Source: NDTV
Over the next three years, the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (IIT-M) will be hiring 100 foreign nationals as its faculty.
For the full report, please visit NDTV.
Author: Canada India Education Council (CIEC)
UGC Recast to Free Up Higher Education Put on Fast Track
Source: The Economic Times
The rigid and heavily criticised regulatory regime of the UGC is set to undergo a major overhaul!
India More Than Doubles Representation In Rankings
Source: The Economic Times
Indian universities have greatly increased their presence in the Times Higher Education list of top Asian post-secondary institutions.
Cabinet Nod To Bill Granting Degree Awarding Power To 15 IIITs
Source: The Economic Times
The cost of each IIIT is Rs 128 crore and is contributed by the Centre, state government and the industry in the ratio of 50:35:15.
UAlberta Looks to Diversify International Student Base
Source: Edmonton Journal via Academica
The University of Alberta says that it will look to engage new regions for international student recruitment in an effort to make its international student body more diverse by 2020. The Edmonton Journal reports that achieving this goal will require the university to redirect some of the attention that is currently focused on China. The Journal adds that since student tuition is the second largest contributor to the overall university budget, such a lack of diversity poses a financial risk to the institution.
Best Countries for Education
Source: US News & World Report
Canada is ranked as the top country for education according to Best Countries Rankings.
IC-IMPACTS Summer Institute
June 3 – 8, 2017
The third annual IC-IMPACTS Summer Institute will be a week long program. This year, the program will be held in Vancouver and Cranbrook in the southeastern region of British Columbia.
Indian University Ranked in Global Top 10
Source: Times of India
IISc recently became the first Indian university to be ranked in the top 10 in the world.
Digital Degree Project to Control Fake Degree Racket
The Ministry of Human Resource & Development has initiated a digital degree project to control the fake degree racket.
Universities Fear Political Threat to Free Speech
Source: University World News
Many Indian universities, particularly in the capital New Delhi, are becoming increasingly concerned by politically driven attempts to curb freedom of speech.
India Keen to Put Unis on Global Map
Source: The PIE
The Indian finance minister, Arun Jaitley, believes that for India to be considered an international education destination, at least 20 of its universities need to feature among the top 100 in a global league table.
Canada: Optimistic Outlook for Foreign Enrolment in 2017
Source: ICEF Monitor
Industry analysts and trade officials are projecting a strengthened competitive position for Canada in international education markets.
Redefining the Role of the University in the Trump Era
Source: University World News
The last few weeks have been tremulous for Canada. The new leadership in the United States is changing all rules and no one knows for certain how far the changes will go. In the world of higher education, universities are trying to determine what the impact will be. Optimists are eager to benefit from the revenues of foreign students who see Canada as a safe alternative to the US.
For the full article, visit University World News.
Indian Techies Don’t Need The US – Talent Is Welcome Elsewhere
Source: Quartz India
Canada is happy to bring in more talent from India.
Watch for Shifts in Indian Outbound this Year
Source: ICEF Monitor
Indian students’ choice of study destination is highly influenced by visa policy generally and the availability of post-study work opportunities in particular. Recent developments in the US and UK have called the continuing attractiveness of both leading destinations into question for some Indian students. And this has opened the door for alternative destinations to claim a greater share of the Indian outbound market.
For the complete report, visit ICEF Monitor.
Montreal Must Build on Success to Recruit Top Talent
Source: Montreal Gazette via Academica
Montreal has much to celebrate in being recently named the top city in the world for students, writes McGill University Principal Suzanne Fortier, but the city and its institutions still have much work to do to make the most of “an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill the potential of Montreal to draw talent from around the world.” Fortier highlights an aging domestic population as one of the most urgent reasons why Montreal needs to attract more immigration. The McGill principal adds that the city will also need to attract the world’s very best talent in order to maintain a vital society and strong workforce. “However, despite our city’s considerable attractions,” Fortier notes, “despite the clear benefits that international talent brings, Montreal and Quebec have room to improve.” The author offers a number of options to help Montreal move forward, which include the creation of a coordinated talent recruitment and retention strategy.
Cultural Exploration Main Factor for Teenage Study Abroad Interest
Source: Times Higher Education
Culture bigger draw than academic advancement while most students have safety fears.
Delhi Technological University Student Receives Job Offer From Uber
Source: Study International
Sidharth, a final year Computer Science student at Delhi Technological University (DTU), has bagged a Rs1.25 crore (US$186,000) per annum job offer from Uber Technologies, the Hindustan Times reports.
