Universities must be partners in shaping Canada’s national security future

OTTAWA — Universities Canada welcomes the federal government’s recognition in The Plan for a Stronger Canada that protecting Canada’s sovereignty requires more than strong defence capabilities. It also depends on economic resilience, technological innovation, highly skilled talent and trusted international partnerships.

Canada’s universities are integral to building and sustaining these capabilities. Across the country, they advance research in critical fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, biotechnology and food security. They develop the talent that drives Canadian industries, support regional economies and contribute expertise that helps communities respond to emerging challenges.

“Canada’s security depends on our ability to develop the knowledge, technologies and talent we need to shape our own future,” said Gabriel Miller, president and CEO of Universities Canada. “Universities are central to that effort. They must be partners not only in delivering solutions, but in shaping the priorities, policies and investments that make those solutions possible.”

The national security strategy explicitly commits to expanding engagement with academia through new and existing advisory bodies. Universities Canada welcomes this commitment and looks forward to working with federal partners to ensure universities are meaningfully involved as the strategy moves into implementation.

That engagement must extend across the government’s national security agenda, from research and innovation to workforce development, economic security and international collaboration. It must also draw on the full breadth of Canada’s university system, recognizing the diverse research strengths, talent pipelines and regional partnerships that contribute to national resilience.

Realizing these ambitions will require sustained investment in research, coordinated policies to develop and attract highly skilled talent and research-security frameworks that protect Canada’s interests while respecting academic freedom, institutional autonomy and the value of international collaboration.

Canada’s universities are ready to help turn the government’s vision into lasting national capacity. Ensuring they have a meaningful role in shaping its implementation will be essential to building a stronger, more secure and more resilient Canada.