Investing in a better future: Higher education and post-COVID Canada

Abstract

Post-secondary education (PSE) is a vital part of civil society and any modern economy. Whenbroadly accessible, it can enable socioeconomic mobility, improve health outcomes, advance socialcohesion, and support a highly skilled workforce. It yields public benefits not only in improvedwell-being and economic prosperity, but also in reduced costs in health care and social services. Canada also relies heavily on the PSE sector for research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PSE hassupported research related to the pandemic response and other critical areas, including providingexpert advice to support public health and government decision-making, while maintaining educationalprograms and continuing to contribute to local and regional economies. But the pandemiceffort has stretched already strained PSE resources and people even further: for decades, decliningpublic investment has driven increases in tuition and decreases in faculty complement, underminingCanadas research capacity and increasing student debt as well as destabilizing the sector through agrowing reliance on volatile international education markets. Given the challenges before us, including climate change, reconciliation, and the pandemic, it is imperative that we better draw onthe full range of experience, knowledge, and creativity in Canada and beyond through an inclusive, stable, and globally engaged PSE. Supporting PSEs recovery will be key to Canadas ongoingpandemic response and recovery. The recommendations in this report are guided by a single goal-To make the post-secondary sector a more effective partner and support in building a more equitable,sustainable, and evidence-driven future for Canada, through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.