Author: CIEC Author

ON Commits to Funding International Graduate Students

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Source: Globe & Mail via Academica

Ontario has announced that it will extend funding for graduate studies to international students. Although no new funds are attached to the deal, the province plans to reallocate up to 130 graduate funding spots for international students starting this fall. The policy will give relief to the province’s universities, many of which currently cover the tuition and living costs associated with international students. University of Toronto President Meric Gertler said he hopes this new funding will help alleviate the frustration some Ontario professors have felt at being unable to work with international students due to lack of funds. He added, “we’ve been worried that frustration would cause them to look elsewhere, so this is for us a faculty retention and attraction strategy as well as a PhD student strategy.”

Carleton President Advocates the “Right” Funding Model for Ontario

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Source: Ottawa Citizen via Academica

Carleton University [CIEC Academic Member] President Roseann O’Reilly Runte writes in the Ottawa Citizen that “the ability to pursue one’s education makes Ontario and Canada special and offers hope and motivation to all. Thus, funding for accessibility must continue.” To this end, she offers suggestions for how Ontario might build upon the Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMAs) it approved for each university last year, setting measurable goals and accountabilities for universities while emphasizing collaboration. Rather than “destabilize the system at a time when resources are not abundant,” Ontario should introduce new funding for an “incentive program” that might require universities to find matching funds from the private sector in order to access new government money. Under this model, Runte says, “the province would double its investment” in higher education.

CCAE Announces Winners of Annual Prix d’Excellence

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Source: CCAE via Academica

The Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) has announced the winners of its annual Prix d’Excellence, which recognizes Canada’s postsecondary institutions for excellence across 24 categories, including marketing, development, and student recruitment.  This year, uAlberta led the group with seven awards, followed by uCalgary and MUN with five awards each. uToronto, uSask, UBC, and Trent each received four nods, with uWaterloo, UoGuelph, Sheridan, Queen’s, McMaster, and McGill each garnering three. 15 other PSE institutions across Canada received one or two awards.

International Permit Wait Times Creating “Competitive Disadvantage”

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Source: Edmonton Journal via Academica

According to the Edmonton Journal, Alberta’s international students are facing wait times of up to three months and are consequently being kept from presenting their research at conferences around the world. These students currently cannot leave the country without renewing their Canadian permits and visas unless they risk significant delays upon re-entering the country. These delays can affect their standing in university programs where many have studied for several years. Marcella Cassiano, a third-year PhD student in sociology at the University of Alberta, said, “International graduate students are highly mobile people. We cannot afford to be grounded in Canada for five months waiting for document renewal and miss the opportunity to present our research in international conferences.”

BC Universities Show Fastest Growth in Federal Research Funding

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Source: Vancouver Sun via Academica

BC’s research universities have experienced the fastest growth rate in federal research funding, according to the Research Universities Council of British Columbia (RUCBC). RUCBC’s figures show that in 2012–13, BC universities attracted more than $700 M in research funding from outside the province and increased their per capita share of federal research grants by 148%, which is almost double the Canadian average. RUCBC Chair and [CIEC Member] Simon Fraser University President Andrew Petter said, “the fact that we’re seeing this level of growth and the fact that we are outperforming other jurisdictions I think is evidence that we’ve done a good job of hiring the best and the brightest.”

Indian Higher Ed Commission Releases List of Fake Universities

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Source: Times of India via Academica

The University Grants Commission (UGC), the regulatory body for higher education in India, has published a list of 21 “fake” universities operating in that country. Indian law prohibits any institution from describing itself as a “university” without obtaining the proper government permission. Eight of the 21 “universities” are in Uttar Pradesh, with a further six in Delhi. While the UGC’s decree prohibits these institutions from continuing to grant degrees, it is worth noting that many of the institutions on the new list were also on an earlier list.

India: Leading VET Chain Pairs with MOOC Platform

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Source: The PIE News

India’s largest vocational education provider, AISECT, has partnered with online learning platform, ALISON, in a bid to extend its reach in providing skills-based learning to rural and semi-urban populations.

