Canada needs a new type of professor

Analysis

By Dr Axel Meisen

Canada has a fundamental, chronic and persistent innovation problem. Innovation is defined as the translation of novel ideas and research results into practice, generating benefits and strengthening economic competitiveness. Canada's innovation performance has deteriorated for several decades relative to other advanced nations. Federal and provincial governments have made major investments in research, particularly research conducted in Canadian universities, and there are frequent calls for Canadian companies to engage more in research.

To encourage more industry-based research, favourable tax and other incentive schemes have been created. All these measures have not led to the desired improvements in Canada's innovation performance.

Investments in research and incentives to industry are clearly necessary for innovation and should not be diminished. However, by themselves and even at increased levels, they are insufficient to solve the nation's innovation problem. Something additional and fundamentally different must be done. Since most leaders of Canadian organizations are post-secondary graduates, it is compelling to conclude that our universities and colleges are part of the innovation problem and can be part of its solution.

As an additional and new approach, I suggest the creation of a different type of professorship — Industrial practice professors. IPPs would have first-hand knowledge of advanced industrial practices, particularly the practices of highly innovative, globally competitive companies in Canada and abroad. They would have ongoing interaction with such firms, participating not only in the development of new advanced products and services based on the latest research, but also marketing, production, customer service, financing, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance and staff training.

Few university or college professors have hands-on knowledge of the far-ranging requirements of successful corporations. Even in faculties like business administration and engineering, the number of professors with such comprehensive expertise is small. Professors tend to be highly competent and dedicated specialists. Without question, specialists are needed but by themselves, they are insufficient to support the development of innovative, globally competitive corporations. While some faculties engage excellent practitioners on short-term assignments (for example, as executives in residence), their influence on students is limited and they do not shape academic programs; this is done by the regular faculty who are primarily disciplinary specialists.

Due to the lack of IPPs, students leave our universities and colleges with specialized but fragmented knowledge. This would not be a major problem if corporations and other organizations they join could provide comprehensive professional development. There are only few organizations in Canada capable and willing to offer such development.

The creation of IPPs is not a quick fix to Canada's innovation problem. It will take some years to show results but the time for action is now. I suggest that the Government of Canada fund 150 IPPs in Canadian universities and colleges so that they are fully established and filled by 2017 — Canada's 150th birthday. This is a modest number compared with the 2,000 Canada Research Chairs that were created at the start of the millennium. It will be challenging to find suitably qualified candidates for IPPs, but such appointments would be highly attractive to outstanding practitioners currently working in Canada and abroad.

Concerns have sometimes been expressed that academic rules only permit the appointment and promotion of disciplinary specialists as faculty members. My experience as a former professor and university president suggests otherwise. Existing rules permit such appointments and promotions, provided IPPs demonstrate excellence in teaching and path-breaking contributions to innovation. It is time for Canada to enhance and complement its excellent research capabilities. The creation of 150 IPPs by 2017 would be a major step toward solving the nation's innovation problem.

Dr Axel Meisen is chair of foresight, Alberta Innovates: Technology Futures and former president and vice chancellor of Memorial University.