Canada – Page 6 – Canada India Education Council

uSask Reports Progress in Cost-Saving Plan

November 8, 2013November 8, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: uSask News Release | Saskatoon – Members of the University of Saskatchewan campus community attended a financial town hall today to hear about progress towards the university’s goal of financial sustainability by 2016.

The focus was on TransformUS, an initiative underway at the university to prioritize all of its programs and services in order to invest in its most important work.

“We know these are challenging times for members of our campus community – our faculty, our staff and our students – as we wait to learn the outcomes of TransformUS,” said Provost and Vice-President Academic Brett Fairbairn.

“We are doing this for a reason and we want to take the time to do this right. We are confident the changes we undertake will strengthen us as one of Canada’s top universities and place us in a financial situation where we are free to capitalize on opportunities, invest in our priorities and excel in our research and learning mandates.”

The U of S will be releasing two TransformUS reports on December 9, 2013 – one will outline recommended resource changes to academic programs and the other to administrative services. These recommendations will be presented to President Ilene Busch-Vishniac by two independent internal task forces, and are the first steps in deciding on how resources are allocated to programs and services at the university.

The goal of TransformUS is to reduce the operating budget by $20-25 million per year, with up to $5 million reinvested in the highest priority programs. Decisions will be announced in May 2014.

“In addition to TransformUS, we are looking at multiple strategies to not only reduce expenses but also increase our revenue,” added Greg Fowler, vice-president finance and resources at the town hall meeting. “We are not alone in our financial challenges as a post-secondary institution, but what makes us unique is the time we have to make the best decisions to secure our long-term financial sustainability.”

Dinner Roundtable Discussion: ‘Canada-India Economic Relations: CEPA and Beyond’

November 6, 2013January 8, 2014Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI) and Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) with support of Dr. Asha Seth, Senator, are organizing a Dinner Roundtable Discussion

on “Canada-India Economic Relations: CEPA and Beyond” which would take place in Parliament Hill (Room 237- C Centre Block), Ottawa on Tuesday November 19, 2013 from 6.30 PM to 8.30 P.M.

a) Education, skill development and vocational training

b) Innovation, science and technology, and sustainable development

c) Investment

In addition, there will be an exchange of views on:

The need for a cohesive and coordinated approach at the national level involving representatives from government, industry/private sector, and academia;
The increasingly important role of Canadian provinces and Indian states as emerging players for strengthening Canada-India partnership;
The critical role of synergistic actions by Indo-Canadians, other bridge-builders and stakeholders for building comprehensive economic partnerships

Please contact [email protected] for more information.

ICCC’s Winter Gala 2013

November 6, 2013January 8, 2014Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Time: 6:30pm onwards
Date: Friday, November 29, 2013
Venue: Pearson Convention Centre
Address: 2638 Steeles Ave E Brampton, ON L6S 6J9 ‎

The Winter Gala – popularly known as the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC)’s Annual Holiday Dinner & Dance is one of the Chamber’s
marquee event is one of the most popular Indo-Canadian community event in the Greater Toronto Area. Over 600 guests attended the event in 2012. They include Chamber’s esteemed members, sponsors, friends of the community, professionals, entrepreneurs, senior representative of corporations, government officials, political leaders, and opinion makers. The program comprises a blend of theme-based entertainment,
spectacular song and dance sequences and sumptuous culinary delights.

Buy your ticket or reserve your table now, click here: Winter Gala 2013

“Saving Brains” of Kids: Grand Challenges Canada Funds Project in India and Worldwide

November 6, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Government of Canada | Grand Challenges Canada, funded by the Government of Canada, today extended a total of CDN $10.1 million (INR 60 crore) to 14 bold, creative projects aimed at improving the early brain development of kids in low-resource countries.

Seed grants of CDN $270,000 (INR 1.6 crore) each are given to seven organizations overseas — in India, Vietnam (2 grants), Bangladesh, Kenya, Zambia and Peru. And three seed grants are given to Canadian organizations: the Hospital for Sick Kids, Toronto (two grants), and the University Health Network, Toronto.

Projects in Jamaica, Colombia, Bangladesh and Indonesia are scale-up award nominees (board-approved grants up to CDN $2 million, pending successful contract negotiations).

All 14 projects will be implemented in developing countries: five in Africa, six in Asia and three in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Impoverished brains result in impoverished countries,” says Dr. Peter A. Singer, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada. “For a wide range of sad, all-too-familiar and preventable reasons, an estimated 200 million children under 5 years old in the world’s 112 low- and middle-income countries will fail to reach their brain’s full development potential.”

“These projects illustrate well the success of our search for ‘bold ideas with big impact, pioneering new approaches worldwide to maximize the number of kids in low-resource countries who achieve and contribute to their fullest capabilities,” Dr. Singer added.

The seed fund grant in India went to designing iron-fortified biscuits to reduce maternal and child anemia. After extensive consumer research, the nutrition team led by Dr A.V. Kurpad and the project collaborators, Violet Health Inc have developed several prototypes specifically designed with the tastes and preferences of pregnant women in India,” says project leader Dr. Pratibha Dwarkanath of St John’s Research Institute, unit of CBCI Society for Medical Education.

“We estimate our solution to be more cost-effective than the iron pill, while reaching more anemic women and their children”

“After proof of concept, we anticipate a scaled trial in Karnataka within three years and reducing anemia in women and infants.”

Says Mrs. Laureen Harper, honorary chairperson of the program: “The Grand Challenges Canada Saving Brains program is designed to help millions of children in developing countries who fail to reach their full development potential due to such factors as malnutrition, infection, birth complications, or a lack of nurturing and stimulation at an early age.”

Says the Honourable Christian Paradis, Canadian Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie: “Our Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Harper, is committed to advancing the health of the world’s most vulnerable mothers, newborns and children. We are proud to partner with Grand Challenges Canada to find innovative solutions to the most pressing global health challenges. The Saving Brains program is just one example of how innovation can help improve the lives of children in their earliest days. ”

Seed grant award to India

Iron-fortified biscuits to reduce maternal and child anemia

St John’s Research Institute, Unit of CBCI Society for Medical Education, Bangalore, (India)

Anemia — a low level of red blood cells causing a body’s reduced capacity to carry oxygen — results from micronutrient deficiencies, most often iron.

India has one of the highest rates of anemia globally: over 79% of children aged 6 to 8 months and 58% of the 26 million pregnant women each year. Some 17 million of these women have access to iron pills yet 11 million do not take them for the recommended time (adherence rate: 35%). Why? The pill is big and tastes metallic.

Yet iron deficiency anemia dramatically affects the health of a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, increasing risks of death and sickness during childbirth, including haemorrhage and low-birth weight. Long-term, iron deficiency anemia delays psychomotor development and impairs cognitive development in infants, preschool and school-aged children around the world.

Moreover, researchers say, the effects of anemia are, “not likely to be corrected by subsequent iron therapy… anemic children will have impaired performance in tests of language skills, motor skills, and coordination, reportedly equivalent to a 5 to 10 point deficit in IQ.”

Part of the answer may be an iron-fortified biscuit for use by pregnant women, indistinguishable in taste from popular Indian biscuits.

Coupled with marketing, project leaders say their new biscuit is more likely to be used by previously non-adherent pregnant women, and increase iron stores in newborns, “which translates to more sustainable and protected early brain development.”

Project collaborators include Violet Health, Inc., NY, and the Indian Institute of Management, India Bangalore.

* * * * *

Background

* * * * *

Saving Brains

The Grand Challenges Canada Saving Brains Program promotes fulfillment of human capital potential by focusing on interventions that nurture brain development in the first 1,000 days of life. The goal of the Saving Brains program is to unlock the potential of children by developing and scaling up products, services and policies that protect and nurture early brain development in an equitable and sustainable manner. Almost CDN $30 million (180 crore INR) has been committed to date. In addition to projects, the Saving Brains program is investing in an authoritative quantification of the economic impact and true costs of poverty-related risk factors for cognitive and human capital development.

Grand Challenges Canada invites global, regional and corporate partners committed to enabling innovation for early brain development to join us in Saving Brains.

