Canadian Higher Education and the GATS: AUCC Background Paper

This paper examines the main aspects of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) as they relate to trade in educational services. It was developed with a view to helping AUCC Members prepare for discussions with government officials and non-government experts on this topic. Debate with respect to the implications of the GATS for higher education has been polarized. While the liberalization of the education and training industry is of more limited interest to the federal government than the liberalization of other service industries, federal officials nevertheless promote the export of education and training services and downplay the likelihood of any negative outcomes for Canadian higher education. On the other hand, a number of public interest groups, faculty unions, and student associations have predicted dire consequences for public higher education in Canada should the federal government decide to include educational services in the negotiations. In this paper, we have attempted to steer a middle course in what is a very complex field, outlining some of the options available to countries when making commitments under the GATS while at the same time identifying some potential concerns with respect to the Agreement's impact upon Canadian public higher education.