Under the partnership, ALISON and AISECT will provide a free e-learning platform to students offering internationally recognised vocational courses, which will be free of charge and open to all.

AISECT director Abhishek Pandit said the partnership “will allow us to integrate our extensive network and resources with ALISON’s proficiency in open and distance learning to build ‘hands-on’ skills to bridge the demand-supply gap of skilled individuals in the country.”

To read the full article, visit The PIE News.

CBIE Developing Training Program for International Student Advisors

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Source: CBIE News Release via Academica

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has announced it is working to develop a professional development program for International Student Advisors (ISAs). The federal government requires that counsellors offering student-related immigration advice have the Regulated International Student Immigration Advisers (RISIAs) designation. ISAs that complete the new program will be eligible to write the RISIA qualifying exam. The program needs to be accredited by the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council, and CBIE hopes to submit its program design proposal by early fall. The design process has taken into consideration input from PSE institutions, such as being offered in English and French, having flexible delivery and scheduling options, and reflecting different provincial/territorial immigration legislation.

Engineers Canada Releases Report on Labour Market

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Source: Engineers Canada Release via Academica

Engineers Canada has released a new report outlining projections of the expected supply and demand of engineers in Canada through to 2025. The report, Engineering Labour Market in Canada: Projections to 2025, provides provincial-level breakdowns of the number of engineers currently working, the average age of engineers in different fields, and the projected need for engineers to fill vacated positions. The report suggests that recent engineering graduates will not be able to replace retiring senior engineers; inter-provincial mobility of senior engineers and the immigration of international engineers will be necessary to fill these positions. The report also recommends that traditionally underrepresented groups such as women and Aboriginal peoples will be needed in the engineering workforce.

Langara’s School of Nursing Accredited for Seven Years

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Source: Langara News via Academica

[CIEC Academic Member] Langara College’s School of Nursing has been awarded a seven-year accreditation from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), the maximum length that can be awarded to an institution. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing was approved by the province in October 2013, but has pursued voluntary accreditation in order to provide its graduates a “smoother path” to further education. “This is a wonderful and remarkable achievement as few nursing programs achieve seven-year accreditation status in their inaugural application to CASN,” said Provost Brad O’Hara. “Their vision, many years of planning, and hard work have yielded an enviable result of which we all can be proud.”

PEI’s “Reality Budget” Increases PSE Funding

PEI’s “Reality Budget” Increases PSE Funding

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Source: Journal Pioneer via Academica

Prince Edward Island has released its latest budget, which Minster of Finance Allen Roach calls a “reality budget,” citing its “economic frugality.” The budget projects a deficit of just under $20M with less than 1% growth in program spending. However, the budget awards postsecondary institutions their first provincial funding increases since 2012. This money boosts University of PEI funding by 8% and Holland College funding by 2.5%. Much of the money for UPEI will go toward establishing a new school of engineering.

NSERC Announces $430M in Research Funding for 71 Institutions

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Source: NSERC Release via Academica

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has announced that it will award $430M to 3,800 academic researchers at over 70 Canadian universities. The funds will support long-term projects by researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and students primarily through NSERC’s Discovery Grants program. Minister of State for Science and Technology Ed Holder said, “Today’s investment in more than 3,800 researchers at 71 universities across the country ensures Canada has a broad base of talented men and women whose research continues to push the boundaries of knowledge [and] creates jobs and opportunities while improving the quality of life of Canadians.”

SFU to Launch Pacific Water Research Centre

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Source: SFU News Release via Academica

[CIEC Academic Member] Simon Fraser University will this week announce the creation of the new Pacific Water Research Centre (PWRC), part of its Faculty of Environment. The PWRC will respond to regional, national, and international concerns about the world’s water resources and provide a hub for cross-disciplinary, collaborative research to help address global water crises. Faculty of Environment Dean Ingrid Leman Stefanovic said, “the goal of the PWRC aims to inform research questions on the strength of local and regional priorities, to ensure that community-engaged research leads to positive, community-relevant changes.”

