Canada India Education Information & Networking Opportunities
Do not miss Peter Robinson’s lecture on “The Future of Environmentalism” at Acsenda School of Management on April 24th (Thursday), 3:00 – 4:00 pm!
As a major report by UN warns us of the “severe, pervasive and irreversible” impact of global warming, Peter’s lecture becomes even more important and more relevant.
Seating capacity is limited so please RSVP Henny at [email protected] or call 604-430-5111.
Source: McMaster News Release via Academica | April 7, 2014
McMaster University undergraduate students Claudia Frankfurter and Andrew Webster are leading the development of a new McMaster Undergraduate Research Journal (MURJ), the university’s first exclusively online, multidisciplinary, and doctoral-reviewed undergraduate research publication. “We wanted to give all undergraduates the opportunity to engage in the fundamental scholarly process,” says Webster. “This process encourages students to think both critically and imaginatively, to question the ‘obvious,’ to hone their analytical research and writing skills and sharpen their intuition to reveal new patterns and possibilities. These skills are absolutely transferable to any career a student may choose.” Frankfurter and Webster, both third-year Health Sciences students, are active researchers who have had articles published in academic journals. “A lot of learning at the undergraduate level is theoretical and done in a classroom setting,” says Frankfurter. “Research gives students the chance to apply their learning and contribute to the current body of knowledge. It can give meaning and a sense of purpose to undergraduate education.”
TCS Insights: The existence of an undergraduate research journal will allow students in different fields of study to better their communication and research skills as they pursue a post-secondary education. This gives them the opportunity to be better prepared for their careers upon graduation. The creation of this journal further exemplifies why McMaster should be a destination for students looking to study abroad.
Source: Alberta News Release via Academica | April 3, 2014
The Alberta government has released details on the extra $32.5 million funding for PSE announced in the 2014 budget, tabled at the beginning of March. The funding will create 2,000 new spaces this fall in the Campus Alberta system to increase access to high-demand programs such as engineering, environmental science, and occupational therapy. Highlights of the funding include $11.3 million for additional access for these high-demand programs at 6 PSE institutions, $12.3 million for new or expanded programs at 19 PSE institutions, $7 million for one-time and system-wide collaborative initiatives that support all Campus Alberta learners, such as the Lois Hole Digital Library and French Language Collaboration Programs, and an increase of $900,000 for the Apprenticeship Technical Training grants, which assist apprentices in completing their programs and meeting industry demand.
TCS Insights: With Alberta creating 2,000 new spaces for students enrolled in their various universities, more students will be able to pursue higher education than ever before. This reenforces Canada’s reputation as a nation that making post-secondary education accessible to increasing numbers of domestic and international students.
Source: The Social Progress Imperative via Academica | April, 3, 2014
Canada ranks 2nd globally in access to advanced education, and 7th in social and environmental progress, reveals a new global ranking led by Harvard University researcher Michael Porter. The ranking evaluates countries based on 3 separate scales: basic human needs (such as medical care, water and sanitation, and shelter), foundations of well-being (such as access to basic knowledge and ecosystem sustainability), and opportunity (such as personal rights, tolerance and freedom, and access to PSE). Canada also scored high compared to countries of similar GDP per capita in “years of tertiary schooling” and “women’s average years in school.”
TCS Insights: Canada in steadily increasing its reputation as a nation making higher education accessible to students. International students looking to gain experience abroad would do well to consider Canada as a destination to pursue their studies.
Source: BC News Release via Academica | April 2, 2014
The BC government has announced another $6.7 million in funding for English as a second language (ESL) programs at 9 PSE institutions, to make it easier for the colleges and universities to wind down their programs following cancelled federal funding. Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk explains that Immigration Canada had decided to award contracts directly to non-profit agencies and a limited number of PSE institutions, rather than funnel money through the provincial government to colleges and universities. The ministry is still waiting for further details about the federal ESL program, and what agencies or institutions will receive contracts to deliver the training. The 9 institutions that will receive the additional funding include British Columbia Institute of Technology, Camosun College, Capilano University, Douglas College, University of the Fraser Valley, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langara College, Okanagan College, and Vancouver Community College.
TCS Insights: With details from the Canadian federal government regarding their ESL program still unclear, British Columbia has displayed leadership by funding ESL programs within the province. Students who did not grow up speaking English will be better afforded the opportunity to succeed as they pursue an education in BC as a result of this funding.
Source: Canada News Release | March 28, 2014
The Canadian government has announced over $88 million for 102 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 33 PSE institutions across the country. The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) also announced today more than $3 million in new funding for research infrastructure that will support the latest appointments to the Research Chairs. As part of the CFI announcement, Canada has also committed an extra $1 million through the Infrastructure Operating Fund, which helps PSE institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.
TCS Insights: Select educational institutions will benefit from the Canadian government’s continued dedication to research development. Through increased funding towards research infrastructure, these institutions will have what it takes to further their studies and benefit students as well as the general public.
Source: NS News Release via Academica | March 28, 2014
The Nova Scotia government has announced it will eliminate the interest on provincial student loans, beginning with qualifying borrowers who entered repayment on or after November 1, 2007. These borrowers won’t be reimbursed for interest they’ve paid since that date, but they will no longer pay interest going forward. There are roughly 18,000 borrowers who could be eligible to benefit annually, says an NS news release. The average NS student loan is about $5,600; eliminating the interest would save about $800 over the lifetime of the loan. NS has committed $1.6 million annually to fund the move. StudentsNS welcomed the announcement, but said that NS should take further strides to support students by following the example set by Newfoundland and Labrador; NL announced last week that it would replace all student loans with non-repayable grants.
TCS Insights: Much like the example set by Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia is making higher education more affordable to post-secondary students. Any student, domestic or international, will be able achieve academic success in the province with less economic stress than in recent history.
Source: CBC News via Academica | March 27, 2014
The 2014 Newfoundland and Labrador budget, tabled last week, includes $50.6 million over 5 years to eliminate provincial student loans and replace them with non-repayable, upfront grants; according to CBC News, about 7,000 students are expected to be eligible. The budget also committed to maintaining its PSE tuition freeze (at a cost of $5.1 million), and $39.8 million for continuing its apprenticeships and labour-market training programs. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) has welcomed the budget’s move to replace student loans with grants, calling it “a landmark step towards equality of access to postsecondary education.”
TCS Insights: Newfoundland and Labrador have benefited look to benefit many with the implementation of grants for students. Fewer individuals will be burdened with the debt caused by student loans after their graduation, making it easier for them to establish themselves financially. Making higher education more affordable and accessible to students should make the province an area of interest for any student looking to advance their studies.
Source: Government of Saskatchewan News Release via Academica | March 19, 2014
The Saskatchewan budget for 2014, tabled this week, provides a $24-million (3.7%) increase over 2013 for higher education—a total of $817.8 million. The increase includes a $12.3-million increase in operating funds, with an average 2% going to universities, federated and affiliated colleges, technical institutes, and regional colleges, and a $19.8-million direct investment going towards First Nations and Métis education. PSE institutions will also be given $134 million towards scholarship and financial assistance programs, $32.6 million in capital investments, and several grants for research projects.
TCS Insights: The provincial budget for 2014 has aided post-secondary institutions in Saskatchewan. With greater amounts of funding being provided for operations, scholarships, research and financial aid, universities and colleges will be able to grow and provide services for increasing numbers of both domestic and international students.
Source: uRegina News Release via Academica | March 19, 2014
The University of Regina [CIEC Academic Member] so far has seen a 15% increase in applications over last year, with 75% of the total applications for fall 2014 now submitted; applications to the university have more than doubled in the past 3 years. uRegina explains that more than 80% of the application boost is due to an increase in international student applications, which have risen 7% this year. There are also more out-of-province high school applications than there were last year. “Of particular note is the increase in the number of applicants from Calgary, which shows that our targeted recruitment efforts are well received and effective,” says uRegina President Vianne Timmons.
