IIT-Kanpur First to Establish Economic Sciences Department

Source: Times of India

IIT-Kanpur is first among the IITs to start an Economic Sciences department. The new department came into operation from Saturday and students clearing JEE Advanced 2017 and also willing to pursue Bachelor of Science (BS – Economic Sciences) program would get admission in it.

For more, view the Times of India online.

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.

Language Skills Prevent Skilled Immigrants from Realizing Economic Potential

Source: Vancouver Sun via Academica | January 20, 2015

In a piece for the Vancouver Sun, columnist Don Cayo calls on Canada to do more to help immigrants develop their English and French language skills. Cayo says that while many immigrants to Canada are highly educated, they must often settle for lesser jobs and smaller paycheques because of difficulty communicating in one or both of the country’s official languages. Cayo cites research from scholars at the University of Waterloo and Princeton University that suggests that “linguistic proximity”—the degree of similarity between an immigrant’s mother tongue and one or both of Canada’s official languages—bears a relationship to an individual’s ability to get a better job in Canada. Language difficulties, Cayo says, prevent immigrants from reaching their professional and economic potential in Canada, and inhibit them from contributing to the broader economy. Cayo goes on to suggest that improving language skills is essential in the face of a looming shortage of skilled, articulate, and well-educated workers.