Alberta’s Bill 3 Freezes Tuition, Restores Funding Cuts

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Source: CBC via Academica

Husain with U of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera.
Husain with U of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera.

Alberta’s government has released details on Bill 3, the interim supply bill. The bill, if passed, will freeze tuition at AB’s postsecondary institutions for two years, reverse an earlier 1.4% cut to Campus Alberta funding, and increase base operating funding by 2%. Bill 3 will also roll back previously approved market-modifier tuition increases. Outgoing University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera praised the bill, calling it “a clear message that the Alberta government sees postsecondary education as a public good,” while University of Calgary President Elizabeth Cannon said “we appreciate the importance the Government of Alberta places on postsecondary funding today.”

SK Grants Great Plains International Designation

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Source: Great Plains College News Release via Academica

Great Plains College’s Swift Current campus has been awarded its international designation from Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Advanced Education. The designation means that international students will be able to enrol in the campus’s Business and Administrative Assistant programs. “We recognize the current and looming labour shortage in Saskatchewan and the desire to have access to skilled graduates,” says Keleah Ostrander, Great Plains’ Director of Planning. “By being able to accept international students and support them through post-secondary education, we are able to help meet the needs of employers in the province.” Great Plains is reportedly the second SK regional college to receive its international designation.

Canada May Be Leaving Billions in Education Exports On the Table

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Source: Globe & Mail via Academica

Canada is seventh on the list of destinations for international students but could be much higher, according to a Globe and Mail op-ed. The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) projects that the number of students seeking education outside their home country will rise from 4.1 M in 2010 to 7.2 M by 2025. However, due in part to slow visa processing and lack of coordination, Canada could miss out. “[The challenge is] to develop a cohesive Canadian strategy to feature, highlight, promote our academic institutions, and that shouldn’t be just a city-specific or a provincial-specific strategy,” said Patricia McQuillan of Brand Matters Inc.

PSE at Centre of “New Era of Cooperation” Between India and Canada

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Source: Conference Board of Canada via Academica

A piece published by the Conference Board of Canada examines the changing relationship between Canada and India, with a focus on PSE partnerships. The article notes that in November, Prime Minister Stephen Harper spent his longest official foreign visit to date in India, while in April, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister since Indira Gandhi to visit Canada. PSE is a key piece in this growing relationship. India hopes to increase the number of skilled youth in the country, and Canada’s reputation as a leader in PSE makes it a natural partner. The Conference Board cites a partnership between Ryerson University and the Bombay Stock Exchange as representative of the closer ties between the countries.

Canada: Internal Reviews Uncover Delays in Visa Processing

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Source: The PIE News

Canada’s visa woes continue as multiple internal government reviews have revealed delays and errors in visa processing, seeing processing times increase by a third for study permits and double for permanent residence permits.

Members of the Canadian Bureau for International Education are “deeply concerned about the ballooning processing times that affect both their current and prospective students”, according to its vice-president, membership, public policy and communications, Jennifer Humphries.

“Timeliness, or its opposite, makes a huge difference in the choices that students make for their future,” she told The PIE News.

“To achieve the ambitions of Canada’s International Education Strategy, it is critical that government departments work together cohesively and make their shared objectives the priority, not departmental interests,” she urged. “It’s also critical that sufficient resources be allocated to deliver on the objectives.”

 

To read the full article, please visit The PIE News.

German Foundation Compares Study-to-Work Transition For International Students in Four Countries

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Source: SVR Report via Academica

A new study by the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR) maps supports for the study-to-work transition for international students at 238 PSE institutions in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The report indicates that large businesses are actively involved in hiring international students at 40% of Canadian institutions, and that small businesses are better represented among active recruiters on Canadian campuses than in the other countries. However, international students still often encounter a “patchwork” of resources, and more coordination is necessary. The study further recommends more information sharing, the development of shared goals, and greater involvement from municipalities.

