Major federal party leaders had their first debate Wednesday night, with another set for Thursday, and Calgary graduate students want their voices heard.
In response to recent American policy changes and the upcoming federal election, the University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association sent a letter to the leaders of the Liberal, NDP, Conservative and Bloc Quebecois parties.
The letter highlights the number of researchers leaving the US, while calling for the nation to support its “drivers of innovation,” according to Graham Sucha, Executive Director of the Graduate Students’ Association, University of Calgary.
“We’re very concerned that the discussion surrounding the culture war is distracting from the realities that we have low stipends and that there’s a lot more support that can be put towards research,” Sucha said.
“Quite frankly, given the parallels we’re seeing from the United States, we’re worried that it is scaring way researchers from coming to Canada.”
The letter recommends the government raise graduate student funding, exempt graduate students from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) caps, and ends US-style culture war interference to ensure Canada stays a world leader of innovation.
US-style culture war interference includes vilifying academic fields like gender studies or critical race theory, labeling Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies as woke or biased, and inserting political ideology into impartial fact-based research, according to the letter.
“A truly strong nation does not shirk when confronted with calls for more diversity, equality, and inclusion—and it most certainly does not attempt to gut its research system to score points with authoritarians,” the letter reads.
“Despite claims that American college campuses are hotbeds of subversive, illiberal leftism, it is “anti-woke” politicians at the state and federal level that are actively using the coercive power of the state to silence academics, rip apart curriculums, and undermine entire disciplines.”
Less funding, more debt for students
Of 13 countries highlighted in the letter, Canada ranked 11th with an average of just over $20,000 USD per student annually in stipend payments in 2022. Countries like Switzerland and the Netherlands offer more than $50,000 USD, with Austria offering over an average of $100,000 USD per student.
“When we don’t have necessary stipends to offset tuition costs, students’ debt can balloon,” Sucha said.
“If we don’t have those perks and benefits to attract the best students or to even retain the talent that’s here in Alberta, we’re going to fall behind on economic development, on innovation, and on research.”
Sucha said that the graduate student association often engages with the federal government when noteworthy topics emerge and will continue to do so following the Federal Election on April 28, no matter which government obtains power.
“We will start engaging with them about the key policies that come forward, letting them know that we are available if they need to consult with different organizations, and then also just closely watching any policy they bring forward as they enact their agenda,” Sucha said.
Sucha said that the UCalgary graduate students’ lounge was rented out by the Liberal Party of Canada last week. Students were able to interact with politicians, including an appearance by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“We’ve had some chances to engage with some of the political leaders during their campaign trail,” he said.
“I would encourage all graduate students to reach out to every candidate and talk about what’s important to them.”
Sucha hopes for the letter to start a dialogue among the graduate students’ community and within political parties.
“Ultimately, the main objective and goal is to ensure that these priorities are enacted within policy once the ruling party is put into government,” he said.