TCS Insights: uRegina is experiencing a rise in their received number of admission applications. While Canadian students from outside of Alberta have also contributed to this increase, the 7% surge in international applications is thought to be the main source for this growth. This shows that the university is becoming a destination for students from countries other than Canada for a place of higher education.
Source: Times of India | March 19, 2014
KOLKATA: Ivey Business School and the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta on Wednesday signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop and publish India-relevant cases.
The partnership between the two leading institutions entails a collaborative effort to foster case based teaching and in creating high quality case materials to enrich classroom discussions.
The MoU was signed by Eric A. Morse, Associate Dean, Programs, Ivey Business School and Ashok Banerjee, Dean of New Initiatives and External Relations, IIMC at the IIM campus in Kolkata.
Under this partnership, the two institutions will collaborate in the areas of research, development and publishing of cases as well as in fostering a culture of case writing and case pedagogy in Indian management institutes.
This MoU will help the IIM-C Case Research Centre increase its global reach, leverage Ivey’s rich knowledge base and accumulated intellectual capital in business case study research and encourage joint research and co-authorship between faculty of the two institutes.
This will support IIM-C’s emphasis on case based teaching and writing to further enhance its reputation as a leader in management education.
Ivey finds great complementarity in the two institute’s aims and goals for furthering the case pedagogy in India and is looking forward to collaborating with IIMC in building on IIMC’s extensive industry network and their case focus to further add to Ivey’s India efforts in these areas.
Speaking on the partnership, Eric Morse, Associate Dean-Programs, Ivey Business School, said, “Ivey is the largest producer of high quality Asian Business Cases and we are delighted to partner with IIM-C to build on this quality portfolio. IIM Calcutta has a tremendous reputation for its ties with industry and for attracting some of India’s best talent. We believe our combined expertise and focus on quality will lead to exceptional results for both institutions and the stakeholders we collectively serve.”
“The Case Research centre at IIM-C was set up with the idea of developing India-specific cases from the formal and informal sectors. The MoU will help IIM Calcutta faculty to list their cases in Ivey thereby enabling faculty and students from all over the world access to such cases from a leading emerging market,” said Professor Ashok Banerjee, Dean of New Initiatives and External Relations, IIM Calcutta.
One of Canada’s leading and most prestigious business schools, Ivey has been using cases in its classrooms since 1923 and is committed to mentoring high-potential faculty in case teaching and writing through a comprehensive process of case development – from generating ideas to publishing case studies globally.
Active in India based case development, training Indian faculty and perpetuating the case pedagogy in India since 2008, Ivey runs an annual Global Case Competition for India based cases. Co-hosted with ISB since 2010, the competition has rapidly gained prominence in India and abroad.
Ivey has also so far trained over 720 Indian faculty in case teaching and writing through numerous workshops organized in partnership with Indian business schools such as ISB, IIM-B, MDI, IMI, IIT-B, SPJIMR to name a few.
IIM Calcutta is one of the premier business schools in India, and is globally recognized as a leader in business education. IIM Calcutta uses cases as a key learning tool in several of its courses for postgraduate students and participants in management development programs.
The Case Research Centre (IIMCCRC) was started in 2012 to champion the cause of participative case based learning in Business Schools and other institutions in India by creating a repository of teaching cases with an Indian context, spreading awareness on the value of the Case Method, and propagating practice standards for development and use of cases in management education.
Today, it actively engages with several industry organizations to develop world-class cases. Interestingly, not only do both the institutes strongly propagate the case based learning methodology but also have been the first, in their respective countries, to have recognized the need for world class management education.
IIM-C was established as the first national institute for Post-Graduate studies and Research in Management by the Government of India in November 1961.
Similarly, Ivey was the first to offer management education in Canada in 1922 and after a comprehensive study of all recognized business courses of University grade, it was determined that the Harvard case study method was the most effective style of teaching. Strong links were established with Harvard Business School and the school curriculum established thus.
In 1948 Canada’s top 100 CEOs and Presidents met at Western University and determined the need for a National School of Business Administration and the first executive education program was established at Ivey.
TCS Insights: This partnership between institutions will allow them both to increase their notoriety around the world while allowing them to work together in the areas of research and development. Ivey and IIM-Calcutta will additionally develop more case studies relative to India to facilitate further student engagement during class discussions.
Source: Ontario News Release via Academica | March 18, 2014
The Ontario government has committed $1.5 million towards partnerships with George Brown College and Ryerson University that are aimed towards training graduates for jobs that lack skilled employees. George Brown will receive $750,000 to train 92 unemployed and under-employed youth for commercial baking and metalwork jobs. Ryerson will get $800,000 to create 120 jobs in the high-tech sector for graduates in the social sciences and humanities; examples of possible initiatives include offering liberal arts graduates short-term training and job placements that would provide them with the types of skills already acquired by science students. Both projects are part of the government’s $25-million Youth Skills Connections program, which aims to bring employers, PSE institutions, government and young people together to tackle the so-called skills-gap issue.
TCS Insights: The Ontario government hopes to fill the void created by low numbers of skilled employees in certain industries by training unemployed and underemployed individuals for available positions. The province is displaying a commitment to providing job opportunities for all students attending post-secondary institutions.
Source: Algoma University News Release via Academica | March 17, 2014
Algoma University has received full accreditation from Languages Canada for its English as a Second Language (ESL) program. “Languages Canada holds its members to the highest standards, and only those who continuously offer quality education receive accreditation. Being a member of Languages Canada increases the accountability of the university’s program, and ensures that course objectives and learning outcomes are always met,” says AlgomaU President Richard Myers. Languages Canada examined 6 areas of the ESL programming, including student services, curriculum, program administration, teaching staff qualifications, marketing and promotion of the program, and student admissions.
TCS Insights: International students will now be able to find greater success at Algoma University due to their ESL program earning full accreditation. Students who are new to English should be assured that they will be able to learn the language here through teaching of the highest quality.
Source: Canada News Release via Academica | March 18, 2014
The Canadian government has announced a new $20-million program, the Business Innovation Access Program, which will connect small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with universities, colleges and other research institutions, giving the SMEs the business and technical services they need to get innovative products and services to market faster. “The support available through the program can involve external business services such as planning and marketing as well as technical services such as specialized testing, product prototyping and process development,” explains a Canada news release. The program is one of the recommendations made by an independent Research and Development Review Expert Panel in 2010-11, which aimed to better focus federal investments and maximize innovation and economic benefit for Canadians. The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) has welcomed the program. “Business already counts on Canada’s universities for more than $1 billion in research every year,” says AUCC President Paul Davidson. “This mechanism will boost university-industry links even further.”
TCS Insights: By better connecting small and medium sized businesses to post-secondary institutions, this program aims to improve product development while generating a greater amount of innovation. With universities doing vast amounts of research already, business should be able to benefit substantially by partnering with them.
Source: Queen’s News Release via Academica | March 11, 2014
Queen’s University has introduced a new Strategic Framework for the next 5 years that aims to “advance the university’s vision as the quintessential balanced academy.” The framework, which is closely aligned with the university’s Academic Plan and Strategic Research Plan, includes 4 priorities that support the university’s vision: the student learning experience, research prominence, financial sustainability, and internationalization. “While the framework sets priorities, it is not prescriptive,” says Queen’s Provost and VP Academic Alan Harrison. “Ultimately, it is up to each of the faculties and shared service units to identify the actions each of them will take to advance the university’s objectives and improve the metrics we measure ourselves by. Everyone has a role to play in the university’s success as we move forward.” The Queen’s principal and VPs will review the Strategic Framework regularly over its 5-year timeframe and develop progress reports for the Queen’s community on an annual basis.