Please visit grandchallenges.ca and look for us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Grand Challenges Canada

Grand Challenges Canada is dedicated to supporting bold ideas with big impact in global health. We are funded by the Government of Canada through the Development Innovation Fund announced in the 2008 Federal Budget. We fund innovators in low and middle income countries and Canada. Grand Challenges Canada works with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and other global health foundations and organizations to find sustainable long-term solutions through integrated innovation – bold ideas which integrate science, technology, social and business innovation. Grand Challenges Canada is hosted at the Sandra Rotman Centre.

www.grandchallenges.ca

About Canada’s International Development Research Centre

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supports research in developing countries to promote growth and development. IDRC also encourages sharing this knowledge with policymakers, other researchers and communities around the world. The result is innovative, lasting local solutions that aim to bring choice and change to those who need it most.

As the Government of Canada’s lead on the Development Innovation Fund, IDRC draws on decades of experience managing publicly funded research projects to administer the Development Innovation Fund. IDRC also ensures that developing country researchers and concerns are front and centre in this exciting new initiative.

www.idrc.ca

About Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada’s health research investment agency. CIHR’s mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

CIHR will be responsible for the administration of international peer review, according to international standards of excellence. The results of CIHR-led peer reviews will guide the awarding of grants by Grand Challenges Canada from the Development Innovation Fund.

www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

About the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada

The mandate of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada is to manage Canada’s diplomatic and consular relations, to encourage the country’s international trade, and to lead Canada’s international development and humanitarian assistance.

www.international.gc.ca

About Sandra Rotman Centre

The Sandra Rotman Centre is based at University Health Network and University of Toronto. We develop innovative global health solutions and help bring them to scale where they are most urgently needed. The Sandra Rotman Centre hosts Grand Challenges Canada.

www.srcglobal.org

India Promises Foreign Universities Non-profit Status

November 6, 2013September 3, 2019Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Nitya Rajan of PIE News | A new ordinance from India could help foreign universities set up branch campuses as non-profit companies and issue government recognised foreign degrees for the first time – without any form of partnerships between itself and a local higher education institution (HEI) .

The announcement from India’s human resource development ministry (HRD) came over a month ago and still has a few more hurdles to jump before it becomes law. If it clears however, HEIs worldwide will have easier access to India’s 1.2 billion population– 50% of who are aged 25-years old and under.

“It could change mobility out of India but it is still early days and we don’t know when the laws will be set in stone,” John Bunter, Trade and Investment Adviser at British Deputy High Commission told The PIE News.

However, the Indian government is being seen to make every effort to welcome foreign universities, including reducing the deposit necessary to establish a campus from $ 8,125,000 to $4,062,500.

The new legislation also stipulates that universities be listed as one of the world’s top 400 and parent branches will not be entitled to distribute profit from their Indian campuses to overseas parent branches or repatriate money.

“The proposal is a positive thing. The biggest change is that degrees will be recognised as foreign degrees and it has been approved by the Indian government,” Amanda Selvaratnam, Director of The Training Gateway – a company brokering educational partnerships between UK training providers and global organisations – told The PIE News.

“A lot of universities are still happy to do the partnership approach. We had a delegation of eight universities from Pune who are meeting 18 British universities this week,” she said.

“Those within the UK who may be interested in launching campuses have kept their cards close to their chests,” she added.

Others, however, including US universities Duke University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and VirginiaTech have been more vocal about the chance to capitalise on India’s booming student market.

“While Virginia Tech plans to establish research centres and graduate education programmes in India, we are waiting for the government of India to outline the final rules and regulations for the establishment of foreign universities in India,” Guru Ghosh, the vice-president for outreach and international affairs at Virginia Tech told The PIE News.

“In the meantime, we are moving forward with establishing a research centre outside Chennai in 2014,” he said.

Parent branches will not be entitled to distribute profit from their Indian campuses to overseas parent branches or repatriate money

Still, some industry experts say the ordinance’s small print could put HEIs off. In Canada, where some 12,049 student from India studied in Canada in 2011 , educators are pausing for thought before taking India’s bait.

“It’s positive in general but not a whole lot of Canadian institutions qualify for the top 400 requirement, right now there are some schools that would tick all those boxes,” Husain F. Neemuchwala, Chief Executive Officer of Canada India Education Council (CIEC) told The PIE News. “I have guarded optimism about the proposal, because it’s not easy to acquire land and the repatriation will also cause issues,” Neemuchwala added.

Bunter at the British Deputy High Commission added, “to work in India, universities have to know that there is a lot of bureaucracy that you have to overcome. They need to be ready for that.”

With 47 million people expected to be in the working age group by 2020 and India only spending 3.7% of its GDP on education, the government is hoping its open arms to foreign educators will meet the rising demand for quality education.

Local education in India has come under criticism for leaving its graduates poorly prepared for work – none of its institutions list in QS’s 2013/14 rankings.

Asked if Indian universities are worried what a potential flood of foreign educators might do to their own profits, Selvaratnam said: “Even if a university has a campus out there [in India], there are still opportunities for joint research and staff student research.”

Foreign varsities get independent access to India

October 3, 2013September 27, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Live Mint and the Wall Street Journal

Foreign universities can now set up campuses and offer degrees in India without having a local partner.

Columbia university_article — Currently, a foreign university needs to join hands with a local education provider to offer courses in India and the degrees are not considered foreign degrees. Photo: Bloomberg

New Delhi: The government has decided to allow foreign universities to operate independently in India, set up campuses and offer degrees without having a local partner—a move that finally opens the gates for foreign educational institutions seeking to establish a presence in the country.

To foreign universities, the move presents an opportunity to tap a country with a population of 1.2 billion. To Indians (at least those who can afford it), it is an opportunity to receive quality education without leaving India (and without paying in dollars). And to India, it could mean significant foreign direct investment.

The department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) and the department of economic affairs (DEA) have agreed to allow overseas universities to operate as so-called Section 25 or non-profit companies under the newly passed Companies Act, the human resource development (HRD) ministry said on Tuesday.

Companies registered under Section 25 of India’s Companies Act cannot distribute profit or dividends to members, which means that the foreign universities cannot repatriate money—a constraint that was criticised by at least one expert.

Several foreign universities have been keen to enter India to tap a higher educational market that is worth Rs.46,200 crore and expanding by 18% every year, according to 40 million by 2020, a report from audit and consulting firm EY. They have been constrained by the need to do so through partnerships.

The Foreign Education Providers’ Bill is still awaiting parliamentary approval. Tuesday’s announcement, which is effectively an executive order, doesn’t need to be approved by Parliament and could see a rush of foreign universities to enter India.

“The ministry had sought comments and observations of the department of industrial policy and promotion and the department of economic affairs on the rules. Both DIPP and DEA have supported the proposal,” the HRD ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ministry officials said that the details are being vetted by the law ministry and an official notification will be published soon.

With the powers vested in it through the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, the ministry will allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India and award foreign degrees. Currently, a foreign university needs to join hands with a local education provider to offer courses and the degrees are not considered foreign degrees.

Under the proposed rules, foreign universities can set up campuses in India once they have been notified as ‘foreign education provider’ by UGC. An educational institution wishing to operate in India needs to be in the top 400 in one of three global rankings: the UK-based Times Higher Education Ranking; Quacquarelli Symonds ranking published in UK again; and the China-based Shanghai Jiao Tong University rankings.

An HRD ministry official said that at least 20 foreign universities—mostly from US, followed by Australia and Canada—have expressed their desire to enter the market.

“Universities such as Duke University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and VirginiaTech are some of the names that have shown interest,” said the official, who asked not to be identified.

Mint could not independently verify this. In September 2012, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ deputy dean Robert H. Gertner told Mint that the school was exploring opportunities to open an executive education centre in India.

The degrees awarded by foreign universities in India will be considered foreign degrees and students holding these degrees need to get an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the HRD ministry said in its statement. These universities will also function under the UGC rules.

The profit motive

A foreign university cannot repatriate money that it makes in India. And any university seeking entry to India must be accredited by bodies in its home country. “Quality control is key and we will build the safeguard mechanism with each of the universities,” a second official in the HRD ministry said.

An expert was critical of these provisions. “On the one hand you are saying, we want top 400 institutes to come and on the other, you are not allowing them to repatriate surplus to the home campus. It’s a fundamental problem. I think there is still an inherent trust deficit between the government and the (foreign) educational institutes,” said Pramath Sinha, founding dean of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

“They have to stop questioning everybody, at least the best of the institutes. This problem was there in the Bill and if they are retaining it in the executive order, it will be a huge drag,” added Sinha, who is setting up a liberal arts university, India’s first, in Haryana.

