Governor General in U.S. capital to promote Canada as research hub
by The Canadian Press
David Johnston says Canadians need an adventuresome spirit to fuel an innovation agenda or risk lagging further behind smaller countries keen to be world leaders
WASHINGTON—Governor General David Johnston says he worries Canada may become complacent and lag further behind smaller countries keen to be world leaders in science, research and innovation.
He says Canadians need an adventuresome spirit to fuel an innovation agenda to prepare for and embrace a changing world.
Without this, he says there may be a further brain drain as top researchers head to the United States or overseas to complete their work.
Johnston is in Washington as part of a contingent promoting Canada as a research and innovation hub at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference.
This is his fifth visit to the United States as Governor General, but his first to the capital.
Johnston is to speak today to a group of entrepreneurs alongside Science Minister Kirsty Duncan before meeting the heads of the Canadian, American and European science agencies.