TCS Insights: Over the next 5 years, Queen’s University aims to reach specific goals with the launch of their new framework. Among the priorities they hope to reach is greater internationalization. By increasing their number of international students, the university can raise their reputation in the international community while connecting bright individuals and preparing them for their futures.
Source: Vancouver Sun via Academica | March 7, 2014
The British Columbia Institute of Technology [CIEC Academic Member] has partnered with McDonald’s Canada to allow business students to gain course credits with experience gained through work placements at the company. The program follows a successful pilot in 2010, in which BCIT partnered with the Canadian military to recognize experience as course credits for soldiers returning from Afghanistan. “The pilot project turned out to be way more successful than we expected. On average, these guys outperformed the other students. Their work ethic, maturity and discipline gave them an edge,” says School of Business Program Head Kevin Wainwright. Wainwright adds that BCIT expects the program with McDonald’s to be equally successful.
TCS Insights: BCIT and McDonald’s Canada have partnered to let students to allow students earn course credits during work placements at the company. This will allow students not only to further their studies but acquire valuable work experience at the same time that will help them in their careers.
Source: Edmonton Journal via Academica | March 6, 2014
The Alberta government last week tabled its 2014 budget, which restores $50 million in funding to colleges and universities under the Access to the Future Fund. The fund was frozen last year, when the government announced a $147-million cut to the PSE operating budget. The budget also maintains the separate $50 million it put back into the system in November to ease budget restraints. The government says it will add another $32 million for enrolment in targeted programs, which are not yet specified. The Manitoba government also tabled its 2014 budget last week, and has committed base grant increases of 2.5% to universities and 2% to colleges. Manitoba’s budget will also establish a Research Manitoba initiative “to target funding to strategic priorities under the guidance of researchers and entrepreneurs.”
TCS Insights: The province of Alberta will increase funding to the operating budgets of post-secondary institutions in 2014 as well as specific programs. Manitoba will also increase financial contributions to colleges and universities while farthing their commitment to research programs. These acts should not only benefit institutions but their students as well.
On June 6, CIEC will host a landmark dinner event in Vancouver, BC at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. CIEC’s Canada West Chapter’s must-attend event will feature a “who’s who” of education including illustrious speakers such as:
Learn about BC’s new education quality assurance standards (EQA) and examine the confluence of ‘business’ with education. How do we measure ‘ROI’? BC is committed to increasing international students by 50% by 2016.
Register or view Agenda / Speaker Profiles / Sponsorship Options
Source: Times Higher Education via Academica | February 20, 2014
As part of Canada’s new federal campaign to increase the number of international students to 450,000 by 2022, marketing efforts are directly targeting countries such as Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam, promoting the broad recognition of Canada’s PSE credentials, the comparatively safe, welcoming and multicultural society and the possibility of immigration, along with the relative affordability of tuition. A recent piece in Times Higher Education reports that in many countries, “There is no awareness that Canada has world-class educational establishments,” a problem that the marketing campaign hopes to address. Gail Bowkett, Director of Research and International Relations for the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, notes that “it is very much about building awareness and building your brand and making those mobile students aware of the value proposition.” Another facet of the marketing campaign is to portray Canada’s cold weather as a positive to students from warmer countries that may be turned off by the thought of the snow and ice. “It’s about a whole new experience and opening up new experiences – in a whole new climate.”
TCS Insights: The improved Canadian strategy to increase the size of their international student body has begun to garner attention around the world. By making more people aware of the quality of Canadian educational facilities, the country should be able to establish its reputation in new markets while bringing in young minds from abroad.
Source: MPHEC News Release | February 25, 2014
A report released this week by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) reveals that 70,433 students were enrolled in Maritime universities in 2012-13. While the overall number of students remains steady compared to the year before, the last 10 years have seen the number of Maritimers enrolled decrease by 12%. Over the same time period, the number of Canadians from outside the Maritimes enrolled has increased by 28%, and the number of international students has doubled, shows the report. In PEI, the number of undergraduate students enrolled has increased by 20% over 10 years, but fell by 2.5% over the past year. Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia the number of undergraduate students increased by 4% over 10 years, and 1% over one year; in New Brunswick, the number of undergraduate students decreased by 12% over 10 years, and 1% over one year.
TCS Insights: The amount of international students choosing to study in the Maritimes is on the rise. Specifically, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia have witnessed overall enrolment numbers rise over the last decade while New Brunswick has made improvements when compared to years prior.
Source: Business Standard | February 27, 2014
India and Canada have inked a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate on research exchanges to increase student mobility between the two countries.
The agreement was formalised by Mitacs CEO Arvind Gupta and Additional Secretary Amita Sharma, representing the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
“This LOI represents the start of a long and fruitful collaboration which will see exceptional students travelling between our two countries to promote research, share perspectives and build joint R and D capacity,” said Dr. Gupta.
Launched in 2008, the Mitacs Globalink program has brought top international undergraduate students to Canada for summer research internships.
In the first six years of the program, over 800 students have come to Canada.
On January 15, 2014, the Government of Canada announced USD 13 million in funding for Mitacs in its International Education Strategy, enabling Mitacs to launch new initiatives to provide research and training opportunities for Canadian students in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam.
TCS Insights: Students looking to carry out research while experiencing a new country will be afforded more opportunities to as a result of this letter of intent. Hundreds of students have already gained from the partnership between these two countries and this trend will continue to rise as mobility becomes easier.
Source: Consulate General of Canada News Release | February 19, 2014
OTTAWA—At the request of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston will conduct a State visit to the Republic of India, from February 22 to March 2, 2014.
“Sharon and I are looking forward to our State visit to India, which will be centred on the themes of innovation, entrepreneurship and education, with a special focus on the contributions of women and girls,” His Excellency said. “This visit is a reflection of the importance Canada attaches to its relationship with India. Both of our countries are committed to strengthening our partnership and co-operation. The Canada-India economic relationship is strong and holds tremendous potential for broader and expanded collaboration. During our time spent in New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, we will meet with government officials, representatives from the business and education sectors, and those from non-governmental organizations with the aim of advancing our economic, academic and cultural ties with our Indian counterparts.”
His Excellency will be joined by parliamentarians and an accompanying delegation of Canadians who will enhance business, academic, cultural and people-to-people ties with their Indian counterparts. These exchanges will further develop the wide-ranging and multi-faceted relationship with India, a major economic player and priority market for Canada, and will provide greater impetus to bilateral initiatives in various sectors, particularly in strategies promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and education.
State Visit to India: New Delhi (February 22 to 25)
In the capital city of New Delhi, Their Excellencies will be officially welcomed by the President and Prime Minister of India during a welcoming ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Presidential Palace. To underscore the important friendship and co-operation between both countries, and on behalf of the people of Canada, Their Excellencies will present an inuksuk to the people of India.
During this visit, His Excellency will meet with Canadian and Indian business leaders to discuss our nations’ economic relationship at a business meeting with the Chambers of Commerce hosted by the Government of India, and at the Canada-India CEO Forum. The Governor General will also discuss the role of innovation in addressing global health challenges during the Grand Challenges Global Health Innovation Roundtable, organized by Grand Challenges Canada.
Her Excellency will discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by women researchers supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and also by women entrepreneurs. She will also visit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing education to underprivileged children, and free services to children diagnosed with cancer.
