I read this report (16 page PDF) recommended by Alex Usher this morning (see above) and my main thought was "I've read this before." Not literally, of course, but the recommendations are unchanged from what we've been hearing from the Canadian business sector for decades: increase funding and "tuition flexibility", "institutional mandates (to) develop their unique strengths and meet specific labour force needs", "programs and services need to be more aligned with the world of work", "dismantle regulatory roadblocks (including) professional regulatory bodies (and) labour unions", and "incentivize research that produces intellectual property (IP) or advances national priorities." Let me gently push back: the problem isn't with the teaching and the research, which though chronically underfunded are among the best in the world. The problem is a business community that - no matter what the incentives - simply doesn't invest enough in education and research in Canada. Making Canadian institutions work for them at their behest won't change that.
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