The two HRD ministry officials said enough changes have been made to make it attractive for foreign universities to enter India. The India campus will function as a branch campus of the parent, rather than as an independent campus. The universities will offer the same degree they are offering in their parent campus. And the ministry has reduced the deposit universities have to maintain with the ministry (and which they will forfeit in case of any violation) from Rs.50 crore to Rs.25 crore.

To be sure, it will not be easy for foreign universities to acquire land, especially in the context of India’s new land acquisition law. “We will not facilitate the university in getting land at a concession. Anyway, procuring land and other infrastructural facilities in India will be way cheaper than in developed countries,” said the first ministry official.

He added that there were still three things that would attract foreign universities to India: a huge education market and the young demography to grow that further; lower recruitment and research costs; and the opportunity to offer executive education programmes and consulting services to Indian companies.

The second official grandiosely described the ministry’s move as “liberalizing the higher education space the way India economy was liberalized between 1991 and 1993”.

Manish Sabharwal, the chief executive of staffing and training company TeamLease Services Pvt. Ltd, said that India remains an attractive destination for education. In many countries there are two problems, he added—demography and cost—but in India both the issues are in the right place. The problem, he said, is in the details.

Anton Muscatelli, vice-chancellor of the UK-based University of Glasgow, too stressed the importance of details. The Indian government’s willingness to allow universities to come into India should certainly boost the entry of foreign universities, but the details will be important, he said. His own university, he added, has several partnerships in India and will continue to work with strong Indian partners.

Once it is notified, the ministry’s order will render irrelevant the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill 2010, a brainchild of former HRD minister Kapil Sibal, who is currently in charge of the telecom and law ministries.

UGC notifies rules for collaboration between Indian, foreign institutes

October 2, 2013September 27, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India

NEW DELHI: As top grade foreign educational institutions have shown little or no interest in setting up campuses in India, University Grants Commission on Wednesday notified a set of regulations that will allow Indian institutes with grade B accreditation to enter into collaboration with foreign educational institutions.

Incidentally, the notification was published on the day the PM left for the US to attend the UN general assembly. UGC’s notification was necessitated as more and more Indian institutes with B grade accreditation have started collaboration with foreign educational institutions. “The idea is to regulate such arrangements to protect the interest of students. We would not allow dilution of standards,” a UGC official said.

Foreign institutions who enter into partnerships should be accredited with the highest grade in their homeland, the UGC notification said. “At the time of agreement for collaboration, Indian educational institution shall have accreditation by National Assessment and Accreditation Council with a grade not less than B or its equivalent grade,” the notification said.

Indian educational institutions already having a collaborative arrangement shall comply with these regulations within a period of six months, the notification said. Foreign educational institutions will have to abide by the conditions prescribed by the Indian government from time to time.

Besides, the Indian institutes collaborating with foreign institutes shall have experience of at least five years offering educational programmes at the level of degree and post-graduate diplomas. Violation of rules could lead to termination of the MoU entered into for collaboration and even blacklisting, the notification said.

The regulations are called the UGC (Promotion and Maintenance of Standards of Academic Collaborations between Indian and Foreign Educational Institutes) Regulations, 2012 .

Technical institutes will not come under the purview of the regulations while government institutes shall be exempted from accreditation for the purpose of these regulations. Currently, around 50 foreign institutes are operating in India through twinning arrangement. Twinning programmes not only promise an international degree but also exposure to foreign campuses.

All institutes (Indian and foreign) involved in collaborations shall make public the academic requirements and other details of the programme on websites before commencement of the programme by Indian educational institutes concerned. No programme and research shall be offered which is against national security.

Indian universities fail to make world’s top 200

September 30, 2013September 27, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: NDTV

London: US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University today topped an authoritative list of the world’s top 200 university rankings that did not figure any educational institutions from India.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, the country’s premier institution, comes in way down at No 222, dropping from 212 last year, in the ‘QS World University Rankings’ released today.

The list is dominated with US universities, with MIT grabbing the top slot and Harvard at No 2, pushing Britain’s Cambridge University to No 3.

As part of one of its most comprehensive global reviews, the 800-strong annual ranking includes 11 Indian institutions in all with the IITs leading the charge – IIT Bombay at 233, IIT Kanpur at 295, IIT Madras at 313 and IIT Kharagpur at 346.

“The stable performance of Indian institutions is a reflection on the country’s efforts to internationalise its higher education system. However, it’s clear that more efforts are needed in the area if the country’s institutions wish to feature more prominently at the top of global rankings,” said Ben Sowter, head of research at QS, a British firm specialising in education and study abroad.

“In a country where education is prized above all matters and competition for a coveted place at one of the country’s top institutions is high, students need a broader comparison of domestic universities. QS is currently working closely with Indian institutions in a pilot ranking project for the ‘BRICS’ nations, which is due to be launched later this year,” Sowter added.

The annual rankings take into account the subject range, research results and academic reputation offered by 3,000 institutions internationally.

In the list of the top 50 universities in Asia, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay come in at 38 and 39 followed by IIT Kanpur at 51 and IIT Roorkee at 66.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology tops the Asian rankings followed by a number of Chinese, Japanese and Korean institutions.

Will the foreign universities come to India?

September 29, 2013September 27, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India

The delay in enacting the Foreign Universities bill has cost India dear. When it was mooted a few years ago, India was riding high on the growth curve. Markets were bouyant, and the size of the population made it an interesting place to invest. Wherever one went, the term ‘demographic dividend’ boomed through the loudspeakers. These were the youth who were trained in English, who had access to engineering degrees (others too, but engineering made the headlines) and would transform the nation. India was the leading light of the BRICS which were still the next big thing. All of this was very exciting to the education world – the demographics alone were enough – the millions who needed higher education before the dividends could be reaped – were a market.

It is not so now. The India story has paled, the market seems to have stalled. The demographic dividend is still expected if we manage to educate our young. But there are questions about viable models in higher education given the experience of the past few years. The executive order to allow foreign providers via their own campuses is welcome. Even if it comes late. The question is – will there be enough quality foreign universities who would want to open campuses in India? Now?

A few years ago, just as the bill was mooted, foreign universities were at the peak of their global aspirations. There was a buzz around campuses across the world as a transnational model of higher education was set to evolve. This was the era before MOOCs of course. But there were funds allocated and Delhi (and the states of course) jostled with Singapore and Dubai as a destination for campuses. Now, the experience of the Ivy league colleges in these campuses has taught them caution. Most of the funds have been allocated, others will proceed with caution based on their learnings. Delhi has missed the boat with many desirable providers of higher education.

Even if they do come to India, certain fundamental problems remain. Infrastructure. Especially soft infrastructure. Across the board the paucity of good faculty is acknowledged. Credentialing is no guarantee of quality. Nor is the number of research papers they have churned out. Credit and competence are not linked. Finding a good teacher and a good researcher from within the country is a an uphill task. Finding one from outside the country is even more difficult. It is not just the pay that is inadequate. There is no reason for anyone to take a paycut to come to India – there is little that Indian universities can offer to compensate for the paycuts. On the contrary, they need incentives to disrupt their families and the steady track of their their lives. Yes, personal living conditions count for a lot in most places in the world and moving in to cities with potholes in roads that need you to walk through garbage piles to reach ordinary shops is clearly not an incentive to disrupt lives. Will the best faculty want to move here given the current conditions? Let us think.

Another hurdle is the quality of research, laboratories and of course funding. The best faculty are those that can move a department out of mediocrity or build something new. There are very few of them who have these qualities but do not already have access to the best research and funding. It may be possible to woo the young bright sparks who show promise with new funding and equipment that the foreign investors will certainly bring. This is the only window of hope – a fast track for the bright young professors. The new order has been promulgated under the University Grants Commission. As details are awaited, the first question that arises is: Will the faculty recompense be constrained by UGC rules? Presidency University was just reported to have had some problems with paying their faculty. They were constrained by the rules and had to find workarounds to retain people. While a small proportion of PU faculty, it is clear that the issue exists and is at the heart of the debate on new universities, and that includes the foreign universities.

While the older bill languished, the executive order hoped to mitigate the damage done by the delay. Even as smaller and keener players teamed up with Indian partners to provide joint degrees (that were often not accepted by the Indian establishment), the older Ivy league colleges melted away. They were fine with limited collaborations with departments that clearly delineated their contribution and benefits. To be an entire university campus is a much larger investment. And as investors, despite the doors opening again, the repatriation of profits is still not allowed. Nor is the investment expected a small one.

