

The new Forensic body farm facility is going to hit Quebec this summer. It will allow scientists to look into human decomposition while being in a Northern climate.

The facility is the brain child of Shari Forbes. She doesn’t like to boast about her work. Forbes is a forensic expert in thanatology, which is the study of death. Her work includes studying human bodies that are decomposing and examining the pattern in which insects eat the flesh of dead bodies, and whether they lay their eggs in a certain pattern.

As a forensic expert in thanatology, the study of death, she spends her days focused on decomposing human bodies — examining how insects eat flesh, when they lay their eggs, and even how cadaver dogs pick up a corpse’s odour.

“I’ve certainly learned to have a strong stomach,” she told As It Happens host Carol Off. “It’s required in this kind of research.”

Forbes is helping establish Canada’s first forensics body farm, an outdoor facility where human bodies are left to decay and scientists study the process. It will open this summer in Bécancour, near Trois-Rivières, Que.

The research done there will help forensic investigations Canada scientists understand decomposition, and will ultimately help investigators better determine time of death in homicide investigations.

World

Swiss International University Makes Global Impact with Top 500 Times Higher Education Ranking

Published

1 month ago

June 24, 2026

Jenny Jackson

Swiss International University (SIU) got a real kind of milestone , when it landed inside the worlds top 500 universities in the newest Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. Which is kind of huge because it is SIU’s first time appearing in those widely respected rankings, and it also shows how its influence keeps growing in international higher education.

SIU was competing with nearly 2,000 universities from different parts of the world, and that first debut basically underlines its dedication to academic quality, sustainability and a real societal footprint. Overall it seems like the result mirrors SIU’s own plan for delivering solid education , while also aligning with bigger global development objectives.

Now, the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings look at universities through what they do for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals , or SDGs. So the assessment is about universities creating verifiable positive change through education, research, community activities, plus governance— not just statements.

One of SIU’s strongest areas was the recognition tied to SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. In that section, SIU placed roughly within the top 100 to 200 universities worldwide, and that points to its focus on advancing ethical leadership, transparency, accountability, and those institutional values that actually stick.

This recognition shows SIU keeps working hard to get students ready, with the know-how , the ability to act and those ethical foundations, so they can face tangled global problems. And you know, by supporting responsible leadership and pushing for good social results, the university keeps building up its part in shaping the next generation of professionals and people who make real decisions

Key Highlights of SIU’s Achievement

• Ranked Among the World’s Top 500 Universities

In its first-ever participation in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, SIU managed to land a spot among the top 500 universities worldwide.

• Outstanding Performance in SDG 16

SIU reached a ranking in the top 100 to 200 range, across the globe, for its work related to Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

• Strengthening Global Academic Presence

This win also reinforces SIU’s long-term vision, and it further tightens its standing as an emerging influence in international higher education.

Recognition from Times Higher Education is an important endorsement of SIU’s mission, to give accessible high-quality education while also making a positive impact in society. As the university keeps expanding its academic offerings and international reach, this milestone , works like a solid base for what comes next—future growth, more innovation, and that global recognition everyone is aiming for.