As part of globalisation, academics have become more mobile and are tempted to move to institutions that have the most favourable research funding and work environment. The university is now viewed as a global magnet for academic talent and a key institution that enhances competitiveness by connecting cities and nations to global flows of knowledge and talent. Then what factors influence and explain the direction of global brain flows? This research intends to shed light on the relative strengths of the various factors that prompted a group of Canada Research Chairholders originating from Mainland China to choose to work in Canadian universities, something that is happening against the backdrop of a gradual shift of the global centre of economic gravity towards Asia. Such a shift finds expression in the academic world as well, so it is particularly interesting to track the views of these CRCs.