State Visit to India – Bangalore (February 26 and 27)
In Bangalore, Their Excellencies will meet with the Governor of Karnataka. They will visit the All India Coordinated Small Millets Improvement Project—created by IDRC and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) at the University of Agricultural Sciences, in Bangalore—as well as inaugurate the new consulate general, which will oversee Canada’s expanded presence in South India.
His Excellency will discuss the importance of skills development in further building connections between Canadian and Indian institutions during a panel discussion, and participate in a Canada-India discussion on innovation hosted by the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada and the National Innovation Council of India.
Her Excellency will visit NGOs dedicated to helping children with HIV and to supporting Indian women entrepreneurs.
State Visit to India – Mumbai (February 27 to March 2)
While in Mumbai, Their Excellencies will meet with the Governor of Maharashtra, and pay their respects at a memorial to the 32 victims of the November 2008 terrorist attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. During a visit to Dharavi, one of the largest slums in Asia, Their Excellencies will see, first-hand, examples of India’s deep-seated entrepreneurship and various micro-businesses. They will also discuss the future of audiovisual co-production between Canada and India at Film City, one of the largest shooting locations in India.
In addition, His Excellency will have the opportunity to open the stock market at the Bombay Stock Exchange, and witness the inauguration of BIL-Ryerson DMZ India Ltd., an incubation centre for entrepreneurs supported in partnership with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute, Ryerson University and Simon Fraser University. He will also address innovators and entrepreneurs at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay; business leaders at the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber Annual Convention; and the heads of various educational institutions to exchange views on skills development and the future of education in India.
Her Excellency will meet with women leaders from the private and public sectors, civil society and academia on the status of women in India, and visit a strategic philanthropy NGO co-founded and co-managed by an Indo-Canadian. She will also meet with social workers and volunteers who prevent second-generation trafficking among the children of sex workers in Asia’s largest and oldest red-light district.
Visits abroad by a governor general play an important role in Canada’s relations with other countries. They are highly valuable as they help broaden bilateral relations and exchanges among peoples.
Members of the public can follow the Governor General’s State visit to the Republic of India online at www.gg.ca, where speeches, photos and videos will be posted.
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The detailed itinerary and a list of accompanying delegates will be published at a later date.
Media information:
Marie-Ève Létourneau Rideau Hall Press Office 613-998-0287 [email protected]
Source: Government of British Columbia | December 2013
A new study of 12,508 students who entered BC bachelor’s programs in fall 2005 reveals that 69% of students completed a credential of some kind by fall 2011, and that 93% achieved the credential they initially entered – a bachelor’s degree. The Student Transitions Project also showed that 23% of these students were still registered in a PSE institution in BC in 2011. These students who are still attending PSE are, on average, more mobile among BC institutions than those students who completed a credential within 6 years, or those who didn’t continue studying at a BC institution. The study is produced by a partnership between BC’s education and advanced education ministries and public PSE institutions.
TCS Insights: Undergrad students in British Columbia who began completing their degrees in 2005 were found to have completed their studies by 2011, with 93% of them acquiring the Bachelor’s degree they originally set out to achieve. Institutions in the province have displayed their dedication to providing as many of their students with a valuable educational experience as possible.
Source: Government of Canada Release | February 11, 2014
Canada’s 2014 federal budget tabled on Tuesday includes a new Canada First Research Excellence Fund, which will provide $1.5 billion over 10 years for university research, starting with $50 million in 2015-16. Universities and PSE associations from across the country are welcoming the new funding. The budget also pledges an increase of $46 million annually to research granting agencies such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and $40 million to support up to 3,000 full-time internships for PSE graduates in high-demand fields. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is applauding the budget measure that will see the value of a student-owned vehicle removed from the student loan eligibility consideration, which will add an estimated $8 million in aid for students each year. The budget also includes a Canada Apprentice Loan that provides apprentices registered in Red Seal trades access to over $100 million in interest-free loans each year, and the Flexibility and Innovation in Apprenticeship Technical Training pilot project that will expand the use of innovative approaches for apprenticeship technical training. The government has also pledged $10 million over 2 years for colleges to do social-innovation research with community organizations.
TCS Insights: The Canadian government has ensured that post-secondary institutions will have the opportunity to make significant strides for years to come. Students entering Canadian educational facilities, from abroad or domestically, will be able to benefit from increased financial aid as well as funding for research grants and apprenticeships.
Source: BC News Release | February 6, 2014
The British Columbia government has announced new requirements that require PSE institutions accepting international students in study programs of longer than 6 months to have BC’s Education Quality Assurance (EQA) designation. A BC news release says the requirement will be phased in over the next 18 months to give institutions time to acquire the designation, which will entail “establishing quality assurance standards—including having a transparent tuition refund policy.” The regulations are in response to the federal government’s new program within the International Education Strategy, which requires all provinces and territories to develop a list of PSE institutions eligible to host international students for study programs of longer than 6 months.
TCS Insights: BC aims to assure students coming to Canada from abroad that their educational facilities are of high quality by forcing them to earn this designation. Institutions will have to meet various standards in areas such as programs and tuition refund policy so international students will be better informed when choosing where to study.
Source: Metro News | February 5, 2014
A survey by the Nova Scotia Post-Secondary Education Coalition says that 71% of Nova Scotians who make between $40,000 and $70,000 a year would pay higher taxes if they knew the money went towards lowering university and college tuition. The poll, which surveyed 800 people in December, also reveals that more Nova Scotians say they were concerned about PSE and health care (at 65%) than taxation (64%) or crime (39%). According to Metro News, the coalition—which is comprised of NS student, faculty and public employee associations—plans to meet with Advanced Education Minister Kelly Regan to advocate for a 15% tuition decrease at NS universities and colleges. The poll has a margin of error of 3%, 19 times out of 20.
TCS Insights: This research demonstrates the dedication that those in Nova Scotia have to making an affordable higher education possible. Such commitment to providing students with better opportunities helps the province stand out as an educational destination in Canada.
Source: Canada News Release | February 3, 2014
The Canadian government has announced that visitors to Canada will be automatically considered for a multiple-entry visa for 6 months at a time, for up to 10 years, without having to reapply, which will make it easier for international students to visit home. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) applauded the move. “CASA has been calling on the government to provide multiple-entry visas to students and we’re happy these changes are being made,” says CASA Chair Amanda Nielsen. “Improving the clarity of visa applications will help government reach the goal of increasing Canada’s international student population.” Canada recently launched its new International Education Strategy, sparking considerable discussion within the PSE sector.
TCS Insights: In the Government of Canada’s new strategy for international education it is explained that visitors to the country, international students included, will be able to travel to and from Canada with more ease than before. By granting students opportunities to return to their home countries while attending post-secondary institutions, the government aims to convince more international students to choose Canada as an educational destination.
Source: MUN News Release | January 31, 2014
Memorial University has received a $1.98-million donation from Hibernia Management and Development Company Ltd (HMDC), and will use the money to create a new fund to enhance geophysics education and research. The endowment will also allow MUN to purchase specialized equipment for geophysical exploration and its geophysics laboratories, and create a new guest-speaker series that will host up to 3 geophysical experts annually for the next 3 years. Earlier this year, HMDC provided an additional $420,000 in funding to support the university’s development of a new environmental geology and geophysics field school.
TCS Insights: Aspiring geophysics students are being afforded new opportunities at Memorial University as this field of study is expanding with new labs and equipment. Students will now also be able to conduct field research; an experience that will prove valuable to both domestic and international students looking to spend time in real-life work environments.
