Canada Should Capitalize on Perfect Storm of Talent Recruitment

Source: University Affairs via Academica

“The perfect storm of political upheaval has happened from an academic recruitment point of view,” writes David Kent for University Affairs, citing Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as factors that may drive more highly talented researchers to Canadian universities. While researchers often consider salary an important factor when weighing competing offers, Kent writes that these decisions are impacted by a number of other concerns. “In the Trump, post-Brexit world, Canada starts ticking a lot of boxes in comparison to other places,” the author concludes. “Universities in Canada need to consider this set of circumstances swiftly and attract the best and brightest into long-term positions with real institutional commitment to their future success.”

Canada: International Student Spending Hit $11.4bn in 2014

Source: The PIE News

Spending by international students and their visiting friends and family amounted to a net CAN$11.4bn in 2014, up from $8bn four years earlier, according to the federal government’s new economic impact study. Canada’s international education services now account for 11% of the country’s service exports.

For the complete article, visit The PIE News.

Toronto Students Head to India To Spend Holidays Giving Back

Source: CBC via Academica

Two teams of students from Ryerson University will spend most of their winter break in villages in India and Egypt teaching locals how to build and sell affordable water filters, reports the Canadian Press. The goal of the two small teams is to help improve access to clean water while providing local residents with an entrepreneurial education that can spur the creation of new businesses. The two student initiatives—Project Saaf and Project Myaah—are part of the Ryerson chapter of a non-profit organization known as Enactus, whose goal is to transform lives through socially conscious entrepreneurship. “What makes the holidays special for me is the act of giving…The most essential thing that I could give is something that I think should be a human right, the gift of water,” said Samarth Arabastani, a third-year electrical engineering student who is leading the project in India.

Effects of Rupee Demonetisation Could Hit Outbound Market

Source: The PIE News

International education has not escaped the effects of last month’s demonetisation of the Indian rupee. While the industry is unlikely to suffer in the long term, India-based education agents have told The PIE News there are short term implications to overcome, including problems with student payments for visas and tuition fees as well as bank withdrawals.

For the full article, visit The PIE News.

94% of ON University Grads Find Jobs within 2 Years of Graduation

Source: Council of Ontario Universities via Academica

More than nine out of ten university graduates from Ontario find well-paying jobs within two years of graduating, according to a new study conducted for the province’s Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development. The survey-based study showed that university graduates in full-time jobs earn an average salary of almost $42K six months after graduation, and an average of more than $49K after two years. The report also found that employment rates and earnings for university undergraduates were higher than they were for any other level of education. A large majority of recent graduates in full-time jobs also said that their work was related to the skills they developed in their program of study. “In a complex and ever-changing world, Ontario’s universities are helping to build a brighter future for graduates, their families and communities, and the province,” said Council of Ontario Universities President David Lindsay.

Quebec Announces $12M in University, College Grants

Source: La Presse via Academica

Quebec Minister of Higher Education Hélène David announced this Monday that the province will inject an additional $12M in grant funding for the province’s CEGEPs and universities. The funds were made available immediately and are marked to be spent by the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2017. Of the $12M, $2.7M will be used to mentor and retain foreign students. Another $3.2M will be used to increase the supply of continuing education programs, while $3M will be devoted to providing more resources for student success. The remainder will be used for various measures such as support for innovation, strengthening French language proficiency among students, and intervention practices against sexual violence and radicalization.

Students Set Priorities for “Reimagining the World-Class University”

Source: University World News via Academica

Students around the world place a high level of emphasis on culture and values when they are asked to imagine a “world class university,” reports University World Report. The students in question were speaking at the recent Times Higher Education BRICS and Emerging Economies Universities Summit, under the theme “Reimagining the world-class university.” “We need to create the means of engaging with each other’s language, literature and cosmology,” noted one student speaker, while others spoke to a need for more engaged teaching, as well as a call for education research to feed more quickly into teaching methods. The vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand reportedly noted that institutions must be “locally responsive and globally competitive,” a strategy he said universities cite but do not always “internalize.”

Canada: “A Place of Stability, of Openness, of Inclusiveness”

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica

Canada’s decision to welcome thousands of Syrian refugees “stands out as an important symbol” of the country’s “openness and eagerness to attract newcomers,” says University of Toronto President Meric Gertler in an interview with Times Higher Education. Gertler highlights a number of significant steps Canada has taken to be open compared to the isolationist tendencies of Brexit and the Donald Trump presidential campaign. These include Canada’s efforts to attract 450,000 international students by 2022, its amendments to its citizenship process for international students, and its increased investment in research and scientific infrastructure. “Canada has certainly emerged as a place of stability, of openness, of inclusiveness,” says Gertler. “I think we’re doing many things right now that will position us as a stark alternative to things that are happening in other countries, including the UK and the US.”

Mental Health Efforts Made by Toronto-based PSE Institutions

Source: Torontoist via Academica

The Torontoist has released an article highlighting how three universities and three colleges based in Toronto are working to support student mental health issues. The piece focuses on what programs and events the schools offer on top of existing counselling programs that are available on most campuses; it examines the efforts of Ryerson University, the University of Toronto, York University, Humber College, Seneca College, and George Brown College, as well as collaborative efforts between the institutions. Among these collaborative efforts is Mindfest, an event organized collaboratively between OCAD University, Ryerson University, and the University of Toronto that includes information sessions and a club night to help raise students’ awareness of the mental wellness programs available to them on their home campuses.

International Students Praise Canada’s Openness & Affordable Fees

Source: The PIE News

Competitive fees and attractive post-study work options are some of Canada’s most magnetic features drawing international students to its shores. Word of mouth recommendations, however, remain powerful influences when students are choosing a study destination.

For the complete post, please visit The PIE News.

Nova Scotia Invites Students to Study & Stay

Source: The PIE News

Nova Scotia has launched two initiatives aiming to entice international student to stay, work and possibly immigrate after they graduate, in order to shore up the province’s ageing and shrinking workforce.

To read the complete article, visit The PIE News.

Improving Pathways Between Study Critical for Canada

Source: The PIE News

More clearly articulated pathways between different levels of study is what Canadian educators must offer international students to improve their access to Canadian HE, according to a panel presenting at the CBIE annual conference in Canada.

For the full article, please visit The PIE News.