BCIT School of Business Receives Initial ACBSP Accreditation

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Source: BCIT News Release via Academica

The British Columbia Institute of Technology’s School of Business has been granted initial accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The accreditation includes a number of notes and conditions that must be met, and ACBSP will review BCIT programs every two years to ensure that the terms of the accreditation are being followed. “The accreditation process … served to validate BCIT’s unique model that focuses on industry alignment as a means of delivering high quality professional business education,” said Robin Hemmingsen, Dean of the BCIT School of Business. The accreditation applies to more than 15 programs offered at BCIT [CIEC Academic Member].

More Than Half of International Students Have no Canadian Friends

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Source: Times Higher Education via Academica

According to Janine Knight-Grofe from the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), 56% of international students in Canada said they have no Canadian friends. “We are missing out on one of the strategic advantages of international education, one that we as international educators frequently tout,” Knight-Grofe said at last week’s annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. One-third of international students said they found it difficult to meet Canadian students and half experienced challenges meeting Canadians off campus. The issue is particularly acute for students from the Middle East and North Africa: only 28% of these students had any Canadian friends.

Lack of Resources and Coordination Contribute to Increased Processing Times for International Students

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Source: Globe & Mail via Academica

According to a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) report obtained by the Globe and Mail, insufficient resources and lack of coordination have contributed to a 30% increase in processing times for study permits and a doubling of the processing time for temporary resident visas. While the federal government has pledged to double the number of international students by 2022, it has not provided sufficient resources to do so, according to [CIEC Academic Member] Western University President Amit Chakma. Universities Canada President Paul Davidson said, “the question of visa processing times is a critical one in terms of attracting top students. If our competitors are able to turn around visas faster, all the marketing efforts, all the recruitment efforts, all the offers of scholarships fail.”

Study Finds Leaders More Likely to Hold Degrees in Social Sciences

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Source: Inside Higher Education via Academica

A majority of leaders hold degrees in the social sciences or the humanities, according to a new survey conducted by the British Council. The survey reports results from 1,709 leaders in 30 countries, defined as people in a “position of influence within their organization.” Fully 44% of respondents had training in the social sciences, with a further 11% in the humanities. The survey results also show that younger leaders, defined as those under 45, are more likely to have social science and humanities degrees.

CFI Announces Recipients of $333 M in Infrastructure Funding

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Source: CFI News Release via Academic

The Canada Foundation for Innovation on Friday announced that 87 projects will benefit from a total of $333 M in funding for research infrastructure. These projects include a collaborative effort by scholars at Carleton University [CIEC Academic Member], McGill University, Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member], and the University of Victoria to develop new components for the ATLAS detector at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) in Switzerland, which enabled the discovery of the Higgs boson; studies at Toronto General Hospital into healing human organs outside of the body for transplants; and research at Ryerson University into the social and cultural impact of the “Internet of Things.”

BC Announces $6M in Funding for Technology Skills Development

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Source: BC News Release via Academica

British Columbia announced $6M in funding, to be provided through the BC Innovation Council (BCIC), in support of technology skills development. The BCIC Innovator Skills Initiative and the BC Tech Co-Op Grants Program will provide students with opportunities to enhance their skills and explore new career opportunities at small- and medium-sized technology firms, while connecting employers to a supply of talented workers. BC Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training Shirley Bond said, “this new funding will continue to help drive this development by training entrepreneurs today and generating desirable jobs for highly skilled, creative, and educated British Columbians for the future.”

Premier Kathleen Wynne Announces Mission to India

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Source: Ontario News Release

Premier Kathleen Wynne will lead a mission to India in early 2016 to foster more opportunities for trade and investment and promote Ontario’s expertise in sustainable development.