Source: BCIT News Release | February 3, 2014
The British Columbia government is providing $4.5 million to allow the BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Vancouver Community College (VCC) to create a new Motive Power Centre, which will house heavy-duty transportation programs from both institutions. BCIT says the new centre will create partnership opportunities for BCIT, VCC and prospective employers, while also providing the physical space to allow industry to participate in the centre. “Around 43% of the one million jobs expected to open by 2020 will require trades or technical training,” says BC Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk. “Co-locating two existing heavy-duty transportation programs into one centre will benefit students, industry and employers.” The 142,000-square-foot facility is set to open to students in September 2014.
TCS Insights: Through the creation of the Motive Power Centre, the province of BC is preparing both domestic and international students for the heavy-duty jobs in the transportation industry that are expected to arise in the near future.
Source: WesternU News Release | January 31, 2014
Western University [CIEC Academic Member] has released its new strategic plan, Achieving Excellence on the World Stage, which was approved by the university board of governors and senate. The plan includes 4 strategic priorities: creating a world-class research and scholarship culture; providing Canada’s best education for “tomorrow’s global leaders;” engaging alumni, community, institutional and international partners; and generating and investing new resources in support of excellence. The plan also focuses on raising WesternU’s profile “among globally pre-eminent universities.” High-level targets in this area include increasing international undergraduate student enrolment to at least 15% and domestic out-of-province student enrolment to at least 10% of the undergraduate student body, and doubling the number of academic departments, schools and faculties that rank among the world’s top 100 universities in major international surveys.
TCS Insights: Western University has begun the process of improving their standing on the global stage with the introduction of their plans for the future. While aiming to collaborate with more international partners and establish a globally recognized research environment, Western will look to recruit students from around the world as well. This represents an opportunity for students from outside of Canada who are looking to be a part of an institution on the rise.
Source: HEQCO News Release | January 29, 2014
A new study by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) provides further evidence that combining online and in-class teaching methods (known as blended learning) gives students more flexibility. The study, which examined students in 3 first-year social science courses at McMaster University, found that 80% of students used the blended learning modules on a repeat basis — most often from their personal computers at their leisure. Instructors expressed that because students had learning materials in advance, in-class time could be better focused on interaction, assignments and assessments, and students were less anxious in busy lab environments.
TCS Insights: With an increased emphasis on a blended learning style, students have the opportunity to not only come to classes prepared with notes but keep up to date with their studies while off campus. This can be beneficial to international students who find themselves outside of Canada for extended amounts of time as well.
Source: Vancouver Sun | January 30, 2014
The Canadian government has formally launched the Canadian International Institute for Resource Extraction and Development, and its first order of business is to pilot a project to train small-scale miners in improved techniques. The institute’s Executive Director, Bern Klein, says the project capitalizes on research done in the mining school at the University of British Columbia, one of 3 academic partners in the institute along with Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member] and École Polytechnique de Montréal. “The resource sector is a necessity,” said UBC VP Research John Hepburn. “So, unless you’re willing to give up your toys like [the iPhone], we do need the ores and minerals that we extract and that are in demand for all of our products.” In fall 2012, the 3 academic partners were given $25 million to create the institute.
TCS Insights: Growth in the mining industry has made the establishment of this institution much needed. Academic partners from across Canada are uniting to educate those interested in the resource sector so that improved methodology can be taught to students and spread throughout this expanding industry over time.
Source: uWaterloo News Release | January 29, 2014
Start-ups in the the University of Waterloo’s Velocity entrepreneurship incubator program have raised more than $100 million in funding in the 5 years since the initiative was launched. The investments received include funding from venture capitalists, angel investors, government programs, grants from the Velocity Fund, and crowd-funding website Kickstarter. Velocity’s Pebble, the makers of a “smart watch,” raised $10 million on Kickstarter in 2012. Velocity’s milestone announcement follows the launch of the provincial government’s new Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund, which aims to drive private-sector investment in Canadian companies in the early to middle stages of growth.
TCS Insights: Students with small businesses participating in the uWaterloo Velocity program are being provided with opportunities to reach their entrepreneurial goals through the aid of a variety of sources. Both the university and the Ontario provincial government continue to display a commitment to developing entrepreneurs.
Source: Ontario News Release | January 13, 2014
The Ontario government has announced a $42-million Centre of Excellence for Online Learning that will provide a central platform where students can access online courses. Called Ontario Online, the centre will operate through 3 inter-related “hubs:” a course hub that will offer the online courses, which are fully transferable between participating colleges and universities; an instruction hub that will allow institutions to develop and share best practices, research, and data on how best to teach online courses; and a support hub that will provide academic and technical assistance to students, instructors, and institutions. The $42 million in startup funding will be disbursed by 2016, with up to $12 million available this year, reports the Globe and Mail. The initiative will launch in time for the 2015-16 school year. The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) welcomes the announcement and encourages all Ontario universities to participate, but the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) says the government should have included faculty input during the planning of the initiative.
TCS Insights: By the start of the 2015-2016 school year, the province of Ontario will have established a platform that enables students enrolled in Ontario universities to complete online courses with more ease than ever before. The improved access to online courses, and ability to transfer credits between institutions, will let students complete assignments outside of the classroom while providing them with what instruction they would receive on campus. The ability to complete work online can potentially aid international students who hope to complete study while spending time abroad.
Source: Montreal Gazette | January 12, 2014
Enrolment is up this year at Quebec’s universities despite predictions from the province’s ministry of higher education of a downward trend, reports the Montreal Gazette. Following student protests over tuition fees and a recent $250-million funding cut over 2 years, the province’s universities have seen enrolment increases over the last 5 years of 8.6% to 13%. However, Université du Québec a Montréal Vice-Rector Diane Demers warns that “demographic trends in Quebec suggest a decline in student populations at universities over the next seven years.” Meanwhile, uOttawa economist Ross Finnie says, “While the underlying demographics are working to push enrolment rates down, participation rates continue to rise. Going forward, it depends which of those forces will dominate.”
TCS Insights: The number of students in Quebec universities is on the rise, indicating the growing strength of post-secondary institutions in the province. This data also shows while some have suggested enrolment numbers will decrease, universities in Quebec remain a serious consideration for students.
Source: Colleges Ontario News Release via Academica | January 20, 2014
Preliminary data released yesterday show Ontario college enrolments are at their highest levels ever, with a nearly 5% increase in first-year, full-time programs over last year. Enrolment in first-year programs has increased to over 125,000 students, with more than 220,000 students enrolled in all programs. “This is a strong indicator of the appetite that exists for the career-focused programs at the colleges,” said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. Ontario’s universities are also experiencing strong application numbers, although the number of secondary student applications has dipped slightly, to 89,272 from 92,554 last year. However, the number of non-high school applicants has increased drastically, by 10.5% over last year, and 35% since 2004. Ontario announced last week a new transfer database to make it easier for students transferring among Ontario’s colleges and universities.
TCS Insights: The province of Ontario is expanding as a centre for higher learning in Canada. Colleges offering programs aimed to get students into the workplace are experiencing record popularity while mature students returning to school are applying to universities more than before. Through making the process of transferring credits between institutions easier, students are less likely to be restricted to studying in only one part of the province.
Source: SFU News Release | January 22, 2014
Simon Fraser University (CIEC Academic Member) has joined the entrepreneurial incubator initiative established last year by Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone and the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute. The BSEI–Ryerson–SFU Accelerator Program India is a 5-year agreement that allows for collaboration in several areas, including “accelerating the development and commercialization of innovative research and new technologies in India and Canada and providing opportunities for entrepreneurship education, training and development.” Through the agreement, start-ups will gain financial support and mentorship opportunities and students will be able to take advantage of internships and co-op positions. “We are excited to partner in this ground-breaking initiative which will benefit young entrepreneurs and their innovations in both Canada and India,” said SFU President Andrew Petter.
