How Canada can have (some) freedom of movement with Europe

Andrew Kemle is the government and external relations manager of the Graduate Students’ Association at the University of Calgary.

Canada’s continuing courtship with the European Union will involve long conversations about a mind-boggling array of topics. One that the government should prioritize is Canadian membership in Erasmus+, Europe’s education and training exchange program.

What is the hallmark of the European Union? Many powers are ceded by constituent states to the bloc, but the one aspect that registers most in the public consciousness is arguably the EU’s freedom of movement.

So, to be closer to the EU than any other state, as Canada and the bloc want, the parties must have some freedom of movement. Symbolism is important. Canada is already close to the EU, with a free-trade pact and other agreements. If we simply make incremental progress on these arrangements and then wrap them in the nice bow of a nominally new relationship, it is meaningless. We must have an additional element that differentiates Canada from any other state that has various treaties with the EU.

The problem, of course, is that the early-2020s influx of international students and temporary residents has been blamed for all sorts of domestic ills. The government may even be attempting to head this criticism off at the pass by having ambassador Jonathan Wilkinson state that free labour mobility won’t be included. Even if the EU somehow agrees to freedom of movement, the Canadian public is not as friendly to immigration as before and would not accept an influx from the less-developed EU countries.

Free labour movement not part of new Canada-EU transatlantic pact, ambassador says

Joining Erasmus+ provides an appropriate middle ground. It can facilitate the benefits of mobility freedom without committing the government to EU-style, unrestricted labour mobility.

The main goal of Erasmus+ is to facilitate learning for European university students in each others’ countries. Students study for two months to an academic year in another EU country. More than 14 million students have completed this program since its establishment. Among Europeans, it’s common enough to be seen as a rite of passage. It could reach that level here some day.

Joining Erasmus+ can massively enhance both our economies. The program, expanded from the original Erasmus, also fosters co-operation among universities, co-ordinates policy development to maximize learning mobility, funds scholarships and training opportunities, and supports research agencies in partnering countries.

As a consequence, European students not only have numerous opportunities to study at other postsecondary institutions, they can also pursue training and upgrading programs, receive scholarships to support their work, and connect with businesses through internships and innovation exchanges.

Canada has Mitacs and the Tri-Council granting agencies, but ultimately, our research and training ecosystem for students is significantly more fragmented than what exists in Europe. This, in addition to lower operating funding for universities, is part of why graduate student stipends in Canada are five times lower than some European countries such as Austria, even when adjusted for cost of living.

Campbell Clark: Canada will need more than a paper partnership to create an EU ‘alliance’

The benefits for students are obvious. But it’s the gains to the European and Canadian economies that make joining Erasmus+ such an important step. These benefits spread to Canadians through two mechanisms.

The first is through the entrepreneurial activities of students. While many people might not associate students with entrepreneurialism, a report from a House of Commons standing committee noted that recent graduates are twice as likely as their professors to create spin-off businesses.

This means that Erasmus+ would create a cohort of Canadian students who have worked with and understand European businesses, and vice versa. Since students increase co-operation between postsecondary institutions and businesses, they would be an invaluable source for local businesses trying to break into international markets. That would not only help increase Canada’s economic competitiveness but also boost the attractiveness of Canadian institutions when businesses come looking for talent partnerships.

The long-run impact of students gaining experience in Europe should be more business opportunities overseas and more research commercialization at home.

The second mechanism is through science diplomacy. This means using scientific discoveries and institutions to achieve soft-power objectives, such as facilitating trade deals or forming geopolitical alliances. The EU does this frequently and through multiple agencies, even extending it to typical “hard-power” topics including national security. Student exchanges help build trust between countries, as both participants play an active role in supporting each other’s futures.

By joining Erasmus+, Canada gets to welcome high-quality students who can take knowledge of our country back to their home institutions, and our own students get the same opportunity in European countries. Everyone wins, and nobody can reasonably accuse the government of “opening up the border” to do so.