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The post-secondary system is bulging with offerings to entice students from around the world. But not all offerings are equal, and the students they attract are not supported equally when they arrive. As Prime Minister Trudeau put it this week, the “bad actors� are the target of this new measure.

But how will they be targeted? Therein lies the problem.

There is no plan to target them, at least none that is evidenced in policy yet. But there must be one if Canada hopes to realize the intended benefits without losing important ground internationally — and here at home — by many measures.

It’s easy to like the national housing shortage. We know the problem is much more complex than that, but it’s a reason to take a hard look at the post-secondary system to see who is doing it right and who is contributing to the country’s woes.

The biggest question is this: who is best positioned to not only support students when they’re here but to attract and foster the talent Canada so desperately needs?

The answer is twofold.

At the most essential level, those institutions with robust residence systems, plans for housing growth, and wraparound supports like health and career services, are doing their part to welcome international students, set them up for success and reduce pressure on neighbourhoods and services in their new home cities.

At the next level, those institutions nurturing the world’s top research talent to become the next generation of scientists, innovators and change-makers are making a deeper and arguably more important contribution to Canada for the long term.

By research talent I’m talking about graduate students who are now part of the international study permit caps. This is a slippery slope, and it’s one Canadians should not want to slide down.

Why?

Like the rest of the world, Canada is grappling with meaty problems — from battling climate change, to unlocking the mysteries of complex diseases, to harnessing the power of AI for good — and if we only look inward, we miss a wealth of global brainpower to apply to the solutions.

Graduate students are the nucleus of this brain trust: they are the next generation of thinkers who will drive new technologies and health treatments, develop innovative business solutions, and serve as the backbone of industry collaborations here at home and across the globe. All of this helps boost Canada’s economy, and our global brand, every day.

And these highly qualified students are still a relatively scarce resource. If we inch our doors closed or misuse the spots we have open for them, we miss the opportunity to harness the potential of some of the best talent the world has to offer.

As Canada grapples with growth, a more measured approach for international students is important, no question. So, how do we make the most of this new policy laid out by the federal government?

We need a careful and co-ordinated strategy that makes the best use of top global talent.

We need a consistent, national framework for separating “bad actors� from good — and for identifying universities and colleges who wrap their arms around the students they attract.

And we must create a clear pathway for these highly qualified graduate students — one that sees them homing right in on Canada’s top research-intensive universities, where they belong, and where they will make the greatest contributions for the country.

Research universities, like Western, are a magnet for this talent because we have established strengths in key areas that matter to the world, we have the ecosystems to foster more growth, and we’re already having a big impact.

But discovery never ends. So as research universities continue doing more to better society and the lives, livelihoods and health of everyone in it, the government must do better with this policy. For the sake of Canadians and the future of our country.