It is clear that India wants to invite the best and wants them to commit to their investment in the country. This is a very good thing to want, but it may still be rather ambitious. The will has been shown, and the path paved via this new regulation. As we await details, as do the legal departments of interested foreign universities, the real question that needs to be asked is: Will India pass the due diligence tests of the global majors in higher education?

UBC Vantage College: AdVantage Students

September 28, 2013September 27, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India

The University of British Columbia on its Vancouver campus has launched a college for first-year international students from countries with school systems that are significantly different from Canada’s . James Ridge, principal, and Susanne Schmiesing, director, business development & operations, UBC Vantage College, talk to Tirna Ray

Why was the need felt to establish the UBC Vantage College?

In response to a rapidly changing demographic and economic global landscape, and the unprecedented world-wide demand for higher education, the University of British Columbia (UBC) established UBC Vantage College on its Vancouver campus to offer programmes that broaden the capacity of the university to attract international students . While UBC currently welcomes international students to study at the university , the International Programme is fundamentally different in that it reaches out to students who need additional time and instruction to qualify for direct admission to UBC. As such, our college is developing pedagogical , administrative and technological initiatives, which will also provide us with opportunities to examine our curriculum and pedagogy to better understand how students, international and domestic alike, learn.

Who is it for?

The International Programme provides international students graduating from a senior secondary school who would not be directly admissible to a UBC direct-entry undergraduate degree programme , with the opportunity to enter a first-year equivalent programme that will prepare them for study at Year 2 of a UBC degree. The programme has been designed for international secondary school students who demonstrate a strong potential to succeed in university, but who may benefit from smaller class sizes and additional academic and social supports. Students will form a cohort within the programme ranging in length from 12 to 16 months (depending upon the applicant’s proficiency in the English language and level of academic preparation) that includes academic language preparation, additional academic support and the completion of first-year coursework . Upon successful completion , students will have a minimum of 24 credits of first-year coursework applicable to a degree programme and may progress into the second year of study towards a UBC Bachelor degree (specifically, a Bachelor of Arts and/or Bachelor of Science degree in 2015-16 with further degree options being offered in subsequent years).

How is Vantage College different?

Students enrolled will complete a 12-month programme that includes English-language and academic study, and if successful, will advance to the second year of a UBC degree course. Students will live on campus in student residences along with students from other UG programmes.

What are the eligibility criteria?

Students may apply to UBC Vantage College if they are an international student (not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident); are graduating from an academic or university preparatory programme at a recognised senior secondary school. English language requirements include a minimum score of 70 on the TOEFL iBT with no section less than 16 or a minimum overall score of 5.5 on the IELTS with a minimum band score of 5.0 in speaking and listening, and 5.5 in reading and writing.

What is the cost factor?

The tuition fee for our 12-month programme is $30,000 Canadian plus housing and food. For exceptional applicants with financial need, the college will also offer substantial scholarships including some scholarships that will cover the full cost of tuition, housing and food. www.vantagecollege.ubc.ca

Courtesy: Educationtimes.com

Imagine Canada

September 27, 2013September 27, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The TImes of India

During a tour of three provinces in Canada, Malini Sen discovers that the flexibility in the country’s higher education system and the focus on employability are prompting students from India to choose Canada as a study destination.

Every student’s reason to go abroad to study differs. Though reasons may vary, a common aspect of studying abroad is that it transforms lives. Tightening of visa rules in the UK, lesser job opportunities in the US and safety concerns in Australia are factors that have contributed towards making Canada a popular destination for students from India.

India continues to be the number two source country for international students with over 13,000 students choosing Canada as a study destination in 2012 as compared to 2,658 in 2007. Figures for 2013 are not yet available.

“Canada provides a positive alternative for students from India because of its ethnic diversity, ability to integrate the best of both British and American university educational models and the quality of its diversified public post-secondary institutions,” says Allan Cahoon, president and vice-chancellor, Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia.

Higher education in Canada is a provincial responsibility and it comprises two types of institutions — universities and colleges — which offer degree programmes. Community colleges offer degrees in a range of disciplines, but are known for industry-specific courses, which offer applied degrees, diplomas and certificates. Polytechnics and polytechnic universities are another option, which offers a combination of degrees and diplomas in the technical field. Colleges and polytechnics are largely aligned to the needs of the labour market. Canada is recognised for a competency-based teaching approach that prepares students to be productive in the workplace after graduation. Several Canadian colleges and universities offer co-op or internship programmes or work placement programmes as a means of enhancing the curriculum with real-world industry experience.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of Canadian education is the cooperative model, known as co-op, that lets a student alternate terms in class with paid terms at work in jobs related to his/her area of study.

“Co-op programmes allow students to gain valuable experience in their fields, develop skills in the workplace, and expand their Canadian network. The co-op model was pioneered in schools such as University of Waterloo and has become the gold standard around the country for programmes, which prepare students for the real world. As well, money earned during these co-op programmes helps towards covering costs. With a foothold in the working world during the course of their studies, when the student graduates, they are more familiar with the expectations of employers, and more job-ready,” says Ivy Lerner-Frank, first secretary for Education at the High Commission of Canada. She adds, “The return on investment is not only the benefit of the education itself, but the possibility of employment during the study period, after graduation with a postgraduation work permit, and then the potential to immigrate through the Canadian Experience Class if you have the right skills.”

The flexibility in the system accommodates students’ different needs and aspirations. “I am from a village in India and when I decided to go abroad to study, I felt I would be more comfortable in a smaller town than a big city. Therefore, I chose Okanagan College in Kelowna. The college has a diploma programme in computer information systems, which suited my academic needs,” says Leo Louis. The programme offered a co-op option and Leo interned at the Disney Studio in Kelowna as a software engineer. “I interned for a year and found a part-time job till the end of my studies, it helped me to cover my expenses.” The programme was for two and a half years including the co-op term and Leo on completing his studies in April 2013, found a job.

Traditionally, the MTV towns, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, were popular with students from India, but in the last few years, students have been opting for institutions in other parts as well. “Canadians have the reputation of being peaceful and welcoming. The country has all the advantages of a developed nation whilst maintaining a low crime rate and less congestion. Compared to other top ranked universities in Canada, University of Saskatchewan has affordable fees and the cost of living in the city is feasible. I live in university residence; I have met students from across the world and it is very safe,” says Sherin McDonald, BSc (double honours) programme, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon.

Internships and collaborative research have also become an integral part of international education. Canada launched the Mitacs Globalink internship programme in 2009 to encourage student mobility. While in 2012 a research network, India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (ICIMPACTS), was launched to find solutions to community problems.

Application tips
Step 1

Prepare the supporting documents for your application Note:

Documents which are in a language other than English or French must be translated. Ensure that you provide all required documents, including: Letter of acceptance from the Canadian institution Valid passport Financial documents as requested in the application kit, including six months of banking history IELTS test results taken within the last 24 months are strongly recommended as proof of English language proficiency CAQ (if you plan to study in Quebec) – Quebec Acceptance Certificate

Step 2

Complete the study permit application:

The form can be obtained on the website of the VFS Visa Application Center (see www.vfs-canada .co.in). Follow the instructions carefully, complete all forms, and submit all required documents You do not need someone to assist you with the application.All applications are treated equally, regardless of who submitted them. However, if you engage the services of an agent or a friend, you as the applicant are responsible for the truthfulness of all information submitted

Step 3

Submit your application as soon as possible:

The ideal time is between two and four months before the start of the course. Submit your application at any VFS Visa Application Center. Pay the processing fee and refer to checklist to ensure that your application is complete

Step 4

Your application will be reviewed:

If the visa officer is satisfied with your application and if your course of study is longer than six months, you will be asked to undergo a medical exam. Once the medical examination has been reviewed, a final decision will be made on your case

Useful urls

High Commission of Canada: www.india.gc.ca

Study in Canada: www.educationau-incanada .ca

Scholarships: www.scholarships.gc.ca

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada: www.aucc.ca

Association of Canadian Community Colleges: www.accc.ca

India Canada Alumni Network: www.ican.net.in

Courtesy: Educationtimes.com

2nd Toronto International Students Festival 2013 on Sept. 28, 2013

September 26, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

2^nd Toronto International Students Festival 2013

September 28, 2013; 1:00 – 6:00 PM

David Pecaut Square, 55 John Street, Toronto

The City of Toronto is partnering with academic institutions and the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to enhance the positive experiences of international students who come here to study and live. To kick off this annual initiative, from August 15^th to September 8^th, the City of Toronto hosted its Airport Welcome Program for all International students newly arriving at TorontoPearsonInternationalAirport, providing them with all the information they needed to get settled in their new home.

