News and commentary

OTTAWA – The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada welcomes the naming of the federal government’s expert advisory panel on international education, chaired by Amit Chakma, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Western Ontario.

“In today’s interconnected world, we know that investments in international education lead to ongoing economic, social and cultural benefits,” says Paul Davidson, president of AUCC. “A coordinated strategy to attract talented students and researchers to Canada, and to promote Canadian expertise and education services abroad, will contribute to our nation’s prosperity.”

The panel will make recommendations on how to develop and implement an international education strategy, for which $10 million over two years was allocated in the 2011 federal budget. The Association also welcomed the strong role to be played on the panel by other university leaders and international education experts from AUCC member institutions, including Colin Dodds, president of Saint Mary’s University, who is a member of AUCC’s Board of Directors.

Canadian universities have a long history of international engagement and believe that Canadian students deserve a globally engaged, research-enriched learning experiences in a culture of innovation. “As a growing destination for international students, Canadian universities offer internationally recognized programming at the undergraduate, master’s, PhD and post-doctoral levels in a safe and welcoming environment,” says Andrée Chenard, AUCC’s government relations officer, who was commenting on the announcement at the China Education Expo in Beijing.

“The time is right for Canada to build new, effective and innovative higher research and learning partnerships with rapidly emerging economic powers, including Brazil, India and China,” says Mr. Davidson. “Canada’s universities are ready to play a leading role in making this happen.”

Over the coming months, AUCC looks forward to working with the advisory panel to enhance global connections for Canadian students, researchers and institutions.

AUCC is a committed member of the Canadian Consortium for International Education Marketing, whose purpose is to bring together the education sector for a cohesive pan-Canadian approach to international education marketing. Other members of the consortium are the Canadian Bureau for International Education, Languages Canada, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges and the Canadian Association of Public Schools – International.

AUCC is the voice of Canada’s universities. It represents 95 Canadian public and private, not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.

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For more information:

Mélanie Béchard
Communications Officer
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
613-563-3961 ext. 306
mbechard@aucc.ca

By Paul Davidson
President, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

Good morning. I’m pleased to be with you in Montreal, where AUCC was founded, and where we will be celebrating our centennial later this month. Looking back, we see a century of growth, dynamism and diversity. Looking forward, we see how vital high quality education and research will be to Canada’s prosperity in a global world.

I envy you. You have each earned the trust and confidence of voters in your community. And for the first time in almost a decade you have a four year mandate. Each of you has the opportunity to do something extraordinary for Canada.

Canada’s universities recognize we are facing a period of intense worldwide uncertainty. Universities are helping Canadians navigate through these challenging times.

When the last downturn hit, the government moved quickly to create the Knowledge Infrastructure Program. It showed tremendous alignment of federal and provincial governments in an area of national priority, and it has helped transform campuses.

From idea to announcement in six weeks, and from announcement to funding decisions in six months it was an example of public policy and implementation at its best.

And next month, universities across the country will open their doors to showcase the upgraded, expanded or newly-built facilities made possible through KIP. It is our way of showing Canadians the lasting value of smart stimulus. There are more than 59 public events that will demonstrate how KIP is improving the quality of the research and learning experience for Canadian students, and we hope that you will join us.

This year, Canada’s universities welcomed the largest incoming class ever – because students and their parents recognize the value of a degree. Through the last downturn, from 2008 to 2010 there were more than 300,000 net new jobs for those with a university degree – compared to 430,000 jobs lost for those with no post-secondary education.

And we are going to need to continue to increase participation even more to meet the needs of an aging society, where the number of retirees will double and the workforce will grow by just 8%.

Let me talk now about the 2012 Budget.

We appreciate the recovery is fragile and there may be the need for flexibility in the months ahead.

This government is to be commended for sustaining investments in research – even during a downturn. And those investments are yielding results for individuals and communities. In the past the committee has asked me to elaborate on these results. I am pleased to say that today we are releasing new information to all MPs about the value of university research to Canada’s prosperity.

For next year’s budget, we have three major priorities.

First, university research. Funding through Canada’s three federal granting councils and the Canada Foundation for Innovation not only supports new discoveries, products and processes, it also allows faculty to engage students in hands-on research. And that gives students the analytical and innovative skills they need to thrive in today’s knowledge-based economy.

Second, enhancing links to the private sector and building a stronger innovation culture. We need to link university students and faculty more closely with private sector partners to build greater collaboration and networks.

What’s needed now is a new mechanism to help business engage new talent, and to help highly qualified graduates connect with Canadian enterprises. Such a mechanism will help create job experiences in the private sector for master’s and PhD graduates, and foster a culture of innovation in Canada.

And finally we need to improve Canada’s educational connectivity to the world.

