Canada is reassessing its global role and partnerships across multiple sectors

Julkaisuajankohta 29.5.2026 11.32
On a visit to the campus of SAIT, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, in Calgary, Alberta. Like most Canadian higher education institutions, SAIT is very international, with students from over 140 different nationalities on the campus. SAIT invests heavily in various global collaborations, especially in terms of mobility. Recent restrictions on student visas have, however, also impacted SAIT and the numbers of international students have gone down drastically. Pic: ST, May 2026 in Calgary
On a visit to the campus of SAIT, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, in Calgary, Alberta. Like most Canadian higher education institutions, SAIT is very international, with students from over 140 different nationalities on the campus. SAIT invests heavily in various global collaborations, especially in terms of mobility. Recent restrictions on student visas have, however, also impacted SAIT and the numbers of international students have gone down drastically. Pic: ST, May 2026 in Calgary

Shifting global powers have forced Canada to recalibrate its federal, trade, and scientific relations with many countries. Canada’s global engagement plan for 2026 thus focuses on strengthening strategic partnerships with trusted allies. Within the scope of its current internationalization strategy, Canada is protecting its domestic and economic interests as well as security. The aim is also to secure the pool of talent to ensure availability of workforce in critical fields and for that the country has made significant investments. Talent attraction must, however, balance with the managed immigration. Immigration issues and restrictions on visas for international students have lately caused severe problems for Canadian higher education institutions, which are now adopting new ways to diversify their international activities.

Canadian Higher Education Institutions implement internationalization on several levels

Canadian universities have for long driven internationalization through relatively aggressive global student recruitment, integration of international dimensions into their educational contents, and strategic research collaborations. Canadian top universities have always been attractive research partners at the global level, and they have thousands of ongoing cooperations with over 180 countries - Recent joint funding opportunities have just increased the number of active collaborations with international partners, and the scientific network is expanding rapidly.

For the past two years, integrating intercultural perspectives into domestic classrooms has become even more important due to the reductions in international student visas, implemented by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. As a result, the overall level of international enrollment has dropped, and many Canadia institutions have lost part of their cultural diversity and are also facing financial difficulties. Universities and colleges cannot rely on the overseas markets anymore and are creating new strategies. Canadian universities have previously been very much reliant on a few core countries but must now diversify their international student pools through various overseas missions and targeted digital marketing. Actions are performed across the Europe, Latin America, and many French-speaking regions. Despite the recent restrictions and new policies concerning international students, Canada with many globally ranked universities continues to be one of the most attractive places in the eyes of international students.

Canada is also emphasizing the need to increase outbound student mobility. Canadian students are nowadays very hesitant to go abroad, and universities are applying various campaigns to promote this. Students prefer short term exchange programs and internship opportunities. One such opportunity is provided by Canadian Mitacs organization, which supports internships between Canada and its partner countries. Mitacs just recently signed MoU with the Finnish National Agency for Education. Canadian Bureau for International Education is also emphasizing outbound student mobility via various actions: It aims to provide Canadian students global study, internship, and research opportunities but also to build workforce skills. Additionally, many Canadian universities are growing their international presence by Transnational Education. Universities have more dual degrees with international partners; they establish overseas campuses and increase mobility of the faculty through specific exchange opportunities. 

Canada invests in attracting global talent

Despite the restrictions in student visas, Canada is looking for more top-level academics and innovators through other entry mechanisms. Canada´s current immigration policies prioritize highly skilled workforce on fields that can address critical labor gaps throughout the country. Such fields are for instance healthcare & several tech fields, and people with skills in these sectors may have possibility for express-entry. Different types of workforce-aligned programs with international collaborators may also allow them to avoid the recent study permit caps. Additionally, Canada has increased admissions for French-speaking populations.

Same applies for the recruitment of Master's and PhD students as graduate students are exempt from the federal caps. Many top research universities dedicate significant resources to international students and may cover a portion of their tuition fees through scholarships. Canadian universities also align their recruitment attempts with Global Affairs Canada by utilizing the EduCanada brand to promote studying in Canada.

In late 2025, Canada announced a $1.7 billion investment to launch the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative. The funding is meant for over a 12 years time period to attract more than 1000 leading international and expatriate researchers to Canada. The initiative is one of the largest of its kind and has four separate streams: 1) Canada Impact+ Research Chairs - $1 billion to attract world-leading researchers, their teams and infrastructure. 2) Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders - $120 million to recruit international early career researchers. 3) Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund - $400 million for Canadian research facilities and infrastructure. 4) Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards - $133.6 million for international doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships. The initiative is targeted for fields that produce economic impact or bring health /societal benefits to Canada. The program is part of Canada´s broader commitment to science, innovation, and recruitment of global talent to support Canada’s competitiveness. Universities Canada -organization is also actively lobbying the federal government to replace current fragmented policies with an integrated "International Higher Education Talent, Research, and Innovation Strategy". In all, these initiatives demonstrate Canada’s strong commitment to attract global research talent and in fostering innovation to maintain its competitive position at the global level.  

Sari Tojkander
sari.tojkander(at)gov.fi


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