Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, for inviting me here today.
I'm told that I'm the first university representative to appear before your committee. That being the case, I would like to underscore the important role played by federal programs such as the granting agencies, the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Indirect Costs Program for universities, colleges and research hospitals in ensuring the success of Canadian universities in the research field. These programs have all achieved admirable results in the field, which largely justifies their continued existence and development.
You're wondering about Canada's place in a competitive global economy. All of the studies that have been carried out show that countries that make substantial, sustained investments in education and research are assured of a competitive position. Canada has a small population and enjoys very modest demographic growth. The quality of our human resources and training programs represents the strategic key to our future. Therefore, our goal should be to have some of the best universities in the world to ensure that Canadians receive the best possible training available and go on to generate R & D of major significance. In my view, to achieve this objective, we need to formulate a national strategy that is mindful of respective jurisdictions.
The University of Montreal is playing a major role in Canadian higher education and research. The second largest university in Canada trains by itself 25% of all the Quebec university students. Studies also strongly show that in our global knowledge economy, growth is often generated by the presence of industrial clusters. These are generally of a regional nature in major urban areas but typically are networked nationally and internationally. They always involve the government, the private and voluntary sectors, as well as the universities.
The University of Montreal is much involved in the aerospace, life science, IT, design, and cultural clusters, to name a few. Studies show that these clusters thrive on three elements: talent, technology, and tolerance. These attributes are also common to universities, which in fact usually contribute much to them within clusters.
We propose a few financial measures to ensure a competitive development of these pillars within universities and hence clusters. With respect to talent, it is key to ensure that Canadian universities have the resources to compete in attracting and retaining talented Canadian and international students. It is has been suggested that this matter be addressed through transfer to provinces. It is also key to attract and retain the best researchers in Canada. Here, growth in the following programs is critical: research funding; infrastructure funding; and indirect research cost. It is very important to fund fully, and not partially, our programs and to compensate for the severe deferred maintenance costs that the indirect costs shortfall have generated over the years. It's also important to offer competitive scholarships and fellowships for post-graduate studies. Let me mention that the support through transfer of university operations will also optimize the return on research investments.
Under technology--remember, talent, technology, tolerance--it is key that universities have the funds to afford state-of-the-art...or that private sector partnerships be fostered. To that end, we recommend tax exemptions on any contributions to a university research project and that indirect cost funding be provided by the federal government for grants offered by private foundations.
Finally, on the tolerance front, to support international networking, we suggest that there be scholarships for Canadians to go abroad and for international students to come to Canada. Finally, to augment local networking, we propose in our brief a number of tax deductions and incentives.
You've given me a very short time to cover such a critical cornerstone of Canada's competitiveness. Others will come to complement my points, no doubt. Nonetheless, I trust you have heard my message: higher education is a national urgency.
Thank you.