Canada’s international education sector is encouraged by the deepening relationship between Canada and the European Union, as well as ongoing discussions to build a unique partnership for the future.
As the global landscape becomes increasingly competitive and less predictable, Canada’s education institutions welcome efforts to advance cooperation with trusted partners that share our commitment to freedom, democracy, prosperity, and sustainability.
Canada’s international education sector has long helped cultivate the deep roots that connect Canada and Europe through research partnerships, academic exchanges, institutional cooperation, and people-to-people connections. We were pleased to see the Prime Minister recognize the pivotal role that education, research, and innovation play at the heart of this evolving relationship in his September 17, 2026, speech to the European Parliament. His remarks reflect a fundamental reality, that international education and research collaboration are increasingly being recognized not only as drivers of knowledge exchange, but as strategic pillars of Canada’s engagement with trusted international partners.
We welcome the prospect of Canada’s participation in Erasmus+, which would expand Canada’s talent, and innovation ecosystem by creating opportunities for our students and future leaders to study at institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. Beyond mobility, these exchanges help build language skills, intercultural competencies, professional networks, and enduring personal connections that support stronger economic, scientific, and social ties between Canada and Europe.
Canadian association with the next generation of Horizon Europe would enable deeper collaboration on frontier research and emerging technologies, strengthen research excellence, and allow Canada and Europe to pool expertise and resources in addressing shared global challenges. By leveraging complementary strengths across academia, industry, and research institutions, Canada and Europe can accelerate discovery, enhance competitiveness, and build the knowledge and innovation capacity needed to succeed in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.
CBIE and its members look forward to working with the Government of Canada and European partners to help build a more ambitious Canada-EU partnership, one that places talent, knowledge, and innovation at the centre of our shared future.