International Students’ Choice of Residence After Graduation Hinges on Concept of Home
A new study from the University of British Columbia shows that ideas of home are a major factor in where international university students decide to live after graduation. “A lot of research focuses on where international students go to study, but few focus on where they go after graduation,” says study author Cary Wu, a PhD candidate in UBC’s department of sociology and an international student from China. “Our study shows that migration plans for international students are far more complex than this binary of stay or return.” Wu analyzed data from interviews with more than 200 international students from more than 50 countries who attended UBC from 2006 to 2013, and found that 16% of those surveyed said that they planned to stay in Canada, citing emotional attachments, interpersonal relationships, family, or political unrest.
Canada’s International Credential Assessors Find New Resource in Web Portal
The recognition of international academic credentials in Canada has found new support in a web portal launched by the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials. The new portal offers information and extensive resources to support the assessment and recognition of international academic credentials. These resources include a step-by-step guide on how to assess an academic credential issued outside Canada, a Quality Assurance Framework, and a competency profile for an academic credential assessor. Academic credential assessors across Canada will also have access to additional resources through a special interface, which will feature access to detailed profiles on the education systems and academic credentials of 12 countries, along with how they may compare to education systems in Canada.
Montreal Knocks Off Paris As World’s Top City for Students
Source: Montreal Gazette via Academica
Montreal has beaten out London, Berlin, Boston, and Tokyo as the world’s best city for students, according to rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds. The Montreal Gazette reports that Montreal’s desirability, affordability, and positive reviews from students propelled it from seventh place in 2016 to first place 2017. Montreal’s ranking was reportedly influenced heavily by the experience of students who have studied there. “A lot of people want to study in London, but those who have studied in London don’t necessarily have as positive an experience as they do in other places,” said Ben Sowter, head of research for QS. Other Canadian cities on the list included Vancouver (10th) and Toronto (11th). Ottawa received a first-place ranking in a category based on student perceptions.
Hot Hiring at IIM Udaipur; Foreign Placements Double
Source: The Economic Times
Of the 181 students in the batch, 157 sought placements through the institute.
Budget Bolsters Top Institutions’ Bid for World-Class Status
Source: University World News
The Indian government will put more money into quality higher education – especially its prestigious medical, technological and management institutes, in a bid to propel them towards ‘world-class’ status – according to budget plans announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last week.
High School for International Students at UNBC a Possibility
Source: Prince George Citizen via Academica
The University of Northern British Columbia is considering establishing an international high school on its campus. The Prince George Citizen reports that if the institution goes forward with the plan, a school with capacity for 50 to 100 high school students could be piloted as soon as September 2018. The long-term intention would be to prepare students for postsecondary education in Canada. “They’ll be more at home, they’ll be more familiar with the place, so the transition to the university would be better,” explained UNBC Provost Dan Ryan, who added that increasing the university’s international student population would help Canadian students gain a global perspective.
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).
UAlberta Turns to India for Partnerships, Exchanges
Source: Edmonton Journal via Academica
The University of Alberta has moved to significantly bolster its ties with India, reports the Edmonton Journal. Late last year, UAlberta President David Turpin led a small delegation to Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi to secure new agreements, build on existing partnerships, and meet prospective international students through conferences and youth forums. “For so many years, when people thought about studying abroad, they thought about the UK and USA,” says Turpin. “But Canada in India right now is on the ascendancy.” UAlberta has reportedly signed a number of new partnerships with Indian institutions, which include an agreement to allow 10 Indian PhD candidates from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to pursue up to a year of joint study at UAlberta.
Canadian Uni Seeks to Absorb U.S. Students Affected by #MuslimBan
Source: Study International
The University of Ottawa announced yesterday that the university was “deeply concerned” about American President Donald Trump’s executive orders and have thus “immediately sought ways” to help any students or academics who are affected.
Canada Beckons International Students With a Path to Citizenship
Source: New York Times
At the College of the North Atlantic here, a young Chinese woman stood discussing her future with two fellow students, a Bangladeshi man and a Korean woman, amid a flow of mostly pale Newfoundlanders in down coats and hoodies heading for class.
There’s No Canadian Harvard, and That’s A Good Thing
Source: National Post via Academica
“There is no Canadian equivalent of Harvard, with its prestige, limited enrollment and its $60,000 tuition. And really, it’s just as well,” writes Stephen Gordon for the National Post. Gordon argues that while some Canadian universities and programs have high entrance standards, gaining admission into one of these programs is “nowhere near as difficult as entering an elite U.S. college.” Gordon sees this characteristic of Canadian higher ed in a positive light, arguing that that social mobility is likely enhanced by the fact the the country’s higher education institutions are not as rigidly stratified as those in the US. “If—as available evidence suggests—Canadian social mobility is significantly greater than it is in the U.S., then much of the credit goes to the fact that there is no Canadian university that plays the prestige-signalling game that Harvard does,” concludes Gordon. “A ‘Harvard of Canada’ is the last thing we need.”
