AAU'S Public Policy Paper Series
No. 02-04
Canada faces a prosperity paradox: It is rich and successful, but it shouldn’t be according to one fundamental measurement – productivity. The Conference Board of Canada1 calls productivity – a measure of wealth produced per hour of work performed – “the single most important determinant of a country's per capita income over the longer term.” Yet Canada, as the Conference Board points out, has a poor track record among modern, industrialized economies for generating greater productivity through innovation, and from investments in machinery and equipment (M&E). Here are some highlights from Conference Board of Canada findings:
No. 02-03
The Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) applauds the Harper Government’s decision to direct significant spending to universities under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program (KIP), a vital part of Canada’s 2009-2011 Economic Action Plan. With the help of a federal KIP contribution of $82 million, and additional support from Provincial Governments and other sources, Canada’s East Coast universities spent $177 million which upgraded, expanded, and created new state-of-the art campuses.
No. 02-02
Atlantic Canada’s population of 18-21 year-olds continues to decline, while more and more young people are enrolling in the region’s 17 universities. This policy paper, the sixth in a series published by the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU), argues that this 30-year trend is positive for the region. Indeed, one key to the region’s future, as its population ages, will be educating the next generation of knowledge workers at universities in Atlantic Canada. Increasing enrolment at universities across Canada in general, and in this region in particular, will help drive our ongoing economic success.
No. 02-01
The Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) has just published a comprehensive research study which measures the extensive social and cultural contribution of universities in Atlantic Canada. Thriving Together: Universities and Community in Atlantic Canada,1 shows that hundreds of thousands of Atlantic Canadians take advantage of the rich range of programs and events offered by universities, not only on campuses, but in communities at home and abroad. Here are a few (2009) highlights from the report:
No. 01-04
In early October, the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) convened an Atlantic Leaders’ Summit in Halifax, drawing together business executives, economists, market researchers, university presidents, utility executives, and energy experts from inside the region and beyond. The focus was energy issues in North America, writ large. In a compelling presentation opening the event, Roger Gale, the CEO of GF Energy LLC, outlined a few inconvenient truths about the electricity sector in North America1.