Universities, at the heart of solutions for Quebec

This article was originally published in The Gazette.

As the campaign to elect Quebec’s next government gains momentum, pressing issues are emerging across every sector of society. New technologies, artificial intelligence, lagging business productivity, and environmental disasters associated with climate change are only a few of these challenges. Not to mention a world order in transition, fundamentally rewriting the rules of the game.

To navigate these shifts, Quebec needs to innovate, train a highly skilled workforce for the jobs of tomorrow, and invest strategically in research and creative activity.

Quebec’s universities have the knowledge, the ambition and the willingness to play a leading role in understanding and addressing our collective challenges. As such, we call on all political parties to mobilize the academic community and its research capacity in service of society.

With that in mind, we would like to put a few questions to Quebec’s political parties regarding the future of our universities. While they are framed through the lens of our sector, they are questions that should matter to everyone heading to the polls on October 5.

First, Quebec ranks near the bottom of major OECD economies when it comes to per-capita living standards, and weak productivity is a key reason why. Too many of our businesses underinvest, generate too little innovation and struggle to compete with their international counterparts.

One way to address this challenge is to ensure that graduates enter the workforce fully prepared for today’s labour market. This means prioritizing internships and other forms of experiential learning within companies, non-profit organizations and cultural institutions across Quebec — a function where universities already excel.

How will your government encourage and support students and universities in helping to strengthen Quebec’s economic performance?

Closely tied to the issue of productivity are questions of talent, population growth and demographics.

The Institut de la statistique du Québec projects population growth will slow significantly in the coming years, while the share of Quebecers aged 65 and older is expected to reach 26 per cent of the population by 2041. By comparison, that figure stood at just seven per cent in 1971 and 20 per cent in 2021. Montreal — home to our two universities and indisputably Quebec’s economic engine — stands to be particularly hard hit by the demographic shift.

Furthermore, today nearly half of all PhD holders in Quebec come from abroad. Their talent is essential to filling gaps in the knowledge economy. Quebec universities will need to recruit even more international students if research activity and innovation are to continue growing.

Global competition for top students was already fierce. Yet over the past three years, the number of international students choosing Quebec has declined dramatically. As Moody’s recently noted, Quebec now has the most restrictive immigration policies in Canada.

Fewer study permits, obstacles to obtaining them, and uncertainty surrounding a graduate’s status after completing their degree, particularly because of restrictions on access to the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), have undermined the welcoming reputation Quebec once enjoyed. Montreal, which a decade ago ranked as the world’s best student city, now sits in 20th place.

What will your government’s strategy be for working with the federal government and Quebec’s universities to rebuild the province’s reputation while expanding the tools to attract and retain the talent that underpins long-term prosperity?

Universities are among Quebec’s greatest assets. They are an inexhaustible source of expertise, creativity, innovation and emerging talent. They also stand ready to be enthusiastic partners for the next government.

That leads us to one final question:

After years of underfunding and a period of disruptive policy changes affecting the sector, how — and how much — will your government reinvest in the world-class teaching and research of Quebec’s universities? How specifically will the funds support and sustain the growth, excellence and innovative capacity of Quebec’s universities in the years ahead?