A main component of the trip will be a business delegation that will visit New Delhi and Mumbai — India’s governing and economic centres — as well as Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Premier Wynne will meet with government and industry decision-makers to discuss how Ontario’s expertise makes the province an attractive partner as India works toward achieving its sustainable development goals. She will also highlight the province’s position as the North American leader in attracting foreign capital investment. The mission is expected to result in several new agreements that will create jobs and boost the provincial economy. 

As part of the trip, Premier Wynne will also meet with cultural leaders to reinforce Ontario’s commitment to fostering stronger ties with India.

Providing more opportunities for Ontario companies to compete internationally is part of the government’s economic plan. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

Humber Recognized for International Outreach

Humber Recognized for International Outreach

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Source: Humber College

The CICan Awards of Excellence, which recognize achievement within Canada’s college system, were handed out in a ceremony in Winnipeg this week. Humber College [CIEC Academic Member] was the recipient of a gold award for Internationalization Excellence.

Humber’s gold for Internationalization follows the 2014 launch of the college’s Internationalization Strategy.

“At Humber we are committed to ensuring that our students graduate with the skills needed to be successful as global citizens in an ever increasing interconnected world,” says Diane Simpson, dean of International. “This award recognizes the efforts of the institution to embrace this, and also to ensure that the opportunity is there for all students to engage in international opportunities, whether on campus or abroad.”

27 Canadian Institutions Appear in This Year’s Leiden Ranking

27 Canadian Institutions Appear in This Year’s Leiden Ranking

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Source: CWTS Leiden Ranking 2015 via Academica

The Centre for Science and Technology at Leiden University recently released its annual ranking of universities’ scientific performance. The Leiden Ranking focuses heavily on scientific collaboration and citation impact; this year, it factors in new impact indicators based on counting publications that belong to the top 1% or top 50% of their field. The University of Toronto was the top Canadian school in the size-independent ranking at 86th. UBC was 107th, the University of Victoria 116th, and McGill University 149th. McMaster University [CIEC Academic Member] rounded out the Canadian top five at 165th. 27 Canadian institutions in total appear on the list of 750 institutions, down from 28 last year. MIT placed first overall in the size-independent ranking, followed by Harvard and Stanford.

NAFSA Publishes International Education Professional Competencies

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Source: CBIE News Release via Academica

US-based organization NAFSA: Association of International Educators this week released the International Education Professional Competencies, a list that defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of international education professionals. The competencies include skills identified as being fundamental to all international education professionals, regardless of specialization. They are organized into four key practice areas: comprehensive internationalization, education abroad, international enrolment management, and international student and scholar services. The list also includes skills necessary to collaborate across international education domains. The Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE), sister association to NAFSA, welcomed the release, noting that while developed from a US perspective, the competencies are applicable in other contexts.

NB Institutions Join Forces to Promote Province As an International Study Destination

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Source: NBCC News Release via Academica

Educational institutions in New Brunswick are combining forces to help brand the province as an international study destination. They have formed EduNB, a group committed to building partnerships and creating new international opportunities. The group will be led by New Brunswick Community College and supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the NB Department of Post-Secondary Educaton, Training and Labour. EduNB is hosting a familiarization tour to provide its members the opportunity to promote their institution to agents. Stops on the tour will include campuses of Université de Moncton, Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, NBCC, Mount Allison University, St Thomas University, the University of New Brunswick, and New Brunswick College of Craft and Design.

Canada and India Partner to Advance International Research Collaborations

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Source: High Commission of Canada

A new Mitacs Globalink Research Award – MHRD initiative will enable Canadian students to undertake research at one of seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in Gandhinagar, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Mumbai and Roorkee.  Resulting from a partnership between Canada’s Mitacs and India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), this initiative aims to support student mobility and provide an opportunity for Canadian faculty and graduate students to build an international research network. Canadian students were invited to apply until May 13 to compete for funding for research projects in India. Selected students are expected to begin projects as early as July.