The City is now preparing to celebrate those International Students who have chosen Toronto as their academic hub with its 2^nd annual Toronto International Students Festival. With over 59,000 international students in Ontario, Toronto has emerged as the largest centre of foreign students in Canada.

Last year’s 1^st Toronto International Students Festival 2012 had over 1,500 people attend at Nathan Philips Square. At this year’s festival close to 3,000 international students, their families and friends, civic leaders, senior officials and staff of the partner universities and colleges and representatives of some top countries, which are the source of most of Toronto’s international students, will be attending.

The Festival will feature speeches, cultural performances, award presentations, arts display, agency display booths and prizes. Event will be a prime networking spot for students from different countries, universities and colleges will find networking and integration opportunities among themselves and with business and community groups, employers, government and foreign government representatives. One the main events at this year’s festival: Eight students from Jamaica, Russia, India, United States, China, Ukraine and Mexico will receive Toronto Excellence Awards in the categories of community services, entrepreneurship, Academic excellence, sports, arts & culture, and student services.

Come out and join in on the celebrations:

v See diversity of nations on display (live performances, art & cultural exhibitions);

v Meet Excellence Award Winner International Students and learn about their unique contributions to communities and businesses;

v Meet representatives from universities and colleges from all over Ontario; foreign country representatives;

v See local and provincial agencies coming together to welcome and support international students from around the world

Purpose of this event is to:

v To celebrate international students and their achievements;

v To directly listen to the views of civic, academic and student leaders;

v To make international students feel welcome, supported and appreciated in Toronto;

v To expose students to diverse cultural and entertainment activities and motivate them to participate and develop fond memories; and

v To promote Toronto, Ontario and Canada as the global educational destinations.

Promotional video via Youtube link is: http://youtu.be/9DnVfTcX5To

More information about programs at: toronto.ca/international-students

For more information and to set up interviews:

Contact: Jagdish Yadav, Senior Advisor Education Sector, City of Toronto at: [email protected]

Many International Students Still Waiting for Visas to Study in Canada

August 26, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Globe and Mail

Just days before thousands of students around the world are set to leave home to begin earning a Canadian education, some still don’t know whether they will be allowed into Canada in time to start school.

An ongoing strike by the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) has caused a backlog in processing visas of all types, including those required for international students landing at Canadian colleges and universities. The rate of visa approvals has dropped by 15 per cent, and there has been a 5 per cent decline in requests for visas, a PAFSO representative said.

The hold-ups are bad timing for Canadian schools making a co-ordinated push to raise the country’s profile as a destination for top foreign students. A federally commissioned panel has set the goal of doubling Canada’s international enrolments by 2022, but higher education officials fear the headaches over visa delays are doing harm to Canada’s reputation, and that could have lasting consequences. Each international student kept out of Canada represents a dent in a school’s bottom line. Foreign undergraduates bring important revenue to universities, paying an average of $18,641 in tuition and fees annually, and international students spent an estimated $7.7-billion in 2012.

“It is potentially a very serious issue,” said Gail Bowkett, director of international relations for the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. “Perception is key, and if a perception starts spreading that Canada’s difficult to get into, then that really could damage our brand.”

After being admitted to McGill University, Sara Awad, 18, put in her visa application in mid-July through an agent in her hometown of Cairo, Egypt. She was stunned to learn it would take six to seven weeks – she was supposed to be on campus by then.

“My friends who are going to the U.S., they got their visa in three days, or even people going to France, they got it in 10 days,” despite the political turmoil that has engulfed Egypt, she said. “It was a bit difficult.”

Ms. Awad worried she might not make it to McGill in time, and considered the American University in Cairo as a backup plan. Luckily, her father had a contact in Cairo’s Canadian embassy whom he pressed for help, securing her a visa just last week. She is relieved, but will still arrive late in Montreal, and “will miss some parts of the orientation week,” she said.

Many higher education officials had predicted the backlog would be much worse. “So far, it’s not as bad as I thought,” said Ysaac Rodriguez, manager of international student services at Saint Mary’s University, where 26 per cent of students come from abroad – the highest proportion of any Canadian university.

Most colleges and universities are hearing from small numbers of students whose visas are yet to be processed, and who are starting to worry. Mr. Rodriguez has had a few such conversations, and wouldn’t be surprised if he winds up 50 students short at the school’s September orientation. At the University of Waterloo, about 15 students have voiced concerns, while about 20 others have told the University of Calgary they are anxiously awaiting visas.

“We think [the number of affected students is] a bit bigger than that 20, but until a little closer to September, when they’re needing to get on the airplane, we’re not entirely sure,” U of C registrar David Johnston said.

The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) was one of several groups to huddle with government and foreign-service union officials, making their concern known. “As we get closer and closer, if [a student] hasn’t received word from Canada about a visa and they’ve got an acceptance to another country – an Australia or a Germany or so forth – then they may go for that option,” ACCC spokesman Shawn Dearn said.

However, the ACCC was assured student requests have been prioritized where possible. Students fearing they won’t get their visa in time “may also submit a letter from an educational institution indicating that the institution would accept a late arrival, specifying until when,” Citizen and Immigration Canada spokesperson Julie Lafortune said in an e-mail.

In response, most schools have given international students a grace period – often until the first week of classes finishes in mid-September – through which they will hold spaces and residence rooms. “We are expecting late arrivals,” said Virginia Macchiavello, director of international development at Centennial College in Toronto, which had 5,000 international students last year. “We will provide support services to catch them up.”

For those who can’t make it soon enough, schools are recommending deferrals until next semester, or even next fall, and crossing their fingers the students don’t go elsewhere instead.

“The worst thing that could happen is that they arrive [too late] and then fall behind,” Mr. Johnston said.

India Foreign Varsity Campus Plan: Foreign Campuses Can Set Up As Section 25 Companies

August 26, 2013October 10, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Telegraph – Calcutta, India

New Delhi, Aug. 20: Students aspiring for higher studies at a top-flight foreign institution could soon realise their dream — without having to leave India.

The government has told the Rajya Sabha that the University Grants Commission is set to enforce the UGC (Establishment and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Educational Institutions) Rules, allowing foreign education providers to set up campuses as Section 25 — or not-for-profit — companies.

HRD minister M.M. Pallam Raju, who was replying to a question in Parliament recently, said the higher education regulator had prepared the rules that have been supported by the departments of industrial policy and promotion and economic affairs. The rules may be notified soon.

Foreign institutions cannot set up campuses in India now in the absence of a legal framework. The government had introduced a Foreign Education Providers Bill in Parliament in 2010 but it has been in the freezer since because of lack of consensus among parties. Because of the delay, the government has preferred to follow the executive route to allow foreign institutions.

Under the proposed rules, foreign institutions that figure among the top 400 universities in the world — according to rankings published by the Times Higher Education, London, Quacquarelli Symonds, a company that specialises in education and studies abroad, or Shanghai Jiao Tong University — will be able to set up campuses as Section 25 companies. A Section 25 firm is a not-for-profit institution that can generate surplus but must plough it back.

Foreign institutions intending to apply under the proposed rules must be not-for-profit legal entities that have been in existence for at least 20 years and registered by an accrediting agency of the country concerned or by an internationally accepted system of accreditation.

The foreign education providers will have to offer programmes or courses comparable in quality to those offered to students on their main campuses. Before being notified as a foreign education provider, each such institution will be required to maintain a corpus of not less than Rs 25 crore.

The rules also include clauses for penalties ranging from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore for violating any of the provisions or the UGC Act, besides forfeiture of the corpus.

The degrees awarded by these institutions would be treated as foreign degrees, subject to equivalence accorded by the Association of Indian Universities for further studies or government jobs.

N.R. Madhava Menon, founder-director, National Law University Bangalore, said the UGC regulations could attract foreign institutions that want to expand operations but doubted whether top universities like Harvard, Yale or Cambridge would set up campuses in India. “I am not sure if the top universities will prefer to come.”

Former Delhi University vice-chancellor Deepak Pental said the foreign varsities’ entry would boost research. “There is a fear some of the top faculty of Indian institutions will join them. But that is not a major concern. Their coming will be beneficial for our institutions academically.”