Last year I spoke of India – in November, Canada’s universities committed $4 million of their resources to promote student mobility and research collaboration with India. And there is more to be done.

We are also delighted that the Prime Minister announced that the Governor General will lead an AUCC mission to Brazil in spring 2012.

Why do I keep referring to the need for greater educational connectivity? Because of scope, scale and urgency.

Brazil has just announced a scholarship program for 75,000 students to study abroad. India has 160,000 students studying abroad – but only 3,000 of them are in Canada. China has increased enrolment by two million in two years.

As a country we need to be able to seize these opportunities to connect to growing markets – especially when our competitors cannot.

That is why our third priority is a significant global research fund, focussed on priorities such as Brazil and India, enabling more students and faculty to participate in international collaborative research. And creating the linkages essential to prosperity in the years ahead.

Conclusion:

I am pleased that others have taken up our recommendation to improve access and success for Canada’s aboriginal youth, and we continue to see that as an urgent national challenge.

We need to make sure that this generation of students is the best educated and prepared to meet the challenges our country is facing. We believe that research-enriched, globally engaged university experiences within a culture of innovation are the best way for Canada to prosper as we navigate through a changing world.

MONTREAL – University research matters to Canada, now more than ever. In order to compete in the global economy, Canada needs university research to drive innovation and help build the country’s talent pool – the workforce of the future.

Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, brought this message to Members of Parliament today during the House of Commons Finance Committee’s pre-budget consultations in Montreal.

“Prosperous societies are innovative societies, and innovation begins with basic research,” said Mr. Davidson. “Successful university research transforms knowledge into products and services that are needed in the global marketplace.”

Today, AUCC also released a new publication – The value of university research – outlining the important contributions of research to the Canadian economy and to Canadians.

The impact of university research is felt everywhere, from better cancer treatments, to more nutritional eggs, to improvements in solar technology. While improving the quality of life of Canadians, university research has an important economic impact – more than $60 billion a year.

The research-enriched learning environment at Canada’s universities benefits all students, helping them develop the critical thinking and analytical skills required in today’s global knowledge economy.

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Pre-budget presentation.

For more information or interview opportunities:

Helen Murphy
AUCC Communications Manager
hmurphy@aucc.ca
613-563-1236 ext. 238

OTTAWA – Canada’s universities welcome today’s re-introduction of the federal government’s copyright bill and look forward to it becoming law.

“This bill reflects a fair balance between the interests of creators and users of copyright works and is a positive step forward for university communities across Canada,” says Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. “It clarifies important questions and will help ensure students and learners have access to the content they need, including digital material.”

This bill will allow universities to harness new technologies, including the Internet, to deliver research and learning materials to faculty members and students. The new legislation will also help with technology-enhanced learning so that mature students and those in remote communities, including aboriginal students, have the same access to education as those on campus.

“Professors and students at Canadian universities are both creators and users of copyright works,” says Mr. Davidson. “Canadian universities recognize the importance of balance between the desire of creators to receive fair remuneration for the use of their works and the public interest in being able to use information for purposes such as research and education. This copyright law will result in a fairer treatment for both parties.”

Universities and university students pay large sums to purchase and license educational materials and this will continue under this new legislation. Canada’s university libraries spend more than $300 million annually to buy and license new content for research and learning. In addition, more than $400 million is spent every year in university bookstores to buy new textbooks, course packs and works in digital format.

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For more information or interview opportunities:

Helen Murphy
AUCC Communications Manager
hmurphy@aucc.ca
613-563-1236 ext. 238

Blog offers varied perspectives on future of university education in Canada

OTTAWA – What will the future demand of Canada’s universities? How will students be taught? How will the learning environment differ from that of today?

Those are some of the big questions being tackled in a new blog entitled University Commons. As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada launched University Commons to encourage a national, online dialogue about the future of university education in Canada. Visionary thinkers from across Canada have been invited to share their ideas on how universities can and should progress in the next 100 years.

The blog kicked off in late August with an essay from Daniel Woolf, Principal of Queen’s University, on striking a balance between teaching and research. Patrick Keeney, adjunct professor from Simon Fraser University, wrote a provocative piece on the purpose of a university education and how vocationalism has insinuated itself into academia.

AUCC’s University Commons will feature submissions from many of Canada’s university leaders, as well as a host of other visionary Canadian voices, both well-known and lesser known contributors. Acting as a central hub for innovative ideas on higher education, the AUCC blog is publishing new posts every three to five days until its centennial membership meetings in Montreal in late October. University Commons will help inform the forward-looking discussions taking place during these meetings. The blog is also designed to engage Canadians in a conversation on these important issues.

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 For more information or interview opportunities:

Helen Murphy
AUCC Communications Manager
hmurphy@aucc.ca
613-563-1236 ext. 238