For Concordia President Graham Carr, it's all about talent.
"For decades, we universities, businesses and governments have built a prosperous society. And much of our prosperity lies in our ability to attract and train talented people from around the world."
Carr delivered this message to almost 500 industry leaders on September 25, during a lunchtime keynote address hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM). Over the course of 20 minutes, he argued recent government policies are eroding Montreal's traditionally strong and diverse pool of talent. He then offered ideas for how academic-industry partnerships could revitalize the city's economic growth.
Universities still represent 'hope' for many
Carr began his talk, "Beyond the Stress Test: Powering Universities at the Heart of Tomorrow's Montreal," with several good news stories. He announced the successful completion of the Campaign for Concordia: Next-Gen Now. He lauded an Emmy win by graduate, Jessica Lee Gagné, BFA 12, and he highlighted how Bloomberg Businessweek recently named the John Molson School of Business the best business school in Canada.
Finally, he praised the historic launch of Starsailor by Space Concordia as a remarkable achievement. Two students from rocket team were in attendance, and the crowd gave an enthusiastic round of applause when Carr introduced them.
"For many people including our donors, alumni and students universities represent hope in a turbulent world," Carr said. "They have a unique ability to impart knowledge, stimulate innovation, and develop the skills needed for a rapidly changing future."
'How long will we take our universities for granted?'
After the celebratory opening, Carr outlined why it is becoming increasingly difficult for universities to fulfill their mission and pursue ambitious agendas. He painted a stark picture of the state of Quebec universities due to chronic underfunding and recent government policies aimed at reducing the number of international students.
As a result, Carr said, Montreal's international reputation has taken a big hit. The crowd noticeably gasped when he shared that QS named Montreal the best university city in the world in 2017. But this year, the city tied for 18th in the same rankings.
"How long can we take our universities for granted before we lose our advantage?" he asked. Due to increasingly global competition for top students, Carr believes Montreal has already reached this critical juncture.
Carr then spoke directly to the business community. He predicted that, if anti-talent trends continue, the pain universities feel today will soon be felt by companies too.
"In three, four or five years, your talent pool will no longer be the same," he said. "It will be less diverse, less multilingual, less cosmopolitan."
An urgent call to collaborate
While Carr did not shy away from difficult facts, he also presented an optimistic view of the future one where universities and businesses can overcome the current challenges by reinforcing proven modes of collaboration and by pursuing novel forms of partnership.
"And everything starts with talent," said Carr.
Concordia's president underscored how the university places a major emphasis on providing its students with work-integrated learning opportunities. Last year, 700 businesses both big and small, in Montreal and across Quebec hired more than 2,000 Concordia students. For companies eager to replenish their talent pipeline, Carr suggested partnering with universities on co-op programs was the most logical place to start.
However, given the magnitude of the challenges, Carr believes traditional programs alone are no longer sufficient. In his mind, attracting, developing and retaining talent must be a guiding principle for all academic and corporate initiatives.
As an illustration of such an approach, Carr provided an update on PLAN/NET ZERØ, which aims to decarbonize Concordia's campuses by 2040. The university launched the initiative at the CCMM in 2023.
Through PLAN/NET ZERØ, Concordia has partnered with Énergir and Hydro-Québec to develop sustainable energy solutions on Loyola Campus. The university also recently awarded an innovative contract to Johnson Controls, a global leader in smart-building technologies, which will incorporate real-time research and training into the retrofitting of a downtown office tower.
According to Carr, both projects demonstrate how Concordia is transforming its campuses into "living labs" where talent thrives thanks to "co-innovation and applied research through collaboration between students, researchers, industry partners and communities."
Carr concluded his speech with "an urgent call to collaborate once again." He implored Quebec universities and the private sector to build on their long history of successful partnerships to safeguard Montreal's prosperity.
"We must stem the loss of talent, regain our momentum, and restore our city to its rightful place as a magnet for the entire world," he said as the audience responded with a standing ovation.
Conversation between Concordians
Following his talk, Carr sat down for an interview with CCMM president and CEO Isabelle Dessureault, MBA 99.
Among other topics, the two Concordians discussed the university's role as a critical partner in promoting the French language as well as integrating international and non-Francophone students into Quebec society. Here, Carr underscored how it is an enormous advantage for Concordia students to "learn in English but live in French."
Every so often, Carr continued, a Concordia student then goes on to achieve success on the global stage. In fact, he noted, this was happening in just a few days. On September 27, Alexandra Tessier, BA 17, BComm 19, would captain Team Canada at the final of the Women's Rugby World Cup.
Carr said he could not imagine a better ambassador for Montreal and Quebec, ending his remarks with, "Go Stingers! And go Canada!"
Read the full text of President Carr's speech to the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.
