Canadians risk closing themselves off to world
Conservatives face some critical decisions in Western democracies, but none more important than whether or not they will observe and enforce basic human truths that must be self-evident even to themselves.
“Don’t march for white power.” “Don’t threaten to lock up political opponents.” “Don’t commit treason.”
They are so clearly true that in an era of nationalist populism as absurd as this they can elicit controversy.
This week, to the list of political proverbs that we ought all be able to embrace, a new report from a joint University of Ottawa and University of Toronto study group endeavours to add: “Don’t close off young peoples’ minds and opportunities.” Or: “Get an education and see the world.”
The report offers clear evidence that Canadian students are falling behind in access to global education: In 2014, the United States committed to doubling the number of American students who participate in international education programs within 10 years through scholarships and grants; that same year, Australia committed to encouraging 10,000 Australian students to study or work in neighbouring countries; in 1987, the European Union established a program that has helped 3.3 million Europeans study or train abroad. Canada has done nothing.
Canadian universities implement international learning programs independently of one another. Without a national strategy, the report finds “Canada lags behind many of its peer countries on the key measure of how many undergraduate university students go abroad for part of their degree programs”.
The report also states this gap will hurt us. Perhaps the “us” it will hurt politically depends on which ideological “us” to which you belong, but the economic impacts will be shared by all.
Even if international education programs seem better suited to progressives than conservatives given their administrators’ habit of leaning a little heavily on phrases such as “inclusivity” and “diversity,” as the nature of work shifts and the spectre of robotic overlords rise, global education programs are at their core intended to train students to be adaptable and competent participants in the global economy.
I’m old enough to remember a time when conservatives cared quite a bit about the economy. “Be free.” “Work hard.”
None of which is to suggest that conservatives and progressives would agree on how to encourage students to work abroad. International education is the type of value, straightforward to the point of being dull, that causes street brawls now.
It’s true populist-nationalist conservative anxieties around borders typically fixate on whatever is passing into them. Foreign immigrants, foreign companies — it’s the takeover they fear most. But there’s a nervousness too around whatever is leaving. Openness cuts (and closes) both ways.
Will Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer close a skills gap between our country and others by encouraging more Canadians to work and study abroad, and deny any more power to self-described anti-globalists, those who, in ways large and small, seek to marginalize not only immigrants, but anyone who wants to put their passport to use?
Scheer may be friendlier-seeming than his predecessor, but both voters and global allies consider a smiling face impermanent proof of openness; see Justin Trudeau’s slipping poll numbers, as well as outraged world leaders when he sabotaged the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal by churlishly refusing to show up and sign.
Scheer, at least, is new enough to still take advantage of the opportunity to make conservatism as open as he looks. He might start with the world.