New Immigration Stream in NS Will Help Employers Hire International Students

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Source: ChronicleHerald via Academica

Nova Scotia has introduced a new immigration stream that will help skilled applicants who have been working in the province for at least a year settle there permanently. “What we’ve heard from the universities and the colleges and the business community is that [workers] are falling through the cracks. They had jobs but [companies] couldn’t nominate them through the federal stream,” said NS Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab. It is hoped that the new express stream will encourage employers to target more international student graduates for hiring.

RBC President says Canadian Businesses Must Help Expand Co-op Education

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Source: Globe & Mail via Academica

RBC President David McKay has contributed an op-ed to the Globe and Mail highlighting the benefits of co-op education for students and employers. McKay says that co-op education “has become a proven way to prepare students for a world in which change is accelerating and challenges are growing ever more complex.” He says that co-op exposes students to new ideas, experiences, and ways of working, while helping to create a critical bridge between employers and PSE. McKay argues that Canada is falling behind other nations when it comes to blending work and learning. He calls on employers to take the lead in stressing the importance of co-op education and increasing the depth and quality of placements.

Modi’s Visit to Canada Was a Missed Opportunity, Researchers Say

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Source: University World News via Academica

A group of researchers say that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada last month may have been a missed opportunity. The researchers have published an article reflecting on the importance of international higher education as a strategic priority for building the relationship between the two countries. The article notes that in contrast to Modi’s recent trips to France, Germany, and the United States, his visit to Canada did not generate a discussion of international academic relations. Such relations, the authors say, are “crucial.” They note that India is the world’s second-largest “sender country,” and emphasize the importance of the Indian diaspora in Canada. The essay encourages Canada to promote “inter-civilizational dialogue” to help develop stronger ties with India.

Survey Shows Effects of Policy Changes on Demographics of Prospective Immigrants

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Source: Toronto Star via Academica

A new study from World Education Services has revealed some demographic effects of changes to Canada’s immigration policies. The results of a survey completed by approximately 3,200 prospective immigrants show that 95% of respondents were between the ages of 25 and 44, up from 84% before 2013. 59% of respondents said that their highest level of education was a bachelor’s degree, up from 34% in 2012, when Canada introduced the mandatory educational credential assessment process. 42% had a master’s degree, up from 18%, while the number of prospective immigrants with a PhD dropped from 5% in 2012 to 3%. 47% of respondents said they intended to settle in Ontario, 22% said Alberta, 12% said British Columbia, and 4% said Nova Scotia.

NB Pilot Program Aims to Retain International Student Entrepreneurs

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Source: NB News Release via Academica

New Brunswick has launched a three-year pilot project that will help international students hoping to start businesses in the province. Through the initiative, graduates of the University of New Brunswick’s J Herbert Smith Centre for Technology and Entrepreneurship will receive help applying for permanent residency in Canada. Applicants to the program must invest a minimum of $10,000 in a new business, have an active management role in the company, and commit to not selling their business for at least three years after attaining permanent residency status. It is hoped that the project will help NB attract and retain international student entrepreneurs.

India’s Outbound Student Growth Rate Surpasses China’s

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Source: University World News via Academica

A new study from an Indian firm has found that the growth rate of the number of students from India attending university in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand has surpassed that of China. The number of Chinese students attending universities in the five countries grew by 8% between 2013 and 2014, while the number of Indian students grew by over 10%. However, the total number of Chinese students attending school abroad is more than double that of India. The report also notes that Indian students’ interest in Canada has grown, possibly because of negative attitudes toward Australia. Much of the growth in Canada has been driven by community colleges.