TCS Insights: By working together with the BSEI and Ryerson University, SFU joins a group with the goal of making research faster to do and easier to distribute. With different positions available to students, this group will allow students on opposite sides of the world to expand their minds through work, while providing mentoring and financial backing.
Source: BC News Release via Academica | January 10, 2014
The British Columbia government says its open textbook project has benefited almost 300 PSE students, who saved an average of $146 each on textbook costs for the fall 2013 semester. The project, which launched in September, offers students free, online, open textbooks for 40 of the most popular subject areas. “…The benefits for students and faculty will continue to grow as we develop open textbooks for more subjects, and more instructors around the province have a chance to review and use them in their classes,” says BC’s Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk. This expansion includes 20 open textbooks for skills training and technical PSE subject areas.
TCS Insights: By making online textbooks more accessible to students, the government of British Columbia is attempting to make a post-secondary education a possibility for all students. It is this attitude towards higher learning that makes BC a learning destination for students from Canada and across the world.
Source: uSask News via Academica | January 17, 2014
The School of Public Health (SPH) at the University of Saskatchewan [CIEC member] has received accreditation from the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation. The accreditation is for the Master of Public Health program for a 5-year term, and is the only non-European program to be accredited by this agency, as well as being only one of 2 accredited programs in Canada, according to uSask. “Accreditation for our program means we have met an international standard of excellence and competencies in the 5 arenas of public health: epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health policy and health management,” said SPH Director, Robert Buckingham. The accreditation will allow the school to recruit more students and faculty, as well as increase research capabilities in the future.
TCS Insights: The accreditation of the University of Saskatchewan School of Public Health means that the school offers a program that are on par with the top programs in the world. This will benefit the school by helping them recruit students, from Canada as well as internationally, while providing students with a high quality educational experience that will serve them well in their future.
Source: KPU News Release via Academica | January 9, 2014
Kwantlen Polytechnic University [CIEC Member] has opened a teaching brewery at its Langley campus to offer British Columbia’s first science of brewing program. “Along with practical hands-on training, we’ll be giving students a solid background in the science behind brewing craft beer, including the chemistry and microbiology involved in the process,” says KPU Science and Horticulture Dean Elizabeth Worobec. “It’s this much-needed expertise that graduates will bring to the province’s brewing industry.” The program’s first 35 students will start in September. According to the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, the province’s micro-brewing industry has grown by more than 20% per year since 2006.
TCS Insights: KPU is proving to be a leader as serve the first brewery program. By providing students with the proper scientific background along with training, the institution will be beneficial to the province of British Columbia while helping students find jobs in an emerging industry.
Source: Top MBA via Academica | January 13, 2014
The University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business has been ranked by employers among the 10 best MBA schools in North America at number 8, in the QS Top MBA Global 200 Business Schools Report 2013/2014. The other Canadian business schools that made the top 20 are YorkU’s Schulich School of Business (13), Western’s Ivey Business School (14), McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management (15), HEC Montreal (16), Queen’s School of Business (18), and UBC’s Sauder School of Business (19). The QS rankings come from a survey of international employers, who are asked a series of questions regarding recruitment trends, salary and compensation trends, and ratings by region and specialization. Other MBA schools that made the list are uAlberta (22), Concordia (44), uSask (45), uCalgary (46), UVic (49), SFU (57), uOttawa (63) and McMaster (81).
TCS Insights: International employers continue to recognize Canadian MBA programs among the top in North America. With 15 institutions in the top 81, some of which are CIEC Members, students looking to pursue an MBA would do well to consider studying in Canada.
Source: Simon Fraser University Media Release
Contact: Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 778.782.9017/604.209.5770; [email protected]
Simon Fraser University (CIEC Academic Member) President Andrew Petter recently visited India to advance relationships and forge new partnerships with academia, industry and government, resulting in collaborations with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute, Indian Oil Corporation and IIT Bombay.
SFU has joined with Ryerson University to develop a groundbreaking incubator and associated accelerator program in India in collaboration with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute (BSEI).
The BSEI-Ryerson Digital Media Zone was established in July 2013 and this week SFU signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Ryerson and BSEI to collaborate on its further development.
The incubator will enable entrepreneurs to fast track their startups and connect with mentors, customers and investors. It lays the groundwork to help young entrepreneurs expand in both the Indian and Canadian markets and provides support and resources for entrepreneurship and professional development education.
The BSEI–Ryerson–SFU Accelerator Program India, a five-year agreement between Ryerson, Ryerson Futures Inc., SFU and SF Univentures calls for collaboration on a number of fronts, including accelerating the development and commercialization of innovative research and new technologies in India and Canada and providing opportunities for entrepreneurship education, training and development.
The partnership is an example of how SFU is advancing its activities in India with university and industry partners, says SFU President Andrew Petter, who was in India Jan. 18-24 with SFU V-P Research Mario Pinto and V-P External Relations Philip Steenkamp.
“We are excited to partner in this ground-breaking initiative which will benefit young entrepreneurs and their innovations in both Canada and India,” said Petter. “Supporting student entrepreneurship is an important part of our commitment to being Canada’s ’engaged university.’ This unique partnership with the BSEI and Ryerson University will help us extend that commitment both nationally and internationally.”
“Ryerson looks forward to working with Simon Fraser University and continuing to generate opportunities for young Indian and Canadian entrepreneurs,” said Mohamed Lachemi, Provost and Vice President Academic of Ryerson. “We are bringing a successful model to India, and with this collaboration with Simon Fraser University, we can provide even more resources to fast track innovative research and help train and develop the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
SFU’s involvement will also spawn new global opportunities for SF Univentures Corporation and other initiatives, through the support of student mobility initiatives and program delivery as well as accelerator and angel funding projects, adds SFU V-P Research Mario Pinto.
“The signing of this LOI exemplifies SFU’s innovation strategy, in which community partners are engaged with our students and faculty entrepreneurs at the outset, to provide an informed view of the requirements of the real world,” said Pinto.
B.C. Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk said: “Partnerships between industry, employers and post-secondary institutions are important in today’s global marketplace. Strengthening ties between British Columbia and India with this agreement supports skills and competencies in entrepreneurship that are critical for social and economic success.”
SFU has developed a wide range of student incubation and innovation programs that encourage and support its student entrepreneurs. Its Venture Connection program, in partnership with Coast Capital Savings, is one of the first university early-stage incubator programs in B.C. The program offers SFU students and recent alumni support for their ventures through an early-stage business incubator, mentorship, co-op and other avenues and since 2008 has engaged over 3,100 students, contributing to more than 120 early-stage startups.
Among additional sources of support for the program are Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), the BC Innovation Council, the Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), Discovery Foundation and the John Dobson Foundation.
With a suite of existing and new entrepreneurial programs, including the Beedie School of Business RADIUS Social Innovation Lab, SFU is positioned to substantially contribute to the program.
Meanwhile, SFU and India’s flagship national oil company, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Ltd, have laid the groundwork to collaborate on hydrogen and fuel cell technology research.
SFU President Petter signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with IOC’s Director of Research and Development, Dr. R.K. Malhotra in New Delhi, with B.C. government representatives in attendance.
“SFU researchers have much to contribute and gain through this relationship,” said Petter. “SFU is internationally recognized for its expertise in fuel cell technology. Collaborating on research with IOC will provide greater opportunities for our faculty members and students to advance the field globally.”
Dr. Malhotra said: “Indian Oil recognizes and values the global lead role which British Columbia is taking in the fuel cell developments and its commercialization. The collaboration with Simon Fraser University would help Indian Oil to get the benefit of their expertise in hydrogen and fuel cell research. The intended collaborative research will help further the development and optimization of fuel cell technology and cut down the cost.”
