President Barnard applauds new federal budget

The University of Manitoba applauds the research and student investments made in today’s federal budget. The budget builds on previous investments and allows for continued growth in the overall research and education enterprise.

“We are extremely pleased that the federal government continues to recognize the pivotal role that universities play in driving Canada’s innovation agenda and this investment demonstrates the confidence that the federal government has in universities’ ability to find solutions to challenges both at home and abroad,” Dr. David Barnard, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manitoba and chair of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada said. “We are partners for prosperity.”

Over the past year, Canada’s universities came together to advocate for a strategic investment in excellence – an ambitious new research fund that would be open, competitive and supplementary to research support from the federal granting councils and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. In response, Budget 2014, which President Barnard characterized as “forward-looking”, has established the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

This new fund will provide this nation’s postsecondary institutions with the means to attract and retain the best talent from around the world and to stimulate the rate of ground-breaking discoveries in areas that matters to Canadians.

This budget comes days after the federal government announced its $1.9 billion commitment to support the First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act, which aims to prepare the next generation of indigenous students for university life and the labour market.

Over 2,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit students currently attend the University of Manitoba, one of the largest Indigenous student populations in the country. Indigenous Achievement is one of the four pillars of the University of Manitoba’s Strategic Planning Framework, with a commitment to work with a variety of partners to make Manitoba the national centre for Indigenous education and research and in particular to allow First Nations, Metis and Inuit students to be prepared for and achieve education success in the full range of academic programs offered.

“Presidents of universities and colleges can play an important role in building bridges and creating conditions that allow for a new and better relationship with Canada’s Indigenous peoples,” Barnard said. “The University of Manitoba is committed to Indigenous education and research and to creating a better future for all Canadians.”