Canada, we have a problem
IDP Education’s Emerging Futures 9 research confirms it: today’s prospective international students are shopping for employability, institutional quality, safety, and policy clarity, in that order. And policy clarity, it turns out, moves demand faster than policy itself.
When students compare Canada to Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and New Zealand, they don’t compare tuition tables. They compare their odds of future success. We are trying to recruit the world’s most talented and ambitious students, researchers, builders, and future founders during a period of visa uncertainty, fierce destination competition, and a student population that has become brutally rational. They are not buying vibes. They are buying outcomes.
In Prime Minister Mark Carney’s mandate letter to cabinet, he states seven priorities. No. 6 is “attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy, while returning our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels.” We have overachieved on the second half of that mandate, and are failing on the first half. With immigration levels now stabilizing, it’s time to return to the top of students’ wish lists, not on the back of policy alone, but due to our high quality of education.
The opportunity is to show that Canada stands for high standards, strong student outcomes, and a sustainable model of international recruitment, built on quality, rather than volume.
The question now isn’t whether Canada is a worthy destination for global talent.
The question is whether we are saying so clearly, compellingly, and with evidence. Right now, we are not. Our data is strong. Our messaging isn’t.
The brand
Perception is reality in the market. In Emerging Futures 9, Canada is seen as one of the strongest destinations for post-study work and graduate employment, right behind Australia. That is a remarkable position. But we lag badly on perceived education quality and policy stability. Strong product. Messy label. Lack of clarity.
Quality, in today’s market, is not a soft concept. It doesn’t just mean good rankings, strong reputations, or world-class faculty. It also means confidence that the students will be well matched, well supported, and set up for success.
The world already knows that the Rocky Mountains are beautiful, Canadians are polite, and we love hockey.
What they don’t know is that we are home to some of the world’s top universities and immigration success stories.
The pitch
We have the rankings, the co-ops, the credentials, the alumni, and the employers. What we don’t have is the habit of saying it like we mean it.
Here is what closes the deal: compelling, exciting proof.
Four Canadian universities sit in the QS World University Rankings 2026 top 100: McGill, University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Alberta. The University of Waterloo ranks 27th globally in computer science and information systems. Their co-op program is so respected that Shopify’s CEO and founder Tobias Lütke, a German-born immigrant to Canada, has publicly called it a different tier of talent, accounting for roughly 40 per cent of Shopify’s interns.
Sheridan’s animation graduates don’t just get jobs; they win Oscars. In 2026, Maggie Kang took home Best Animated Feature for KPop Demon Hunters. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology partnered with Lufthansa Canada to build a gas turbine technician program. Employer-built, graduate outcomes guaranteed.
And if you want more proof, look at the people that Canada welcomes as new Canadians.
Consider Tareq and Issam Hadhad. For more than 30 years, Issam ran a chocolate factory in Damascus, Syria, exporting across the Middle East. In 2012, it was bombed. The family fled to Lebanon, spent three years in limbo, and arrived in Antigonish, N.S., population 5,000, as refugees. Within a year, they were making chocolate again out of their kitchen. Peace by Chocolate is now a nationally recognized Canadian brand, featured by the BBC and CNN, and the subject of a film. That’s not just a refugee story. That’s a Canadian story.
That’s the brand. It’s not the canoe or the politeness; it’s the opportunity.
That’s the Canadian Dream.
The Canadian assignment
If you are of a certain age, you may remember the 1990s Molson Canadian ad: I Am Canadian. That campaign didn’t sell beer. It sold identity, pride, and belonging, loudly and without apology. That is the energy this moment calls for. Except this time, we are not selling beer. We are selling one of Canada’s most significant exports: a world-class education and the futures it unlocks.
The assignment is to attract top global talent connected to economic outcomes and a quality education experience. It’s time to brag loudly because our institutions, economy, and future depend on it. The case for Canada is strongest when it is backed by proof that we do this responsibly, with high standards, a clear focus on student outcomes, and a recruitment model designed for long-term trust.
But the voice that matters most comes from our students.
It’s them we want to be proudly championing Canada. It’s them we want to be calling home to their parents excited about life in Canada. Talking about feeling welcome, about the quality of their education, excited about the opportunities they see ahead of them. This beats any marketing campaign we could dream of.
If Canada wants to be known for quality, then student experience has to be part of the proof. The strongest systems do not just promote excellence; they listen for it, measure it, and use feedback to keep raising standards. That is how trust is built and how reputation is earned.
The world is keeping score on Canada. The question is whether Canada is keeping score on itself. If Canada wants the world’s best students, researchers, and builders it needs to do more than sound confident. It needs to show that it can recruit sustainably, uphold high standards, and deliver the quality experience global talent are looking for.
My name is Christine Wach, and I am Canadian.
Christine Wach is senior vice-president, partnerships and stakeholder engagement (North America), at IDP.
The Hill Times