The relationship developed as a result of Dr. Malhotra’s visit to B.C. last June as a keynote speaker at the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association conference. During his visit he expressed interest in developing research collaborations with B.C. focusing on hydrogen and fuel cell technology.
“We are deepening relationships in key sectors such as clean technology to increase trade and investment between British Columbia and India,” said Teresa Wat, B.C.’s Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for the Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism. “Connecting world-leading institutions such as SFU with a company such as Indian Oil will boost research and commercialization, attract new investment, and create and protect jobs for British Columbians.”
The collaboration will facilitate the sharing of expertise in hydrogen and fuel cell research and enable exchanges for SFU faculty and students to work in IOC’s world-class R&D facility, while providing IOC researchers access to SFU facilities.
It could also lead to the creation of a joint research centre in hydrogen and fuel cell technology at IOC’s Faridabad site.
The university also announced it has entered into an MOU with one of India’s premier institutions of science and engineering, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), which will foster research collaborations on clean energy projects as well as graduate student exchanges.
Simon Fraser University is consistently ranked among Canada’s top comprehensive universities and is one of the top 50 universities in the world under 50 years old. With campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey, B.C., SFU engages actively with the community in its research and teaching, delivers almost 150 programs to more than 30,000 students, and has more than 125,000 alumni in 130 countries.
Simon Fraser University: Engaging Students. Engaging Research. Engaging Communities.
The University of Montreal will be hosting a Conference titled “Access to rights and resources : challenges of contemporary India” to be held at the Symposium Research Center, Carrefour des Arts and Sciences University of Montreal February 7, 2014 .
The conference will be organized around three round tables whose themes are 1) access to the justice system , the recognition of rights and gender; 2 ) Sustainable development, environment , socio-economic inequalities ; 3) open discussion on the upcoming elections in India.
On Thursday, February 6 in the evening, there will also be a keynote address delivered by Mrs. Mira Kamdar World Policy Institute entitled “India 21ie Century.” Ms. Kamdar is associate expert at the Asia Society in New York and professor specializing on India at Science Po Paris .
You can find more information on our website at www.cerium.ca/prias
Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute through MHRD (GoI) Funding announces the Collaborative Research Grants 2013-15 and India Studies Fellowship Programme 2013-14.
Applications for the Collaborative Research Grant can be submitted by any member of Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute either from India or Canada, but must include a partner in the other country (Canada or India) who may not be necessarily from a member institution.
The India Studies Fellowship programme is meant for our Canadian members, but Indian members can encourage their Canadian associates, friends and even their students to explore the opportunity to study and research in India. Applications must be sent no later than Friday January 31, 2014. For further details, please visit our website: www.sici.org. For inquiries related to Collaborative Research Grant please contact Dr. Prachi Kaul, Programme Officer, India Office at [email protected] and for India Studies Fellowship programme [email protected] or call us at 011 – 2374 6417; 2374 3114; & 2374 2677.
Program to be announced Wednesday will target countries with a fast-growing middle class…
Source: Peter O’Neil and Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun | Jan 14, 2014. Photo: Ajay Patel works at attracting foreign students to Langara College (CIEC Member). Photo by Wayne Leidenfrost, Vancouver Sun
OTTAWA — The Harper government will outline plans Wednesday to double the number of international students in Canada by targeting China and other fast-growing countries, The Sun has learned. It is the latest step in the federal strategy to make economic development the heart of Canada’s foreign policy.
More diplomatic, visa-processing and marketing resources will be shifted to China, Vietnam, India, Brazil, Mexico and the Middle East/North Africa region (including Turkey), in order to help recruit the world’s best and brightest, Trade Minister Ed Fast is to announce in Toronto.
The goal is to boost the number of international students and academic researchers to more than 450,000 by 2022, which translates into a huge cash injection for universities due in part to the higher tuitions paid by non-Canadians.
That will be done “without displacing Canadian students,” Fast is to tell an audience at Ryerson University, according to a partial transcript of his prepared statement.
Canadian full-time undergraduates paid on average $5,772 this year in tuition, or 3.3 per cent higher than 2012-13, according to Statistics Canada. Internationals paid more than triple that, and the average $19,514 tuition they paid was 6.8 per cent higher than the previous year.
The federal strategy is to boost the number of Canadian jobs “sustained” by international students by 86,500, or double the current number, according to Ottawa’s calculations.
“International education is a key driver of jobs and prosperity in every region of Canada,” Fast, the MP for Abbotsford, is to say.
Canada is in a “fiercely competitive” battle with other countries, especially the U.S., Britain and Australia, for international students.
The strategy will “help us advance Canada’s commercial interests in priority markets around the world and ensure that we maximize the people-to-people ties that help Canadian workers, businesses and world-class educational institutions achieve real success in the largest, most dynamic and fastest-growing economies in the world.”
The strategy includes $13 million over two years for Mitacs, a Vancouver-based national not-for-profit company that helps Canadian university students obtain placements in academic institutions in China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam.
Another $5 million a year, committed in the 2013 federal budget, will fund a “branding and marketing” campaign that will promote Canada as a destination for students seeking a high-quality education at a relatively low cost.
That’s necessary, according to research, because foreigners typically first choose a country they want to study and potentially live in before they select a particular institution.
A 2012 study estimated that international students spent $8 billion a year on tuition, accommodation and discretionary spending — an amount greater than the total annual overseas sales of Canadian aircraft. Ontario and B.C. get two-thirds of all international students in Canada.
Sandra Schinnerl, director of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (CIEC Academic Member) Office of International Students and Scholars, said they’d love to see more support from the provincial and federal governments, noting “they’ve always pushed back” for years.
Canada is ranked about fifth in the world as an international education destination, and it’s critical that Canada ups its game to keep or improve this rank, Schinnerl added, especially as countries such as Singapore and Malaysia jump into the fray. Russia may also become a competitive force for international education if it re-invests in its post-secondary infrastructure.
“From Canada’s perspective and B.C.’s perspective, we hope to have more international students than our share traditionally,” Schinnerl said. “Canada is now paying more attention and the government is putting more resources into raising the profile of the country as a destination.
“The resources at the national and provincial government levels are modest but they are more than they’ve ever been.”
The report follows the recommendation of a separate 2012 report submitted by a panel headed by University of Western Ontario (CIEC Academic Member) President Amit Chakma, a native of Bangladesh who obtained two graduate degrees in chemical engineering at the University of B.C. before obtaining positions at the University of Calgary, the University of Regina (CIEC Academic Member), and the University of Waterloo.
The panel also included Don Wright, then president of the B.C. Institute of Technology, and Lorna Smith, director of international education at Calgary’s Mount Royal University.
The advisory report said adding more international students will boost innovation in Canada, make Canadian students “citizens of the world,” create international alumni networks that will facilitate trade and investment, and help ease Canadian skilled labour shortages.
“The more the merrier,” said Ajay Patel, dean of international education at Langara College (CIEC Academic Member). “They add a richness not only to our classrooms but our culture and help Canadians have a better idea of what the world is like.”
Patel maintains international students not only offer a different perspective of the world, but many will contribute to the society here, or provide important connections when they return to their home countries.
“What we’re seeing is more and more students are becoming mobile; they want to travel and get an education abroad. Part of it is because the globe is getting smaller. Canada is definitely a destination of choice and Vancouver has a soft spot in that.”
Many of B.C.’s universities and colleges — including Langara, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Simon Fraser University (CIEC Academic Members) — tend to draw most of their international students from Asia, predominantly China, but also from Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.
Langara, Kwantlen and the University of B.C. are also a big draw for scholarship students from places like Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
But most say they are also eyeing other parts of the world, mainly the countries with a fast-growing middle class that the Harper government has targeted.