BC Provides Funding to Support Students with Disabilities

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Source: BC News Release via Academica

British Columbia will provide $1.2 M in funding to PSE institutions to support training for students with disabilities. The funding will be allocated to 20 institutions to develop training and resources for programs that align with the province’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint. Among the recipients will be [CIEC Academic Members] Langara College, for its Centre for Accessible Post-Secondary Education Resources (CAPER-BC), and the British Columbia Institute of Technology, for the Post-Secondary Communication Access Service (PCAS), which supports students with visual impairment or hearing loss. These facilities support public PSE institutions throughout the province. Additionally, BC will provide $9 M over three years for the Technology@Work program, which provides assistive technologies.

uCanWest Signs on With Global University Systems

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Source: uCanWest via Academica

Vancouver-based private institution University Canada West has joined Global University Systems (GUS), an international network of PSE institutions, affiliates, and partners. The affiliation has been approved by British Columbia’s Ministry of Advanced Education. GUS will assist uCanWest in expanding its course portfolio and developing its academic profile. University President Arthur Coren said, “this is a very positive development for uCanWest and a new chapter in its evolution. We are excited to have joined the GUS group and confident that it will enable the university to achieve its full potential.”

BCIT Granted Exempt Status After Degree Quality Assessment Board Review

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Source: BCIT via Academica

British Columbia’s Minister of Advanced Education Andrew Wilkinson has approved the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s application for exempt status for new undergraduate programs. The approval follows a thorough review by BC’s Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB). For BCIT [CIEC Member], the approval represents full recognition of the quality of its degree programs, and means there will be a more efficient process for degree approval in the future. BCIT’s Acting VP Academic Bill Dow said, “we will take full advantage of this status and we will ensure that we add programs that will further our students’ knowledge and give them the tools to succeed in their desired careers long after they leave BCIT.”

Victoria Launches Initiative to Recruit International Students

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Source: Times-Colonist via Academica

The Greater Victoria Development Agency (GVDA) has launched a new campaign to help attract international students to Vancouver Island. The initiative, called Education Victoria, has been created in partnership with Camosun College, Royal Roads University, the University of Victoria, and Tourism Victoria. GVDA’s Dallas Gislason said that attracting international students as potential residents will be key in a region that is expecting to face a labour shortage over the next 10 years, and added that international students can provide a significant boost to the economy. Moreover, Gislason said, international students offer “diverse perspectives … which deepen the learning experience for all students.”

CBU Report Calls for Action to Support Immigration

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Source: CBImmigrationPilot.ca via Academica

Cape Breton University has released a new report that addresses issues around immigration to Cape Breton. The report recommends taking action to improve permanent settlement and to enhance community support for immigration. It identifies a need to focus on potential immigrants and international students as potentially key contributors to Cape Breton’s work force, particularly given that many local business are dealing with labour shortages and succession issues. The report recommends that steps be taken to convince Cape Breton communities of the benefits of immigration and to make changes at the federal level to provide more support for settlement in rural Nova Scotia.

International Student Enrolment Grew Faster at ON Colleges Than at Universities in Last Decade

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Source: HEQCO via Academica

Data shared on the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario’s (HEQCO’s) It’s Not Academic blog sheds light on the growth in international enrolment at Ontario’s publicly funded colleges and universities. The data show that in the past decade, the rate of growth in international enrolment at colleges has generally exceeded the rate of growth at universities. The growth in college enrolment spiked in 2010; HEQCO attributes this to the 2009 introduction of the Student Partners Program, which expedites the Canadian study permit process for citizens of India and China.

Canadian Colleges Take on India Skills Development

CIEC Author

Source: The PIE News

Canadian educators have partnered with the National Skill Development Corporation of India to undertake part of the mammoth task of upskilling India’s youth population. With the NSDC responsible for training 150 million young people by 2022, this month it has signed 13 memoranda of understanding.

The MoUs, 12 of which with Canadian colleges as well as an umbrella MoU with Colleges and Institutes Canada, will facilitate collaborations for skill development in a variety of different sectors, including water, aviation and hydrocarbon.

The agreements were endorsed by both Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s visit to Canada last week, the first in 42 years.

In 2009, under the National Policy on Skill Development in India, a target to train 500 million people before 2022 was set and the NSDC has been charged with training 150 million.