HRD minister Pallam Raju launces National Repository of Open Education Resources

August 26, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Times of India

NEW DELHI: The HRD minister M M Pallam Raju launched the National Repository of Open Education Resources (NROER) on Tuesday, on the occasion of the conference on ICT for School Education in New Delhi. Inaugurating the conference, he said that the school education has in the recent times witnessed immense growth.

Also present on the occasion was minister of state for HRD, Shashi Tharoor who said that his ministry is continuously working towards inclusiveness of education. In order to make education inclusive, the use of ICT would be quite beneficial. Although technology may not replace the teacher yet it will make teaching more attractive.

Elaborating on the initiative, Ashok Thakur, secretary for higher education said that ICT initiative is not just about promoting school but teachers as well as students also. He said that at present 400 universities and 20,000 colleges are being connected through ICT highways.

Over 200 delegates from the government, NGOs and the private sector are participating in this two-day conference. The conference brings together a variety of stakeholders- policy leaders, practitioners, researchers, implementation agencies and developers of content to examine the policy in the light of their insights and impressions, identifying gaps in the system and suggesting a roadmap for implementing the policy. It aims to evolve a roadmap for using ICT into schools and help teachers and children make best use of the opportunities that ICTs provide. Based on National Curriculum Framework, the ICT Curriculum for teachers and students intends to provide a holistic introduction to ICT in education. The National Repository is a collaborative platform, which proposes to bring together the best of digital resources for different subjects domains, across different stages of the school system and in different languages.

Some of the issues to be taken by the conference are ICT for education: Exploring the potential; implementing the national policy on ICT for school education in India: Challenges and Issues; Showcasing ICT practices – Going Beyond computer Literacy; showcasing ICT practices – learning from state/ BOOT partners/NGO Experience; e-Governance Mission Mode programme in school education. This Conference is being organized by MHRD and NCERT.

Top Canadian Universities to Tour India

August 26, 2013August 26, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Government of Canada

Indian students contribute to depth of education experience on Canadian campuses

Nine elite Canadian universities are coming to India from August 19th to August 31st, 2013 to meet with top Indian students and discuss Canada as a premier destination for higher education. The delegation is led by Robert Finlayson of Carleton University in Ottawa and Michelle Beaton of Ryerson University in Toronto. The tour, organized by the Canadian Higher Education Committee (CHEC), under the aegis of the Council of International Schools (CIS), is in its ninth year and will include stops in Mumbai, New Delhi, Dehradun, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

The tour is of special interest to Standard XI and Standard XII students who exhibit strong academic standing, school guidance counselors and parents. The tour schedule will include a combination of visits to select school and information fairs.

“India is a key undergraduate student market for Canadian universities,” said Robert Finlayson of Carleton University and Tour Director. “Indian students are sought for their academic strength and their rich contribution to student life on Canadian university campuses. Each year we are seeing more Indian students choosing Canada as their first choice for study – as evidenced by the success of this tour. Indian students are drawn to our universities’ common attributes of international reputation for academic excellence, state of the art resources, and safe campuses in welcoming locations,” Finlayson said.

List of participating universities in 2013:

University of British Columbia, Carleton University, Concordia University, Guelph University, McGill University, Queens University, Ryerson University, University of Toronto, York University.

Why Canada?

Canadian universities are engaged internationally as leaders in education through teaching, research and partnerships. Undergraduate education in Canada is a hybrid of US and UK styles offering breadth of program options, flexibility in choice and a degree that is ultimately recognized world-wide.

Indian students choose Canada because a strong education and a positive international experience is the foundation for their exciting and successful futures. The quality, affordability and renowned research opportunities are key factors in this decision. University campuses across Canada offer multicultural environments, beautiful spaces and friendly people. As a leader in business, political diplomacy, arts and culture and technology, Canada’s education system is at the core of its success and its graduates are players on the world stage.

Council of International Schools Backgrounder:

The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a non-profit, international educational organization that facilitates links between institutions of higher education and secondary schools to increase their visibility with school leavers and the school guidance community. The 40+ CIS Canadian higher education member universities’ interests are supported through the efforts of the eight person team of member volunteers that comprise the Canadian Higher Education Committee (CHEC). The Committee’s goal is to facilitate the exchange of information about Canadian higher education between international schools and the CIS Canadian higher education membership through various activities such as recruitment tours, like the 2013 India tour.

Twinning Programmes Draw More Students

August 26, 2013August 26, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Times of India

With foreign currency getting expensive, universities offering twinning programmes are seeing a surge in student enrolment.

In 1994, Manipal University’s International Centre For Applied Sciences (ICAS) was built to accommodate about 200 students; only six students had signed up then. For long, the centre saw a steady rise in students and about 150-odd candidates joined last year. “I feel we will have around 250 students by the end of this year’s admission season,” says ICAS director G M J Bhat.

Prof. Roseann O'Reilly Runte, CIEC Academic Advisor-Canada and President & Vice Chancellor Carleton University — Prof. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, CIEC Academic Advisor-Canada and President & Vice Chancellor Carleton University

Other universities have the same story to tell. As Bertrand Guillotin, director of the international program office at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, notes, “Education remains the best long-term investment you can make, regardless of currency fluctuations.” But while twinning courses improve accessibility to higher education, they also potentially retain a slice of the £8 billion (US$13 billion) leaving India with foreign education-seeking Indian students.With that, international universities wanting to attract Indian students are also open to signing partnership agreements with Indian colleges. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, president and vice chancellor of Carleton University, says, “Students benefit from such programs as they represent less time away from home and reduced costs in terms of tuition and residence.”

At the other end, she adds, universities benefit from the close collaboration of faculty members which can also result in productive joint research projects. A study conducted by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) revealed an upswing in the number of foreign education providers in India, from 144 in 2000 to 631 in 2010. Of these, 49 are operating under twinning arrangements, with MBA and hotel management being the most popular courses.

For the full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com

CIEC Sees Unprecedented Growth in 2013

August 26, 2013April 21, 2015Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: CIEC

CIEC welcomes over 70 Canadian & Indian Associate Members (open to Canadian & Indian Academic Institutions) to CIEC’s membership ranks along with several new Academic Members & 4 new Agent Members (CARE):

Touchstone Educational
Singh Foundation
Western Overseas
Sophiya Consultants

The new Associate Membership Category and simplified, inclusive & budget-friendly CARE Process will allow members to network with each other and showcase themselves and their institutions in this vibrant and burgeoning education corridor by highlighting recent developments & new programs, engaging in dialogue on emerging opportunities, stimulating thought and discussing new initiatives and ideas in our monthly newsletter and live news portal ‘Disha’ which is read by over 19,000 academics and thought leaders from both countries. CIEC’s highly penetrative and potent network reaches academic champions from both countries, high level government representatives and policy makers, besides Colleges & Universities.

CIEC’s is also expanding its reach through the use of various social media outlets. These include:

Linkedin Group: Network of Canada-India Education Leaders and Stakeholders (over 300 Members)
Facebook Group: CIEC’s International Student Forum (over 300 Student Members)
Like us on Facebook (278 Likes)
Follow us on Twitter (256 Followers)
Join Us On LinkedIn (2361 Connections)

CIEC invites you to get involved today! www.CanadaIndiaEducation.com

MAKING EXPERIENCE COUNT FOR NEW CANADIANS

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: SAIT Polytechnic

Calgary, AB — SAIT Polytechnic has teamed up with the Centre for Newcomersto help immigrants with backgrounds in accounting bridge the gap between the career they left behind in their home country, and their new life built in Canada.

The Business Communication for Accountants (BCA) program is the only one of its kind in Alberta — offering language, computer and job readiness training, work experience, and 12 weeks of accounting courses through SAIT.

Rahrel Gul, who moved to Canada from Pakistan with his wife and three children last March, has high expectations for what the program will do for his career.

“It will bridge my international experience to a Canadian market,” says Gul, who worked as an accountant in Pakistan. “The SAIT classes will help, especially the taxation course. Every country has its own taxation system that you must learn as an accountant.”

Debra Grab, Earned Revenue Coordinator in the School of Business says the three intermediate accounting courses, taught onsite at the Centre for Newcomers, are recognized by the Certified General Accountantsassociation, and can be used towards the completion of an accounting certificate, diploma or degree.

“These are not beginner courses,” says Grab. “The people in the program are highly educated — many have master’s degrees, or five and 10 years of experience as accountants.”

In order to qualify for the program, which is subsidized by the government through the Centre for Newcomers, applicants have to meet certain language and educational requirements, and pass a selection exam provided by SAIT’s School of Business.

