Canada India Education Information & Networking Opportunities
Source: University Affairs
Canadian Association for Graduate Studies President Brenda Brouwer explains that Canada’s standing as a safe, welcoming and multicultural country contributes to its desirability among international PhD degree-seeking students.
To read the complete article, please go to the University Affairs website.
Source: ICEF
Canadian universities are reporting significant increases in the number of foreign applications received for this year. For many institutions, year-over-year growth is often on the order of 20-30% or more.
The increase is being attributed to political developments in the UK and US, but also to expanded recruiting by Canadian institutions and the relative affordability of Canadian education.
For the full report, please visit the ICEF website.
Source: Study International
Are you looking for an affordable education in Canada or the USA? Find out more about the community colleges in North America that are providing excellent graduate pathways to top universities!
Source: Inside Higher Ed
A Trump effect? Many Canadian universities are reporting large gains in international applications at the same time some American universities are seeing declines.
Leigh-Ellen Keating, who directs international services for Brock University, in Ontario, just attended a student recruiting fair in Mexico. “The table was flooded with people, which is not historically what I have seen with the Mexican market,” she said. “They just want to go to Canada, and historically I think a lot of them would go to the States.”
For the complete article, please visit Inside Higher Ed.
Source: US News & World Report
Canada is ranked as the top country for education according to Best Countries Rankings.
Source: ICEF Monitor
Industry analysts and trade officials are projecting a strengthened competitive position for Canada in international education markets.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Source: New Delhi Times
Jordan Reeves, Consul General of Canada in Mumbai says that he is upbeat about the rise of Canadian equity investment in India. He further says that Canadian investors are bullish on the Indian economy as is evident from the fact that they have made around $11 billion investment in India in the last year. Canada is also a major collaborator towards the realisation of the skill initiative. In April 2015, during PM Modi’s visit to Canada, education and skills development were identified as priorities. Thirteen MoUs were signed between India’s National Skill Development Council and Canadian colleges and institutes to formalise skills collaboration in various sectors. Modi also agreed to take concrete measures to expand bilateral cooperation in key areas including the economy, trade and investment, civil nuclear cooperation, energy, education and skills development, agriculture, defence and security, science, technology, innovation and space, culture, and people to people tie.
For the full article, visit the New Delhi Times.
Source: Journal de Montreal via Academica
Several thousand international students will have newfound access to free cultural activities through a new “passport” program spurred by the city’s universities. The International Student MTL Passport program aims to encourage Montreal’s 28,000 international university students to enjoy the “cultural wealth of the city” by distributing maps and providing the students with free access sites such as the Biodôme, the Botanical Garden, the Insectarium, and the Planetarium. They will also be offered credits to participate in a number of other events at reduced cost. “We want to decompartmentalize the students, get them out of their campuses,” said Nadine Gelly, general manager of the cultural promotion organization La Vitrine, which helped launch the project.
Source: Canadian Business via Academica
Canada has introduced new changes to its immigration policy that will provide additional advantages to international students with Canadian degrees. The changes award additional points within Canada’s Express Entry system to applicants whose degrees were obtained in Canada. Previously, applicants could earn up to 150 points for their educational qualifications, and the only advantage for those who studied in Canada was not having to prove the equivalency of their degrees. Under the new system, applicants with a Canadian educational credential will get up to 30 additional points. “It’s going to be a boon to international students who have studied here—it’s going to give them a big leg up,” says immigration lawyer Tamara Mosher-Kuczer.
Source: Study International
In 2015, Canada increased the number of study permits issued to international students by 5.4%, according to official government data. In a report compiled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, it was revealed that 125,783 new study permits were granted to international students last year. The Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration also showed that the number of foreign students applying for study permits in the same year had increased by 6.4 percent from the previous year to 187,968.
For the complete article, please visit Study International.
Source: Conference Board of Canada via Academica
Canada must encourage more international students to stay and work in the country if it wants to make the most of their economic potential, according to a new report from the Conference Board of Canada. The report highlights how international students generate up to $10B annually in economic activity and account for 11% of total postsecondary enrolments in Canada. The report argues that Canada would benefit economically by changing immigration policy to help more international students work in the country after graduation. “International students generate billions of dollars of economic activity at Canadian Post-Secondary institutions and in the surrounding communities. They also provide considerable social and cultural value to Canada,” said Conference Board Vice-President, Industry and Business Strategy Michael Bloom. “On the other hand, the great majority of international students do not stay in Canada after their studies and hence do not employ their skills and expertise in our economy.”
