Evidence of meeting #12 for Science and Research in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was scholarships.
A recording is available from Parliament.
8:15 p.m.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
You mentioned co-op types of options. International students can't access those. Many academic programs have a co-op aspect to them, so international students, because of their visa requirements, can't access all of those, can they?
8:15 p.m.
Chair of the Board of Directors, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
They can, but they will have to sometimes apply for a separate work permit on top of the study permit.
To shed some light on this, in certain provinces, for example, there has been this huge push at the provincial level on work-integrated learning opportunities. Again, investments are being made in these areas, but it feels like international students aren't being included or recognized because there is that extra barrier they have to face, which domestic students don't.
8:15 p.m.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
Okay. Thank you.
I see the yellow card, so I'll cede my time. Thanks.
8:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Kirsty Duncan
Okay. Thank you, Mr. Cannings, for being so generous.
Thank you to all the witnesses. I hope you see the interest from this committee.
We're now going to go to the five-minute rounds, and we begin with Mr. Soroka.
The floor is yours.
8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Thank you, Madame Chair, and to all the presenters tonight.
Mr. Fotang, I think you had said that you didn't read the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations report called “Investing in Innovators”. I wonder if you could still answer a question.
They had highlighted as two of their recommendations to “Enhance experiential learning opportunities” and “Create opportunities for the international exchange of ideas”.
How do you think the situation has potentially changed between 2017, when the report was written, and now in 2022?
8:15 p.m.
Chair of the Board of Directors, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Sorry, you'll have to clarify. I didn't quite get that. Can you repeat the question?
8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Okay.
The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations published a paper called “Investing in Innovators: CASA's Vision for Research and Innovation in Post-Secondary Education”. It highlighted, as recommendations, to “Enhance experiential learning opportunities” and “Create opportunities for the international exchange of ideas”.
How has the situation changed between 2017 and now in 2022?
8:20 p.m.
Chair of the Board of Directors, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
I don't have an answer for you right now. I would probably be able to provide a written report for you.
What I can add, to bring you back to international students, is that it's about providing those opportunities that they need to access work experience.
8:20 p.m.
Conservative
Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Okay. Thank you for that.
I will move to Dr. Goosney now.
Regarding your plan for 2030, I am just wondering, now with COVID and having to make adjustments, if there were any flaws you found in the tri-agency talent strategy, and what procedures are in place to potentially counter this.
8:20 p.m.
President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Was this addressed to me? I didn't hear the first part.
8:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
My apologies. Could you repeat the question? What flaws were found in the CRCC talent strategy, and what would we do to address those?
8:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
The CRCC talent strategy is based in terms of empowering the students, so it's a student-centred, data-driven and evidence-informed strategy. We have it set around pillars of equity, diversity, inclusion, indigenous reconciliation, internationalization and student mobility, better harmonization across the tri-agency and preparing students for alternate career paths outside of and beyond academia.
With that said, that overarching framework, I think, remains relevant through the course of the pandemic and going forward.
That said, themes around embracing networking and enhancing interactions virtually are coming into play, along with better support to students, certainly. Stipend increases are a relevant theme that's coming through, even more because of the impact of the pandemic, recognizing of course that matters of equity, diversity and inclusion within our academic halls, particularly in the students, may have been exacerbated. We know, in fact, it has been exacerbated because of the pandemic.
While these themes were captured at the beginning, they've been made more prominent throughout the course of the pandemic.
Thank you very much for your question.
8:20 p.m.
Conservative
Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB
As well, Dr. Goosney, are you familiar with other countries that have adopted this strategy? If so, which ones are using it, and can you share how it has turned out for these other countries?
8:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
There are several countries internationally that we have been looking to in terms of environmental scanning. What I can do is provide the clerk with information on these scans so that everyone has a full report on that.
8:20 p.m.
Conservative
Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB
That would be very much appreciated. There's a lot of interest in that, because our biggest challenge right now is trying to find areas.
I know that you also brought up funding and making sure that these post-doctoral students are paid adequately. Besides adequate funding, are there any other opportunities or challenges facing these students?
8:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Yes. Certainly the funding remains top of mind, and that's the biggest issue, but there are of course matters of equity, diversity and inclusion in terms of barriers and access to the program, so ensuring that policies, program design, peer review and evaluation are all barrier-free and that we are reviewing these processes continually to ensure that we're not increasing or creating new challenges are very important parts as well.
8:20 p.m.
Conservative
8:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Kirsty Duncan
That's very generous. Thank you, Mr. Soroka, and thank you for your questions.
Now we will go to Mr. McKinnon.
8:20 p.m.
Liberal
Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Thank you.
As a U of A alumnus, though that was much closer to the dawn of time, I'm going to direct my questions, at least at the outset, to Mr. Fotang.
Mr. Fotang, I understand you're an undergraduate. Is that correct?
8:20 p.m.
Chair of the Board of Directors, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Yes, sir, I am.
8:20 p.m.
Liberal
Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Okay. We haven't heard a whole lot from students, particularly undergrads.
One of the common themes we've heard from just about everybody is that the federal funding is good as far as it goes, but it just doesn't go far. I wonder if you could talk to us about that and about any other things that we can do as a federal government to help you and your membership succeed if your goal is to make it through and get into grad school. What other areas can we go into? What do we need to do to help you out?