Starting over

Beginning a new life in a new country can be difficult, especially when the professional credentials that were so hard earned in one’s homeland are no longer relevant.

Estelita Novakovic, Communications Coordinator at the Centre for Newcomers, says many skilled immigrants find work in areas unrelated to their previous experience. The BCA program helps connect immigrants with the professions they left behind in their homelands.

“They can land in the field they were trained for,” says Novakovic. “They get the education and work experience, so they can make use of their expertise and avoid jobs that aren’t suited to their skills.”

Chona Panes arrived in Canada from the Philippines just seven months ago. She left Mindanao Island to escape increasingly dangerous living conditions.

While Canada has provided a more peaceful and orderly life for her and her family, she was frustrated her master’s degree and 15 years of experience didn’t get her as far here as it did in her home country.

Now, Panes looks forward to the work experience portion of the BCA program and hopes to secure a permanent position after her work term.

“I would like to get placement at Suncor, or the City of Calgary, or even Alberta Central Credit Union in a better position than I have there now,” she says.

Meeting industry demands

Faisal Ali, Senior Business Development Manager in Corporate Training, says the BCA program is part of Corporate Training’s mandate to help meet market-labour demands by educating new Canadians for the workplace.

“A program like this ensures new Canadians with qualifications are given an opportunity to gain accreditation through specialized programs. This helps new Canadians, SAIT, and the industry,” says Ali.

Fanshawe College makes conditional offer to buy Market Tower in downtown London

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: London Free Press

For decades, Dundas and Richmond streets was the go-to crossroads of London.

In recent years, it’s become a place many try to avoid.

Now Dundas-Richmond is set for its biggest boost yet, this one a potential watershed for the core, with Fanshawe College offering to buy the Market Tower building as part of its ambitious downtown campus expansion.

The purchase, if and when it’s finalized, could mark a massive transformation for the core.

“This is a premier location,” Howard Rundle, Fanshawe’s soon-to-retire president, said Sunday outside Market Tower. “It’s right at the very heart of London.”

The fact it’s a perceived trouble spot isn’t lost on the 71-year-old, either: “We’ll make a big change.”

Yes, it’s quite likely they will — not that they haven’t already.

It was early 2010 when London city hall offered as much as $20 million to persuade Fanshawe to buy downtown buildings and create a significant campus in the core, far from the east-end compound where most of its 18,000 full-time students are educated.

The first part of that plan will open this fall, when the Centre for Digital and Performance Arts — housed in a renovated building just a few doors west of Dundas-Richmond — opens to an estimated 400 students.

With about $10 million left from city hall’s stake, Fanshawe has now put in a conditional offer on the Shmuel Farhi-owned Market Tower, whose tenants are now mostly city hall workers, including the Ontario Works operations.

Some observers have said London’s troubled downtown is a myth — that’s it’s actually relatively healthy but for the Dundas-Richmond woes. Hundreds more Fanshawe students would change its face dramatically.

But this move wouldn’t just be remarkable — perhaps even historic — for downtown London.

It’s also a watershed for Fanshawe, the little college that could.

After years of being ignored (even sometimes mocked) in London, where Western University was always the fair-haired child, Fanshawe has earned respect as a quality post-secondary institution.

By moving downtown, it’s further weaving itself into London’s identity in a way, it’s worth noting, that apparently doesn’t interest Western.

After 41 years at Fanshawe, Rundle, who retires at month’s end, says that’s among the biggest changes he’s seen.

“When I came to London, Fanshawe was largely unknown,” said Rundle. “And this was a Western town. This is now a Western-Fanshawe town. Fanshawe has moved out of its shadow.”

Many at Fanshawe were initially resistant to a multi-building downtown campus akin to what Ryerson University has created in Toronto. It was Rundle who sold them on the concept, and now the interest is significant, he says.

“There are a number of programs that would prefer to be here rather than at the edge of the city,” he said. “Now people are lining up that would like to bring their programming here.”

The first building is set to open in October (about a month late). Rundle expects media and cultural programs — culinary arts courses are one possibility — to also operate at Market Tower.

Eventually, a downtown student residence may be built.

It’s one thing to put feet on downtown streets in the form of residential developments or offices.

But, as has been pointed out by Coun. Judy Bryant, whose ward includes downtown, there’s a unique energy around post-secondary students. They can represent something remarkable in a community.

For Rundle, whose 17-year tenure as president ends Aug. 31, he’s especially proud of helping create that kind of dynamic in downtown London.

“I’ve been in a number of cities with post-secondary (schools) in the core. It makes it very vibrant,” Rundle said. “There are some things I get personally invested in a bit. The downtown initiative is one of them.”

FANSHAWE’S CORE CONCEPT

City has pledged $20 million to the plan; half spent on Fanshawe’s first downtown campus building on Dundas St. next to Market Lane (it opens this fall as the Centre for Digital and Performance Arts)
The other $10 million will go to buy and renovate Market Tower, on which Fanshawe has made a conditional offer
It’s expected the downtown campus expansion will cost about $45 million
City staff now at Market Tower are likely bound for the Farhi-owned Bell building; plan to move the Ontario Works offices to sites across London unaffected
Fanshawe expects eventually to have 1,000 students at the two core buildings
President Howard Rundle predicts economic boost of $80 million a year for London

How long-term unemployment is affecting the job search

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Globe And Mail

What is the only thing worse than unemployment? Long-term unemployment, apparently. If you lose your job, there are a bunch of hardships you are inevitably going to endure until you find a new one. If you do not find a new one in a hurry, you may face the additional hardship of not finding one for an increasingly long period of time. Employers, it seems, view people who have not held a job with an eye that increases in wariness in proportion to their joblessness.

The insights come from an upcoming paper by Swedish economists Stefan Eriksson and Dan-Olof Rooth, which is to be published in the American Economic Review and was quoted in a blog in this week’s Wall Street Journal. The economists used Swedish data on calls returned to job applicants, sorting job seekers by duration of unemployment. What they found was that being unemployed for a short period of time made no difference at all to job seekers’ prospects, but that being unemployed for longer did.

Actually, it made a difference for workers who were applying for jobs that did not require a college degree, who saw their returned calls decline by 20 per cent. Workers who were applying for jobs that did need more education did not see the same decline in response, although it is difficult to know why. The old rule of thumb is that for every $10,000 you earn, it takes a month to find a new job so perhaps those seeking more educated, higher-wage employees realize they are interviewing people in a more selective, slower job market. Perhaps, too, there is a realization that higher wage workers may have left their last positions with a hefty goodbye package and hence may not be in as much of a hurry as those with more modest skills.

At any rate, the study says little about who actually got hired, just who got in the door. As well, although the Swedish economists believe their research has implications for the U.S. as well as Sweden, it is not hard to believe that the latter is a kinder gentler place than the former, which has gone through a brutal recession. Even in (relatively) kinder and gentler Canada, it seems likely that those with a long period of unemployment on their resume are going to get a harder look than those who are fresh from previous employment, whatever their level of education.

The good news, if there is any good news in the context of unemployment, is that over this business cycle, long-term unemployment has been a considerably less severe problem in Canada than it is in the United States. According to Statistics Canada, as of June, 2013 (the last month for which Canadian data is available), the average duration of unemployment in Canada was 18.3 weeks. In contrast, the average duration of unemployment in the U.S. was 35.6 weeks. In the Canadian case, the figure has not changed too much from before the recession. In June, 2008, the average duration of unemployment in Canada was 13.9 weeks, suggesting a lengthening of about 50 per cent. In the U.S., the length of unemployment has effectively doubled. As of June, approximately 19.9 per cent of the unemployed in Canada were without work for 27 weeks or more, while in the U.S., the figure was 36.7 per cent.

The duration of unemployment is a key indicator to watch. There has been much ado about the improvement in the U.S. labour market, and it is certainly true that the unemployment rate has dipped sharply. As of July, the U.S. unemployment rate was 7.4 per cent, compared to 10 per cent at its peak in October, 2009. Still, over that same period, the duration of unemployment has increased by about 9 weeks, and is coming down very slowly (by about 4 weeks over the past two years). Until this indicator shows an improvement, it will be hard to say that the malaise in the U.S. labour market has lifted, and with it much of the concerns about the global economy that are keeping everybody’s interest rates, including Canada’s, on hold.

New partnership expands applied research opportunities for B.C. students

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: British Columbia Institute of Technology

VANCOUVER: In an effort to develop and build research capacity at both institutions, Vancouver Community College and BCIT have entered into an agreement centered on applied research and research services cooperation.