Source: Globe & Mail
At a recent conference in Ottawa, where speakers included Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains and Advisory Council on Economic Growth chair Dominic Barton, a challenge was laid on the table.
We live in a low-growth world and Canada is not immune – we’ve experienced sluggish growth for much of the past decade and our GDP growth rate is not predicted to breach the coveted 3-per-cent mark without bold action now.
So what do we do?
For the full article, visit The Globe & Mail.
A new pilot program announced by the Nova Scotia Government to keep international students in the province is a “very encouraging” step, yet it does not fully address the barriers most commonly faced by these students, says the Canadian Federation of Students for Nova Scotia. The government pilot in question aims to support 50 international students who are completing their final year of PSE in “priority areas” such as health care, computer engineering, and ocean sciences. These supports includes career mentoring, access to employment-related events, and workshops. Yet the CFS-NS says that these efforts do not address the issues of “differential fees” paid by international students, and access to medical services insurance coverage. “What we really need is broader action that will help international students studying in Nova Scotia across the board,” said CFS-NS Chairperson Charlotte Kiddell.
Source: The Globe & Mail via Academica
British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has announced that her government will soon make “big investments” in the province’s postsecondary system to address a talent shortage in the tech sector. “There will be some announcements coming in the next little while with respect to investing in computer science in particular in universities … it will be a significant amount,” Clark added in an interview with the Globe and Mail. In July 2016, 18 BC tech executives sent a letter to Clark asking for the province to address the talent shortage. Clark did not specify, however, whether the final amount invested in PSE tech training would match the $100M requested by the executives.
Our Canada West Chapter’s signature event takes place on Sept. 30 in Vancouver, BC at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel.
Source: Edmonton Journal via Academica
In response to the recently discovered and removed racist posters on campus, the Sikh Students’ Association and the World Sikh Organization of Canada held a turban-tying event called “Turban, eh?” in the University of Alberta Students’ Union building. The event invited any interested persons to have a turban tied on their heads, and provided the opportunity for participants to ask the volunteers questions. Faculty, staff, and students from UAlberta were joined by politicians and community members for the event. UAlberta President David Turpin commented that he was filled with pride at the event, stating that “it really is an opportunity to stand up and say what it means to be Canadian.”
Our 10th annual Canada-India: A Synergy in Education conference will took place on September 23 from 1 – 5pm at the Ontario Investment & Trade Centre. Scroll through the presentation below for a brief recap.
CIEC would like to thank all Synergy 2016 speakers and attendees for helping to make this year’s event yet another success. We hope the conference provided you with the chance to network with like-minded individuals while furthering the discussion of programs and policies in education that have been hailed as priorities.
Source: Edmonton Journal via Academica
The past five years show a “national trend toward a steady rise in the number of overseas students arriving in Canada,” reports the Edmonton Journal. The article notes that Manitoba has nearly doubled the number of international students studying in the province since 2011-12, while Alberta has seen a 40% increase and Saskatchewan has seen a 24% increase over the same period. The article highlights how specific institutions in AB have promoted themselves to international students and how they benefit from growing international cohorts. “Internationalization is important because the world is becoming more globalized and it’s important that students and staff have the capabilities to work well with each other,” says NorQuest College Chair of Graduate Studies Ron Horton.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Source: ICEF Monitor
A recent survey from Languages Canada reveals that Canada witnessed a decline in English Language Teaching enrolments in 2015. According to the research, the number of students studying English in Canada was reduced from 137,416 in 2014 to 133,910 in 2015. These results represent an overall drop of 6.31% over the four years from 2012 to 2015. “International researchers have remarked that the global language travel sector growth is slowing down. This year’s annual survey report confirms the predictions,” said Languages Canada Executive Director Gonzalo Peralta. “However, it is clear now that Canada’s language education sector is not simply slowing in growth, it is underperforming. Not only have we failed to keep pace, we have actually shrunk.”
Source: The Globe & Mail via Academica
“Business leaders want to hire graduates with international skills and perspectives, who are comfortable working across languages and cultures,” says Universities Canada President Paul Davidson. Yet challenges remain for the more than 80% of Canadian universities who have “internationalization” as part of their strategic plans. Recent data shows that only 3% of Canadian university students study abroad, and the article details some of the efforts that Canadian schools are making to help boost these participation rates.