BC Should Look to India for International Students
Source: The Province via Academica
PSE institutions in British Columbia would be wise to “cultivate new markets” for international student enrolment and avoid becoming overly dependent on China, according to a US-based analyst. Rahul Choudaha tells The Province that despite a recent jump in the number of Chinese international students coming to BC, this growth—and the overall growth in international student numbers—is slowing. However, India stands out as an exception to this slowdown, says Choudaha, who notes that enrolments from India grew 25% last year, outpacing the growth rate of Chinese enrolments. “Given the scale and the growth potential of India as a source of international students, Canadian institutions have an untapped potential in recruiting Indian students at the bachelor’s level,” the analyst concludes.
Canada Overtakes UK as ‘Most Desirable’ Country for EU Students
Source: Times Higher Education
Canada has overtaken the UK as the most attractive English-speaking country for European Union students, according to a study that highlights the damaging impact of the Brexit vote on the UK university sector. A survey of 219 international students at universities in the UK found that Canada was the most desirable English-speaking nation for EU students, followed by the UK, Australia, the US and New Zealand in last place.
For the complete article, visit Times Higher Education.
QR Code is Mumbai Universitys Solution to the Bogus Certificate Racket
Source: MiD DAY
The Mumbai University has turned to using QR code technology to curb the nuisance of bogus certificate.
Many Immigrant Students Lack English skills, but Achieve Comparable GPAs
Source: Seneca College via Academica
What role does an immigrant’s region of origin and English language proficiency have on their academic and employment outcomes? This is the question that researchers at Seneca College’s Centre for Research in Student Mobility explore in a new report. The study followed the pathways of 18,466 students (non-international) who entered Seneca College between 2010 and 2014 within five years of leaving an Ontario high school. The study found that Seneca students who were born outside of Canada were more likely than their Canadian-born peers to have highly educated parents, live in lower-income neighbourhoods, and to aspire to university. Despite having attended an ON high school, many immigrants come to Seneca with weak English-language skills requiring support in language proficiency, with 59% being placed below college level English, compared to 36% of Canadian born students. Despite this, however, these students achieve similar overall GPAs and graduation rates.
Applications to Canadian Unis Spike in Wake of Trump
Source: Associated Press via Academica
The surge in website traffic and enrolment inquiries that occurred at Canadian universities following the election of Donald Trump in November 2016 is now translating into applications. Applications to the University of Toronto from American students have reportedly jumped 70% compared to this time last year, while several other Canadian schools have seen increases of 20% or more. US applications to McMaster University are up 34% since this time last year. Officials at some US colleges tell the AP that the election will undoubtedly affect their international enrolment patterns. “I think everybody in international education is a little uneasy, in part because some of the rhetoric in the campaign frightened people overseas,” said Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education at the University at Buffalo. “It’s going to be perhaps a little bit rocky for a couple of years.
Student life: Expectation vs. Reality
Source: Study International
For all you who’ve yet to experience student life at university, here is a much-needed dose of reality.
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
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.
Chopras to Set Up University in the Himalayas
Source: The PIE News
The Shivalik Hills Foundation Trust has been granted permission by the Higher Education Department in Uttarakhand, India, to open a university.
To read more, please 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.
India’s Students Short On Cash After Demonetisation Exercise
Source: Study International
In November 2016, India’s government suddenly declared that all 500- and 1,000-rupee notes no longer held any value, sending citizens across the country scrambling to exchange their now-worthless bills. In the aftermath, university students are finding it difficult to get a hold of the cash they need for daily expenses, such as buying food, printing documents, and getting top-up for their mobile phones.
To view the complete article, visit Study International.
New $4M Canada-India Initiative Looks to Jumpstart New Tech
Source: The Vancouver Sun
IC-IMPACTS, headed by UBC professor Nemy Banthia, is teaming up with India’s Department of Science and Technology, as well as the country’s Biotechnology Department, to provide $4 million for the research projects. Each project, said IC-IMPACTS communications manager Ashish Mohan, features Canadian and Indian researchers and are in later stages of development, ensuring the resulting technology can be brought to market.
For the complete article, visit The Vancouver Sun.