V. 16 I. 8 – Aug 2016

How Canada Will Produce the 150,000 Tech Experts It Needs

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Globe & Mail via Academica

Canada will require a historic effort to supply the number of tech experts it needs to be a world economic leader in the 21st-century, write Stephen Lake and Sarah Prevette for the Globe and Mail. The authors outline four strategies that Canada can use to produce an additional 150,000 tech experts in the near future, which include making coding part of the education curriculum as early as elementary school; expanding postsecondary co-op programs; fighting for gender equality and parity, particularly in the STEM disciplines; and encouraging immigration.

Canada Student Visa Policy Changes Worry NS Language Schools

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: CBC via Academica

A recent change to international student visa requirements has caused concern among Nova Scotia’s English language schools, reports CBC. Introduced in July, the new legislative changes require international students in Canada to obtain a second visa before moving from secondary to postsecondary school. “What happened before the changes is students could apply for language training and university training and receive one study permit to cover the whole of the time that they were going to be in Canada,” says Sheila Nunn, president of East Coast School of Languages in Halifax. “This gave them the confidence that they knew that they would go on to the university, they didn’t have to apply for any other paperwork.” Nunn adds that the new regulations might jeopardize pathways programs currently established at NS universities.

Institutions Should Better Promote the “Broadening” Effects of Travel Abroad

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Universities Canada via Academica

“If university is about higher education, international experience—travelling, working, or studying in other countries—is about broader education,” writes University of St Michael’s College President David Mulroney. The author reflects on the impact that his own travels abroad had on his undergraduate study and on his personal and intellectual development. Mulroney adds that the value of travel abroad, for him, is “the benefit of experiencing things for myself, testing my assumptions, and trying to see the world as others see it.” Mulroney concludes that Canada and its institutions need to do a better job of promoting opportunities for students to travel abroad, citing current statistics showing that while 97% of schools offer these opportunities, only 3% of students pursue them.

McGill signs MoU with Indian University to Establish Infectious Disease Centre

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Times of India via Academica

McGill University has partnered with India’s Manipal University to launch the new Manipal McGill Center for Infectious Diseases. A recently signed MoU commits both schools to supporting collaboration on research and training initiatives relating to the study and treatment of infectious and tropical diseases. The Times of India reports that both schools have major strengths in the study of these diseases and that the new MoU builds on research collaborations already being undertaken by the schools. Manipal Vice-Chancellor Vinod Bhat declared in his inaugural address that the Centre will work to inform the scientific community, guide policy makers, and provide public health education.

Canada Introduces New Visa Process for Conditional Admissions

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: ICEF Monitor

The Canadian government has quietly introduced an important change to how it processes visas for students entering Canada to pursue conditional admissions or pathway programmes. Under the new processing policy, visa officers are instructed to issue a study permit – that is, a Canadian study visa – only for the period of the student’s prerequisite studies. After successfully concluding any such preparatory studies, the student will now be asked to apply for a further study permit to cover the period of their planned academic programme. This is a departure from the previous practice which saw visa officers issue a single study permit for the entire duration of both programmes.

For the complete article, please visit ICEF Monitor.

Canada a Popular Alternative to Britain for International Students

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Academica Top Ten

A new study claims that 41% of surveyed students from outside the UK are less likely to study in Britain after the Brexit referendum, reports Times Higher Education, but Canada was found to be a popular alternative for international study. The students listed a number of concerns with the UK in light of the referendum that made it less attractive. When asked about alternative study destinations, The Independent reports that as many as 32% stated that they would choose Canada as an alternative study destination, followed by Germany, Australia, and the US. The Chronicle of Higher Education observes that the US could also see difficulties in international recruitment as a result of the upcoming American election, and notes that “Canada could be the biggest winner” when it comes to recruitment.

India Moves to Open up International Collaboration for Universities

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: ICEF Monitor

India’s University Grants Commission (UGC) announced new regulations on 22 June 2016, since formally published on 13 July 2016, that aim to open up additional links between Indian and foreign universities with the goal to “offer students additional choices, improve curriculum and the delivery of knowledge and educational content.” Under the new regulations, Indian universities will now be permitted to apply to the UGC to establish partnerships with foreign institutions. This is a departure from previous guidelines, issued in 2012, under which only foreign universities could initiate such agreements – an opportunity that has not been taken up by a single foreign institution in the years since. The lack of activity in this area may reflect confusion or uncertainty on the part of foreign partners as to how to navigate the complex Indian bureaucracy, and the new regulations appear to be an attempt to provide Indian institutions with a clear process for building such international links.

For the full article, please visit ICEF Monitor.