Five Canadian Institutions Make THE’s “Most International” Universities Ranking

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica

Five Canadian universities have made the top 40 “most international” universities in the world, according to rankings released by Times Higher Education. The rankings are drawn largely from the “international outlook” section of the THE World University Rankings 2016-17, which covers international staff, students, and co-authors. However, the ranking also factors in a measure of universities’ international reputations. The University of British Columbia was Canada’s highest-ranked university in this regard, placing #12 in the world. McGill University was the second highest-ranked Canadian institution at #23, followed by the University of Alberta (#31), University of Toronto (#32), and University of Waterloo (#34).

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.”

Canada a Popular Alternative to Britain for International Students

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.

5 Canadian Institutions Among Top 100 in Global Employability Rankings

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica | December 9, 2014

Times Higher Education has released its 2014 Global Employability survey rankings. The rankings are based on surveys of 2,500 international recruiters in 20 countries. The top Canadian university on this year’s list is the University of Toronto, which appears in 13th position, up one spot from last year. McGill University finished in 28th position, up 2 places from last year. HEC Montréal moved up 12 spots, from 59th in 2013 to 47th this year. UBC dropped 4 spots from 51st to 55th, and McMaster University dropped from 73rd to 80th. The University of Cambridge finished in first place overall, followed by Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Oxford, and the California Institute of Technology.

Canada Tops OECD Rankings in PSE spending, Adult PSE Attainment

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica | Sept 10, 2014

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released its annual “Education at a Glance” report. According to the report, Canada spent 2.8% of its GDP on postsecondary institutions in 2010. This was sufficient to surpass the US as the world leader in this category. Canada was found to have spent twice as much as the OECD average to educate each PSE student. 43% of the cost of PSE in Canada is picked up privately, higher than the OECD average of 31%. The report says that Canada’s colleges have helped the country achieve the highest rate of adult PSE attainment in the developed world. 24% of Canadian adults were found to have graduated from a community college, and 57.3% of Canadians were reported to have achieved postsecondary degrees. Canada’s share of international students increased by about 5% between 2000 and 2012, while the US’s share slipped from 23% to 16%. However, Canada’s math scores—while still higher than the OECD average—have dropped from 2003 levels. Canada is not the only country in which math scores have fallen, with Finland and the Netherlands also seeing reductions.

5 Canadian Universities Among THE’s Top 100 Under 50

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica | May 5, 2014

The Times Higher Education (THE) 100 under 50, which ranks the top 100 universities in the world under 50 years old, has been released. The list employs 13 separate indicators used by THE in its World University Rankings, but calibrates the data to “reflect the special characteristics of younger universities,” putting less emphasis on academic reputation. The University of Calgary was Canada’s top-ranked young university, coming in at 19th overall. Simon Fraser University also finished in the top 25, at 24th. The University of Guelph, the Université du Quèbec à Montréal, and Concordia University were ranked 73rd, 84th, and 96th, respectively. 4 Canadian institutions cracked the list last year. Universities in Southeast Asia—Pohang University of Science and Technology (Republic of Korea), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) took four of the top five spots in the list. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, in Switzerland, took second place.

TCS Insights: With five young educational institutions on this list, Canada will continue to increase its reputation as a destination for higher learning for generations to come. The results of these rankings also reaffirm the fact that Canadian universities are among the most well recognized in the world.

UK Takes Notice of Canada’s International Education Strategy

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica | February 20, 2014

As part of Canada’s new federal campaign to increase the number of international students to 450,000 by 2022, marketing efforts are directly targeting countries such as Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam, promoting the broad recognition of Canada’s PSE credentials, the comparatively safe, welcoming and multicultural society and the possibility of immigration, along with the relative affordability of tuition. A recent piece in Times Higher Education reports that in many countries, “There is no awareness that Canada has world-class educational establishments,” a problem that the marketing campaign hopes to address. Gail Bowkett, Director of Research and International Relations for the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, notes that “it is very much about building awareness and building your brand and making those mobile students aware of the value proposition.” Another facet of the marketing campaign is to portray Canada’s cold weather as a positive to students from warmer countries that may be turned off by the thought of the snow and ice. “It’s about a whole new experience and opening up new experiences – in a whole new climate.”

TCS Insights: The improved Canadian strategy to increase the size of their international student body has begun to garner attention around the world. By making more people aware of the quality of Canadian educational facilities, the country should be able to establish its reputation in new markets while bringing in young minds from abroad.