UW Senate

Environmental Scan

February 28, 2011

International Overview

Centre for the Study of Living Standards Report 2011

•Canada has risen in the rankings of countries with extensive university-business research collaboration, from 15th in 2007 to 7th in 2010

•Canada’s higher education sector performs 6.2 per cent of total business sector R&D, compared to 2.5 per cent in the UK, and 1.1 per cent in the US

•Canada leads OECD countries in total Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) spending financed by business: 8.5 per cent vs. 5.7 per cent in the US and 4.6 per cent in the UK

•However, business spending on university research has flatlined over the past decade

•Conclusion: Canada not getting its money’s worth from university-business collaboration

Source: “Government Policies to Encourage University-Business Research Collaborations in Canada: Lessons From the US, the UK, and Australia” Centre for the Study of Living Standards Research Report 2011-02

International Overview

Source: “Government Policies to Encourage University-Business Research Collaborations in Canada: Lessons From the US, the UK, and Australia” Centre for the Study of Living Standards Research Report 2011-02

International Overview

Centre for the Study of Living Standards Report 2011

•Canada is not outperforming its peers despite spending more on research conducted at universities (It is important to note that Canada is not lagging, either)

•HERD funding from business, at $892 million in 2008-2009, is down 1.3 per cent

•What is needed?• The federal government should continue to provide direct funding to encourage

research collaboration rather than rely on the SR&ED tax credit ($377 million is already being provided)

• Creating an arms length organization to promote collaboration and commercialization• The federal government should lead a national discussion with businesses,

universities, and provincial governments to improve Intellectual Property management and negotiation within university settings

Source: “Government Policies to Encourage University-Business Research Collaborations in Canada: Lessons From the US, the UK, and Australia” Centre for the Study of Living Standards Research Report 2011-02

National Overview

Canada Student Loans Program

•CSLP needs an injection of $149.5 million to cover write-offs of 60,000 unanticipated defaults

•Delinquency rate for student borrowers rose to 13 per cent in 2010-2011 from 10 per cent in 2009-2010

•Loan defaults go back 7 years

•Number of student borrowers rose 6.5 per cent in the last year, and the amount borrowed has increased by 8 per cent

•$311.2 million needed to meet higher demand for loans

Source: Statistics Canada, January 7, 2011

Source: The Canadian Press, February 8, 2011

National Overview

International students in Canada in 2010

•In 2010, 96,147 foreign students were studying in Canada

•An increase of 28,292 from 2005

•Foreign students contribute $6.5 billion to the Canadian economy each year

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, February 13, 2011

Source: Canada Research Chairs, November 24, 2010 and FedDev Ontario, November 29, 2010

National Overview

Statistics Canada – Education and Earnings of Childhood Immigrants

•Immigrants who arrived in Canada at age 12 or younger are more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to obtain a university education by age 25-34.

•Among male childhood immigrants who came to Canada in the 1980s, 32 per cent held a university degree by age 25-34, compared to 20 per cent of their Canadian-born peers.

•Among female childhood immigrants who came to Canada in the 1980s, 40 per cent held a university degree by age 25-34,compared to 30 per cent of their Canadian-born peers.

Source: Statistics Canada, January 25, 2011

Provincial Overview

Post-Secondary Credit Transfer funding

•$73.7 million dollars in project funding over 5 years

•Credit Transfer Innovation Fund created

•Supports transfers between colleges and universities

•500 agreements between colleges and universities currently exist

•Multilateral pacts with Ministry consultation likely

Source: The Globe and Mail, January 16, 2011

Local Overview

New Faculty of Environment Dean

Norman McLeod Chair in Sustainable Pavement Engineering

Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment Opening

Local Overview

New Faculty of Environment Dean

Norman McLeod Chair in Sustainable Pavement Engineering

Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment Opening