This is because, as international students return to their home country or go to a third or fourth country and take vital positions in different sectors, they will be ambassadors for the future of Canada and its interests. This soft power is important to Canada, especially given today’s geopolitical context, where the world order has shifted. Our greatest ally, the U.S., has retreated in its own global position, and we are left to form new strategic global alliances and shape a new future for Canada in the world.
Unfortunately, we have sometimes been far too busy focusing on international students as solutions to our domestic policy issues or holding them responsible for our domestic problems. Restricting student mobility and developing attitudes of suspicion and hostility towards them will severely limit and negatively impact our soft power. International students and international education are very effective forms of public diplomacy for Canada. We need to reinvest in them now more than ever.
To conclude, number one, I urge us not to rush—