Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am going to ask a few questions, then I will give the floor to my colleague Kristina Michaud, from the beautiful riding of Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, which is just as beautiful as yours, Mr. Chair.
First of all, thank you very much to all the witnesses, both from the student association and from Universities Canada. We are talking about an environment that has also been affected by COVID-19, unfortunately.
My question is for Mr. Davidson.
Mr. Davidson, you said at the outset that universities are economic drivers and talent drivers, but I would add that they are also knowledge drivers. Universities, and CEGEPs in Quebec, are key players for the entire next generation. We will continue to count on these young people in the recovery we will need to initiate.
In terms of research, you briefly noted that there has been support for universities conducting research on COVID-19. That is also the case in Quebec, and it was applauded. I hope that basic research is not going unsupported just because of COVID-19, and that we will remember how important it is after the crisis.
I am finally going to ask my question, which is about foreign students. In Quebec, there are 30,000 of them. That is a lot fewer than in Ontario, but it is still a concern. A number of universities are trying to get organized, as are CEGEPs in the regions. In Matane, 40% of the students are foreign students.
Can you share your ideas for action or solutions, or paint us a picture of the situation?