In the 2008 budget, the Canadian government says “Improving Canada’s competitive position means developing the best-educated, most-skilled and most flexible workforce in the world.” Grants and loan schemes to students are reorganised and receive a substantial increase.  A new graduate scholarship award is launched for top doctoral students and new Global Excellence Research Chairs are financed, and giving more money to research projects at universities. They “modernize immigration”  by making the “immigration system more competitive.”

All in all, the Canadian government is investing in knowledge among ther own nationals and to attract brains from abroad. This seems to be a general trend in the industialised world: opening up for easier import of educated and educating labour and compensating for nationals who choose not to go into the hard sciences and industry related studies. 

Government of Canada
Human resources and Social Development Canada