Christina Clark-Kazak (University of Ottawa) and Norah Vollmer (Carleton University) write that Canada should do more to support scientists and artists displaced by conflict in their home countries. The authors highlight the gaps in how Canada’s current policies and processes serve at-risk researchers, including issues with visas, insufficient cross-sector coordination, and reactive approaches. To scale support for displaced researchers, they propose a coordinated national and multi-sectoral plan with three actions: coordinating existing government programs into a dedicated pathway for at-risk researchers, launching targeted initiatives within national and provincial education agencies, and investing in a sustainable national coordination mechanism for campus-based programs. They conclude that these steps would create a “triple win” for Canada by fulfilling international humanitarian commitments; attracting talent; and preserving knowledge, culture, and science.