Source: The PIE News
New international student intake growth in Canada is slowing, standing at 4.5% in 2015 – less than half the year-over-year growth rates reported in 2014 and earlier. The figures mean that universities can no longer be complacent when it comes to attracting international students, according to the Illuminate Consulting Group, which compiled the figures.
For the full article, please visit The PIE.
Source: Times Higher Education
Mohamed Lachemi is the kind of immigrant Canada wants. “I came to Canada as an international student exactly 30 years ago,” he tells Times Higher Education. “Canada attracted me not just to study but to stay.” He is now the vice-chancellor of industry-focused Ryerson University in downtown Toronto and, in line with federal plans, wants to become “more aggressive” in attracting international students to his institution. Ryerson aims to double its numbers over the next three to five years.
In Canada, official policy, as well as political rhetoric, is… welcoming. In 2014 the country set out plans to attract 450,000 international students by 2022, roughly double the numbers in 2011.
For the full article, please visit Times Higher Education.
Source: Times Higher Education via Academica
Canada has the “softest” approach to screening for student visa fraud, according to a recent study of four countries that are popular destinations for international students. Ellie Bothwell of Times Higher Education reports that according to the study, Canada’s provincially led system for awarding degrees “can allow more room for corruption” and has allegedly “damaged” the country’s international reputation. Report author Rachael Merola argues that Canada must take a more proactive approach to dealing with student visa fraud if it wishes to remain a top destination for students.
Source: Mount Saint Vincent University via Academica
Mount Saint Vincent University has partnered with Venor in an effort to help international student graduates find employers and opportunities to start their careers in Nova Scotia. The partnership marks the latest step in the Nova Scotia Scholars Program, which provides personalized career plans that include career building, networking, work experience, and immigration support for participants. “The Mount is committed to assisting international students who choose to remain in the province,” said Paula Barry Mercer, Associate Vice President of Student Experience at MSVU. “Keeping more graduates in Nova Scotia is an important step in helping to ensure the future prosperity of our province.”
Source: University Affairs via Academica
Canada needs to act fast in order to gain the economic benefits associated with international students, writes Kareem El-Assal for University Affairs. Some barriers currently in place in Canada may deter prospective international students and steer them in another country’s direction. Obstacles such as slow student visa processing times, inadequate settlement and integration services, and difficulty attaining permanent residency are among issues potentially hindering Canada’s ability to recruit international talent. While the government has implemented a number of strategies to combat these issues, El-Essal says that further immediate action is required to ensure the successful recruitment and retention of future skilled workers to Canada.
Source: QS Top Universities via Academica
Quacquarelli Symonds has released its new Higher Education System Strength Rankings, and Canada’s system has ranked fifth overall. QS describes the new rankings as “an assessment of overall system strength and flagship university performance, alongside factors relating to access and funding.” The United States led the overall rankings, followed by the UK, Germany, and Australia. While Canada ranked fourth overall in the “Access” category, it ranked ninth in the “Economic” and “System” categories.
Source: National Post via Academica
Graduates of foreign medical schools often face a significant clash of cultures when they pursue two-year family medicine residencies in Canada, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Alberta and University of Calgary. The report notes that while Canada relies heavily on international medical graduates, many of these graduates may struggle with unfamiliar cultural experiences, such as being taught by female instructors, working with the mentally ill, and having difficulty with the nuances of English. “In some countries, males look after males and females look after females,” said Olga Szafran, associate research director in the University of Alberta’s family-medicine department and the study’s lead author, “but we can’t be selective in the kind of patients that our physicians end up treating.”
Source: Vancouver Sun via Academica
“Today, our graduates are competing with their peers all over the world for the jobs of tomorrow,” writes Christa Ovenell, director and principal of Fraser International College, and Canada’s students will need to thrive in a globalized workforce if they wish to remain relevant in a 21st-century economy. Instead of trying to provide massive numbers of domestic students with international experience via study abroad, Ovenell suggests that Canada should focus more on attracting international students to a greater number of Canadian institutions. Despite the growing number of international students studying in Canada, Ovenell concludes, “those international students are densely concentrated at only a handful of institutions, resulting in a deficit of experience for the vast majority of our domestic students.”