The role of universities should be a central plank in every party platform

As the federal election campaign reaches the midpoint, U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to dominate the headlines.

It’s understandable, as the president’s assault on global trade bears the potential to affect Canadian jobs, investment, and the cost of everyday life. One recent news article predicted that chaos, competition and uncertainty are coming for the job market.

I strongly believe Canadian universities are a big part of the solution. Universities will help people adapt and retrain. Universities will connect people to future jobs and will help generate ideas and new businesses that bring more balance to our economy.

Universities don’t usually feature in (election) campaign slogans, but they should. Institutions such as Thompson Rivers University are central to the country’s future. We train the workforce, conduct critical research and anchor regional economies. If we want a Canada that is more resilient, skilled and ready for global uncertainty, we need to talk about how we support our post-secondary institutions.

TRU educates more than 29,000 students annually, including many from rural and remote parts of British Columbia. It employs more than 2,000 people and contributes directly to the local economy through salaries, student spending and partnerships with employers. Each year, hundreds of graduates from TRU enter the workforce in critical areas, including healthcare, trades, education, business and law. Many stay in the region. According to a recent estimate, those graduates add millions to the local economy annually.

Nationally, Canada’s universities contribute more than $45 billion in economic activity and support more than 400,000 jobs, according to Universities Canada. Graduates earn, on average, 24 per cent more than those without degrees — a difference that compounds over a lifetime. These are not abstract figures. They represent the possibility of a better future for anyone who wants to work, buy a home and raise a family in a place like Kamloops.

The post-secondary system is showing strain. Unpredictable federal policies around international students are putting real pressure on institutions like TRU. Many such students, who bring ambition, skills and long-term plans to remain in Canada, no longer see this country as a meaningful or worthwhile destination. As a result, universities such as TRU, face growing needs in Canada with flat or declining funding.

We aren’t asking government to make up the difference. We will manage our resources, limited as they are, to deliver as much as possible of the education, training and innovation Canadians need. But we need governments to provide stable policies and help us promote Canada abroad as the terrific educational destination it truly is. International education is a significant part of how Canada will build the new global connections and partnerships our country needs to thrive.

International students aside, there are other aspects of post-secondary education that candidates should know about and discuss on the campaign trail. What commitments will political parties make to ensure TRU can continue to train the nurses, teachers, engineers, tradespeople, lawyers and business leaders our communities need? What federal programs will be in place to support the expansion of student housing, the renewal of campus infrastructure and the development of new programs that respond to changing workforce demands? And what new partnerships might emerge between the federal government and universities to support applied research tied to regional needs, such as wildfire prevention and recovery, rural healthcare or clean energy?

Universities are more than simple educational institutions. They offer tools for solving real-world problems, drive local economies, are one of the few public systems still capable of giving individuals and communities the skills and abilities to weather tough times and build resilience, which is something Canadians need now more than ever.

This election will inevitably be decided on big themes — Trump, trade, global instability, affordability and growth. But if we ignore the quiet issues, including how to support the institutions that anchor our communities, we undermine Canada’s future prosperity.

So, to all candidates, including those in Kamloops, Thompson and Cariboo region — please don’t forget to talk about the role universities play. Don’t speak only in terms of costs, speak about capacity, value, the kind of Canada we want to build and how your parties will help universities continue to make a difference for Canadians.

Universities aren’t a side issue. They are central to what comes next.

Brett Fairbairn is the president and vice-chancellor of Thompson Rivers University. He can be reached by email at [email protected].