Cynthia Murphy, director of the Canadian Immigrant Integration Programme at Colleges and Institutes Canada, told The PIE News that with the looming deadline, development under these MoUs is moving very quickly.

“We all know of MoUs that are signed that don’t have a lot of activity – that’s not happening with this group,” she said.

“The NSDC is incredibly motivated and keen to get work happening under these MoUs. Each institution set its own goals within its own sector, but the time frame is of the essence.”

According to CIC figures, last year Canadian colleges and institutes hosted more than 8,000 Indian students– more than the number at universities, language schools, primary and secondary schools combined.

Education in general was one of the key areas that both Prime Ministers agreed to prioritise for bilateral engagement.

Canada also listed India as one of the priority countries to work with in its international education strategy last year.

Modi’s visit followed trips to Germany and France where he signed a two-year residence permit for Indian graduates with French president Francois Holland.

Murphy said that while on this trip Modi connected with the diaspora, but also with business and industry.

“It’s very much about building partnerships in several key sectors, and education being one of them,” she said. “It’s on the government’s agenda, it’s one of the priorities listed, and it is incredibly important to both countries.”

Despite the initial momentum of the collaborations, Husain Neemuchwala, CEO of the Canada-India Education Council said Modi has a lot to prove in the face of India’s upskilling needs.

“The government has only been in power for the past ten months or so,” he commented. “I think there’s tremendous scope and lots to demonstrate the intent as well as the ability to get things accomplished.”

He added: “I think there’s a lot to undertake at this point to demonstrate that they are able and capable and they mean what they say.”

PSE’s Reaction to Budget Largely Positive

CIEC Author

Source: CICan News Release via Academica

Reactions to Canada’s budget from the PSE sector were mainly positive, with some exceptions. Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) applauded federal investment in research infrastructure and in programs designed to foster close relationships between business and industry associations and PSE partners. Polytechnics Canada, meanwhile, welcomed the expanded adoption of the Blue Seal Certification program and Canada’s investment in a one-stop national labour market information portal. Universities Canada (formerly the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada) said that Canada’s $1.33 M investment in research infrastructure will yield significant benefits for Canadian researchers. Jonathan Champagne, Executive Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) said that his organization was “extremely pleased” with the budget’s commitments to student aid. However, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) said that by making loans more accessible, the budget will lead to greater student debt.

Canada’s Budget Focuses on Alignment Between PSE, Labour Market Need

CIEC Author

Source: Budget 2015 via Academica

Canada unveiled its new federal budget on Tuesday. The budget’s highlights include $1.33 B over 6 years, beginning in 2017–18, for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI); $105 M over 5 years, beginning in 2015–16, for CANARIE; an additional $46 M per year, beginning in 2016–17, of targeted funding for Canada’s granting councils; $119.2 M over 2 years, beginning in 2015–16, for the National Research Council’s industry-partnered research and development activities; a one-time investment of $65 M for business and industry associations to work with PSE institutions to align curricula with employer needs; and $56.4 M over 4 years, beginning in 2016–17, to Mitacs for graduate-level industrial research and development internships. The budget will also reduce the expected parental contribution and remove the penalty for in-study student income for the Canada Student Loans assessment process. Furthermore, the budget provides for the expanded adoption of the Blue Seal Certification program and the creation of a one-stop national labour market information portal.

Survey Finds That Those Without a Degree See PSE as Necessary but Expensive

CIEC Author

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education via Academica

A new report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) suggests that for Americans without degrees, PSE is seen as being important but not affordable. AEI surveyed 1,500 people in the US who did not have degrees. 84% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that some form of PSE was necessary in order to get a good job. However, 43% said that they were satisfied with their own level of education. 60% agreed or strongly agreed that PSE was worth the cost, though high cost was cited as the top reason why people did not enrol in college. The study also suggested that respondents did not have a good understanding of the actual cost of college; 51% overestimated the cost and 28% were unable to provide any estimate at all.