Healthier universities to benefit all Canadians

By Robert J Giroux

Much has happened in recent years to make Canada a more innovative nation. A key change has been strengthening the innovative capacity of our universities. It is now better understood that universities play complex and vital roles in the innovation process of our country. In fact, as a mid-sized nation, we rely comparatively more on our universities for innovation and research than many other OECD countries. As a result, it is perhaps not surprising that a full third of all research in Canada is performed in universities.

Universities also train Canada’s future leaders, researchers and innovators and are the primary source of highly qualified personnel. I am not overstating it when I say that they are catalysts for innovation. They act as intellectual anchors for economic, social and cultural development in their communities. In recent years, these important university contributions to the innovation potential of the country were recognized, by the federal government as well as by the provinces, through new investments and new programs in support of university research.

This year, Canadians from all walks of life were asked to provide advice to the federal government on the next steps required to make Canada one of the most innovative and successful countries in the world. Eager to provide constructive input, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, along with its 93 member institutions across the country, took active part in the innovation and learning consultations.

AUCC first worked to identify key issues and lay out challenges in 14 areas of importance, from teaching to research to community service. Later, we publicly released an Action Plan, collectively committing all universities to concrete and specific objectives. Recently, as a natural extension of that plan, we jointly developed with the federal government a framework of agreed principles to guide future investments in university research, notably funding the indirect costs of research on an on-going basis.

I had the chance to play an active role in these consultations on innovation and learning, working with AUCC members and taking part personally in a number of meetings organized by Industry Canada and Human Resources and Development Canada. Through the year, it has become clear to me that universities are more eager than ever to build on their impressive contributions to innovation and learning, and are ready to do even more to the benefit of all Canadians.

They are committed to expanding opportunities and offering high quality learning to a greater number of students. They want to help build stronger communities, in part through campus facilities such as theatres, museums, art galleries and athletic facilities that often serve as vital resources for communities, large and small. They want to offer the high-quality, internationally competitive environment that will draw more of the best and brightest graduate students and faculty to perform more research in more universities. They also wish to do more to transfer knowledge to society. And they are increasingly expected to do so.

In fact, universities are thinking very hard about how to bring additional value to society and to be more relevant to its varied needs. One way is by building closer connections with community and business requirements. That often translates into new multi-disciplinary programs, innovative collaborations on projects, novel approaches to learning, for example, through downtown campuses to serve the business community, and original research activities. It also means doing more to bring value out of research through commercialization activities.

Canada’s universities, contrary to what is often believed, are very successful at this, even in comparison with US universities. Canada’s universities actively manage their intellectual property via technology transfer and industry liaison offices, reporting annually hundreds of inventions and filing hundreds of patent applications. Because of the nature of our economy, they spin off more companies, relatively speaking, than their US counterparts. Without a doubt, transferring the benefits of university research to the marketplace is gaining growing attention at Canadian universities. More can — and should — be done. I believe that it would, however, be a big mistake to equate these important commercialization results with the total value that accrues to society from university research.

The knowledge, skills and products that society can expect from its investment in universities extend far beyond the narrow confines of technology transfer activities. Knowledge is transferred from the universities into communities, governments and businesses in many different ways. This includes the movement of graduates into the workforce and communities; contributions to scientific publications; collaborative research with industry; presentations at conferences; community involvement; and consulting services for the private sector. Knowledge transfer also reaches a global dimension, with Canadian universities actively engaged in international student exchanges, research collaborations and development projects.

These significant contributions are much broader than the commercialization of knowledge through the development, exploitation and marketing of products for the marketplace. Media reports often focus entirely on these commercial activities. Yet much of the value of universities to society’s well-being resides to a much greater degree in the people that universities graduate and the rich variety of contributions that these graduates make to the social, cultural and economic life of their communities.

I take away from this year of consultation the conviction that everyone, from government officials to ordinary citizens, increasingly understands that strong and healthy universities will be needed for us to succeed as a nation in a progressively more competitive global environment, and in a world where change is constant and fast-paced. We must collectively ensure that we can continue to count on a well-educated population, with a high quality university education both widely available and widely accessible, and with a strong network of support for university research across the country. With the right support, healthy universities will translate into a healthy society and economy.

Robert Giroux is president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).