Langara, for instance, is focusing its latest recruitment drive on India, while Kwantlen has set its sights on Kazakhstan, Colombia, Nigeria and Vietnam or “anywhere there’s an increasing middle class” to add to its 18,000-student population, said Sandra Schinnerl, director of Kwantlen’s Office of International Students and Scholars.
“We’re less interested in the numbers than we are in the mix,” Schinnerl said. “You wouldn’t want all international students coming from the same country.”
Aaron Andersen, UBC’s regional recruitment director, agreed, noting UBC does not have one single country that represents more than 30 per cent of its 9,000 international students.
The university is working in about 60 countries, including Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
UBC is planning a recruitment trip to Mexico, which he said is a fantastic partner and offers strong economic, cultural and tourism opportunities. “It’s international but it’s still close,” Andersen said.
The report praised the B.C. government’s “leadership role,” noting the province’s own strategy to sharply increase international student intake.
In the past 10 years alone, Canadian colleges and universities have more than doubled their cohort of foreign students to 225,000 in 2011. B.C. campuses get almost three out of 10 of that total.
According to the B.C. Council for International Education, there were more than 100,000 international students in B.C. in 2011-12, injecting more than $2 billion into the economy — up 17 per cent from 2010, according to a recent report by Roslyn Kunin and Associates, Inc.
Andersen noted international students also enhance UBC’s reputation, not just abroad but in North America. Both UBC and SFU say the U.S. is one of its most important sources for international students and offers “fantastic business opportunities for Canada.”
SFU, for instance, is seeing rapid growth among international students from the American west coast, mainly because it is an NCAA sports school, said Bing Lee, SFU’s assistant director of new student enrolment and transition. He said SFU is also looking to recruit more students from Africa.
“It adds to the dynamic of being an undergrad,” Lee said. “It opens our eyes, having that experience working with undergraduate students from other parts of the world.”
The Harper government has drawn both praise and criticism for realigning Canada’s foreign policy to put a greater emphasis on trade, investment and recruiting skilled workers who can add to Canadian productivity.
One of the more controversial moves was to make the old Canadian International Development Agency a part of the expanded department of foreign affairs, trade and development. Aid officials have been directed to put more emphasis on aid projects that support Canadian investments abroad, especially in the huge mining industry.
Critics have argued that the moves have de-emphasized human rights and alleviating poverty.
Source: The Globe and Mail, Courtesy of Academica | January 2, 2014
Business schools in Canada have begun to revamp their career preparation services for students in the wake of a tougher job market, reports the Globe and Mail. The Queen’s University School of Business has added more of these services to its redesigned one-year MBA program. The school also recently changed the start date of its MBA program to January from May to create post-program opportunities for paid-internship work experience. Similarly, University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business has its 16-month MBA program students prepare for 2 recruitment seasons – one for a mandatory summer internship and the other for full-time employment after graduation. Sauder also plans to launch a new “e-portfolio” program for its 110 MBA students to market themselves using social media.
TCS Insights: Due to a rapidly changing job market, Canadian business schools are beginning to adapt. To better prepare students, institutions are making internships a requirement so graduates will not only earn a MBA but gain valuable work experience before they seek full-time employment.
Source: Government of Canada News Release, Courtesy of Academica | January 8, 2014
The Canadian government is seeking public input on a new federal Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy, with the launch of a discussion paper to guide the dialogue. The paper asks how Canada can “continue to develop, attract and retain the world’s top research talent at our businesses, research institutions, colleges and polytechnics, and universities” as well as “Is the Government of Canada’s suite of programs appropriately designed to best support research excellence?” Submissions will be accepted until February 7, and then the government will release an updated strategy “in the months following the consultation phase.”
TCS Insights: The Government of Canada indicated in 2013 that it would update their Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy while continuing to invest in research. This revision will be finalized after reviewing public input and is expected to continue the trend of recent achievements that have lead to greater funding of research.
Source: CFI News Release, Courtesy of Academica | January 8, 2014
The Canadian government has announced a $63-million boost for research infrastructure under the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund. Currently, the fund is contributing to research equipment, laboratories and tools at over 250 facilities at 37 universities across Canada. “Our government believes significant investments in Canadian research are essential to sparking innovation, creating economic prosperity and improving the lives of Canadians,” says Minister of State (Science and Technology) Greg Rickford.
TCS Insights: The CFI awarded $48.4 million through their John R. Evans Leaders Fund in order to help Canadian universities attract top available research talent. This increase in funding will enable researchers, such as Ryan D’Arcy of Simon Fraser University, make use of portable technologies at sporting events, hospitals and homes.
Source: Canada News Release, Courtesy of Academica | January 9, 2014
Canadian Minister of State (Science and Technology) Greg Rickford today announced that the most recent round of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding will provide $43 million to 77 research teams at universities across the country. The funding will go towards 2 grants: the Strategic Network Grants and the Strategic Project Grants. The funds will help researchers work with companies and other organizations on long-term projects to address industrial and societal challenges.
TCS Insights: The Canadian government aims to use these grants to increase research and training in areas that influence the Canadian economy and environment over the next decade. Additionally, this funding will go towards research that involves interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and institutions such as solar power and cloud-based computing projects.
Source: PwC News Alert | University Grants Commission (‘UGC‘) has notified regulations for promotion and maintenance of standards for academic collaborations between Foreign Educational Institutions (‘FEI’) and Indian Educational Institutions (‘IEI’). These regulations will be called the UGC (Promotion and Maintenance of Standards of Academic Collaborations between Indian and Foreign Educational Institutes) Regulations, 2012(‘Regulations’).
UGC Regulations nov 11, 13 – view pamphlet
The following are key highlights of the regulations:-
I. Applicability of regulations
These regulations shall apply to all FEI and IEI operating in India through collaboration and offering programmes leading to award of degree or post graduate diploma. However, these regulations shall not apply to technical institutions.
Where an IEI or FEI has existing collaborative arrangements, they will be required to comply with these regulations within a period of six months from the date of the regulations coming into force (i.e. September 21, 2013).
II. Key Conditions for collaboration
|
S.No. |
Criteria |
FEI |
IEI |
| a. |
Accreditation |
It will be required to be accredited with the highest grade in home country |
It will be required to be accredited by national accreditation agencies with a grade not less than B or its equivalent grade |
| b. |
Operative arrangement |
FEIs shall have operative arrangements in India through IEIs by way of collaboration |
|
| c. |
Experience and infrastructure requirements |
FEI means an institution duly established or incorporated in its home country and has been offering educational programmes at the graduate and higher levels in its home country in the areas or disciplines concerned |
It is required to have at least five years of experience in offering degrees of post graduate diploma in India and academic infrastructure to meet the requirements set out by relevant statutory body |
| d. |
Maintenance of standards |
It will ensure that the programmes of study imparted in India are in conformity with the standards laid down by the respective statutory regulatory body |
– |
| e. | Grievances redressal |
– |
It will be responsible to address all the grievances of students including legal matters of collaboration |
(*However, in case the IEI is maintained by central government or commission or a state Government, it shall not be required to comply with accreditation and experience conditions as mentioned in point 1 and 4 above).
III. Common conditions
The following additional conditions are required to be adhered under collaborative arrangement between an IEI and FEI:
IV. Procedure for collaboration
The collaboration between FEI and IEI is required to be a written memorandum of understanding (‘MOU‘) subject to following conditions:
V. Procedure for Approval
The following is the procedure for approval:
FEI and IEI cannot enter into a franchise arrangement nor an IEI can undertake educational activity in India by receiving license, permission etc for a consideration from an FEI.
For ease of reference, please find attached the UGC regulations.