A targeted federal income program can help Canadians with disabilities living in poverty
Twenty-two per cent of people in Canada over the age of 15 have a disability. They are your friends, neighbours, family members and coworkers—and almost a quarter of them are living in poverty. People you know and love can’t afford to pay their rent, put food on their table or purchase their prescription medication. A […]
International students struggle to come to Canada amid COVID-19 variant concerns, says Universities Canada president
COVID-19 variants of concern and the pandemic’s fourth wave are impeding the movement of international students seeking to attend Canada’s universities, making this fall a critical time for the federal government to take action to ensure student mobility, according the head of Universities Canada. “September is the largest intake point in the calendar for international […]
Post-pandemic recovery plans must include access to education for refugee students
The COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges for internationalization in Canadian higher education over the past year. Study permits issued for international students dropped by 22.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2020. As part of pandemic recovery, Canadian higher education institutions have focused on enticing the return of international students. This is understandable in Canada, […]
Keep the umbrella handy to weather the next storm
Investing for a rainy day is hard for governments who are often judged on “what have you done for me lately.” This is why adequately preparing for rare events like global pandemics is challenging. The better prepared we are, the less likely we will see really bad outcomes. When we don’t see bad outcomes, we […]
Maintaining Canada’s momentum as a magnet for international talent
Against the ongoing backdrop of COVID-19, Canada’s universities are once again delivering a unique fall semester. Our fall schedules are a mix of in-person, remote, and hybrid course delivery. Our campuses are enveloped in pandemic health and safety measures. As in other spheres, it feels like higher ed globally is experiencing a pivotal moment of […]
Halting the rising tide: the student mental health crisis on post-secondary campuses
It’s no secret that a mental health crisis is raging on Canadian post-secondary campuses. Even before COVID-19, post-secondary students in Canada reported shocking levels of depression and anxiety. The onset of the pandemic, and the campus lockdowns that followed in late March 2020, have only served to further these negative trends. While the pandemic has […]
Developing Canada’s vaccine infrastructure for future pandemics will depend on addressing bio-economy labour shortages
After having to depend exclusively on international partners for COVID-19 vaccines, it’s encouraging to see Canada investing heavily in infrastructure projects to build our vaccine independence for future pandemics. Canada has been fortunate to secure significant COVID-19 vaccine supplies from other countries, but the high-stakes global race to land them highlighted the importance of developing […]
Canada’s life sciences sector: its time has come
One of the most critical lessons to have emerged from this pandemic is the central importance of the life sciences for human health and economic well being. From PCR diagnostics, to genomic surveillance, to treatments and vaccines, the life sciences have been at the forefront of every country’s strategy to defeat COVID-19. If Canada is […]
No ‘silver bullet’ to address biotech talent shortage, says BIOTECanada president
An industry association says it’s reaching out to biotechnology companies across Canada to develop a strategy to contend with a labour shortage problem in the sector which has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s a highly competitive space. You’re trying to attract talent from around the world to Canada. You’re also trying to retain what […]
Biotechnology Policy Briefing
