Preface: Why Differentiation Matters Now
Canada’s publicly-funded post-secondary systems are under pressure. Our institutions are expected to deliver world-class research, broad access, strong community connections, and workforce-ready graduates, while contending with fragmented funding, unclear mandates, growing competition, and declining public trust.
This report makes the case that Canada needs a smarter, more coherent approach to differentiating our post-secondaries — one that recognizes and embraces diverse missions, strengths, and regional roles. Our case is informed by input from decision-makers across industry, higher education, and government, heard at roundtables and summits convened by BHER as a part of our ongoing national initiative to reform higher education for a better economic future.
- Part One introduces the concept of institutional differentiation and examines how high-performing systems in other countries use role clarity, funding models, and labour market alignment to support excellence, equity, and innovation.
- Part Two examines how Canada’s policies and funding encourage homogenization, creating inefficiency and mission drift. It highlights the design challenges — access, student navigation, employer engagement, and federal–provincial misalignment — that must be resolved for differentiation to succeed.
- Part Three outlines a policy agenda for differentiation, including regional mandates, equity-informed funding, hub-and-spoke models, and digital/WIL infrastructure — shifting Canada from one-size-fits-all toward sustainable systems that deliver excellence, access, and innovation.
Different by Design: Building Smarter Post-Secondary Systems for Canada
Access the complete analysis on how Canada can build a differentiated, high-performing system.