This Memorandum of Understanding between VCC and BCIT will ensure increased opportunities and resources for both students, and faculty, to enter into research collaborations and exchanges, and will provide a platform for innovation, specifically in the fields of science and technology.

“Over the last few years, VCC has been exploring ways to expand applied research opportunities, and sees this agreement with BCIT as an important step towards greater research collaboration. Linking VCC’s applied research projects with research groups at BCIT will create greater information exchange and enhanced links between theory and practice, resulting in a more robust educational experience for our students” says Karen Belfer, Dean, VCC Centre for Teaching, Innovation & Applied Research.

“BCIT is pleased to be collaborating with VCC as part of our ongoing efforts to establish greater applied research connections and opportunities among BC colleges,” says Kim Dotto, Dean, BCIT Applied Research. “Applied research has been a part of BCIT’s mandate for the past 25 years, and this, together with our provincial mandate, means that closer ties with colleges across BC is a natural progression in our evolution. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with VCC.”

In May 2013, VCC was granted eligibility by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to authorize applications and administer NSERC grants, scholarships and fellowships. This agreement with BCIT is one step towards embracing increased research initiatives to address emerging issues of critical importance to our region, including a focus on auto and transportation technologies, health sciences and nursing, culinary and food sciences, and hospitality and operations management.

VCC and BCIT are committed to working together to offer students a first-rate education combined with practical training and enriched learning experiences.

U of T library system ranked among top three in North America

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: University of Toronto

The University of Toronto has once again been ranked as one of the top three library systems in North America – after Harvard and Yale – according to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) rankings.

U of T was the only Canadian university in the top 10.

“We are very proud to again be ranked in the prestigious company of Harvard and Yale,” said Chief Librarian Larry P. Alford. “I believe this is a recognition of the work of our extraordinary staff who, with their deep knowledge and expertise, have expanded our electronic resources to more than 1.5 million items, acquired extraordinary historical materials with global research value and developed cutting-edge services to support students and faculty from wherever they are.

“The Libraries’ capacity to support new forms of research will also be dramatically enhanced this coming year through the expansion of our state-of-the-art data centre, which will soon be able to accommodate massive digitization programs and make available large amounts of text data to support national and international collaborative research projects.”

The U of T library system has placed among the ARL’s top five research libraries since 2002-2003 and is comprised of 44 individual libraries that hold more than 12 million volumes in 341 languages and over 28,000 linear metres of archival material. It is the largest publicly funded research collection in Canada and the third-largest academic library in North America.

“The University of Toronto has not only Canada’s, but one of the world’s, finest libraries. It is clear that countless individuals understand how important this is for the nation’s teaching and research, as the University of Toronto’s Boundless Campaign continues to attract significant support for the library. We thank those friends and benefactors, as well as the excellent leadership in our library system, for maintaining this precious resource,” said U of T Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Misak.

The ARL annually ranks its members based on total expenditures, materials expenditures, salary expenditures and number of staff.

UBC signs deal with India to continue to bring foreign investment to B.C. tech firms

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Vancouver Desi

A $10-million deal signed on Thursday between technology centres at the University of B.C. and India has set the foundation for breakthroughs in isotope research as well as bringing foreign investment to technology firms in the Lower Mainland.

The deal, signed between TRIUMF, Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics, and India’s Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre in Calcutta, will see the continuation of a 10-year partnership between the two centres to develop cutting-edge production techniques and the study of rare isotopes.

“The goal here is to produce the isotopes of the future,” said Dr. Tim Meyer, head of strategic planning and communications for TRIUMF. He added the deal may also lead to technology that will help alleviate the worldwide shortage of the technetium-99m isotope, the most common medical isotope used for diagnostic testing.

The deal, which is equally financed by the two parties and scheduled to last until December 2016, builds on a $6.2-million agreement between the two agencies signed five years ago that resulted in the development of state-of-the-art accelerators both at TRIUMF and VECC in India.

This next phase has a two-prong focus, said Dr. Lia Merminga, head of the accelerator program at TRIUMF.

“One is to develop the science of rare isotope beams, the other is to develop the accelerator technology,” she said.

Research on the first point will focus on creating and studying new isotopes through the development of two rare isotope production facilities at TRIUMF, one of which will eventually be shipped to India.

The second point will see researchers focus on refining accelerator technology so that the world no longer needs to rely on nuclear reactors to produce large amounts of medical isotopes.

Fifty to 80 per cent of the world’s medical isotopes are created at the aging Chalk River nuclear reactor in Ontario, which caused severe shortages when it was shut down for maintenance in 2007.

But the team will work to develop particle accelerators that are small enough and cheap enough to place in individual hospitals, enabling medical centres to essentially produce isotopes to order, said Dr. Alok Chakrabarti, associate director for Accelerators at VECC.

“I think 10 years from now there will not be this problem (of isotope shortages),” he said.

The deal will also include long-term exchanges between scientists from both laboratories, as well as strengthen trade relations between Canada and India, said Merminga.

An essential part for the high-tech infrastructure to be exported to India will be manufactured at Pavac Industries in Richmond, she said, which could lead to a lucrative contract.

“This is only number one of several more to come. We expect in the future the Indians will be ordering … again from Pavac,” she said.

“It is totally aligned with more trade with India. Indian money goes into Canadian manufacturers.”

Students’ use of laptops in class found to lower grades

August 19, 2013August 19, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Globe And Mail

Laptops have replaced pen and paper for many postsecondary students but a Canadian study suggests using computers during lectures could be hurting their grades and lowering their classmates’ marks.

For the study, published earlier this year in the journal Computers & Education, research subjects in two experiments were asked to attend a university-level lecture and then complete a multiple-choice quiz based on what they learned.

In the first experiment, which was designed to gauge how multitasking affects learning, all the participants used laptops to take notes during a lecture on meteorology. But half were also asked to complete a series of unrelated tasks on their computers when they felt they could spare some time. Those tasks – which included online searches for information – were meant to mimic what distracted students might do during class.

In the second experiment, some students were given pencils and paper to take notes during a lecture while others worked on laptops. Researchers wanted to observe if the students taking notes the old-fashioned way would be distracted by having computer screens around them.

Faria Sana, who co-authored the study with fellow doctoral student Tina Weston, said she expected lower test marks for students who were asked to multitask during the experiment, or were seated near other students using laptops. But the distraction effect was stronger than she hypothesized.

“We really tried to make it pretty close to what actually happens in the lectures, we found that lo and behold, the students who multitasked performed much worse on the final test and those who were seated around peers who were multitasking also performed much worse on the final test,” said Sana.

“So you might not be multitasking but if you have a clear view of someone else who is multitasking, your performance is still going to be impaired.”

The students in the first experiment who were asked to multitask averaged 11 per cent lower on their quiz. The students in the second experiment who were surrounded by laptops scored 17 per cent lower.

“We really didn’t think the effects would be this huge,” Sana said. “It can change your grade from a B+ to a B-.”

Sana also noted that the students who participated in the experiments said they didn’t really expect their marks to suffer much from computer use in the classroom.

“At the end we gave a survey to all the students and what we found was that these peers who were seated around multitaskers had no idea they were being distracted, they didn’t think the laptops were causing a distraction but based on the scores of their final test, they actually were,” she said.

Seeing dozens of laptops in a classroom is now common, Sana said, as is spying some students on social networks, playing games or watching movies instead of paying attention.

While Sana and Weston are not calling for a ban on laptop use in classes, they do hope students consider that goofing off on their computers can affect their peers seating around them.

“A lot of students spend quite a big chunk of time in class doing things that are not related to the academic environment or aren’t directly related to the course or the lecture,” Sana said.

“We’re hoping that based on these results, students will take responsibility for their actions.”

How to help kids stay cool about back-to-school worries

August 19, 2013August 19, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Globe And Mail

After 23 years in private practice, children’s anxiety tops the list of concerns that parents approach me with. I’ve heard stories that range from children’s fear of dogs and refusing to stay in their beds alone at night to much more extreme worry.

In August, as students creep closer to accepting the inevitability that school is just around the corner, anticipatory back-to-school fretting kicks in.

Here’s how to identify your child’s anxiety and some strategies you can use to help maintain a sense of calm.

Grade 1: Butterflies

Grade 1 is both exciting and anxiety-provoking. Your child is likely standing tall knowing that he has joined ranks of the older kids. However, he may also be apprehensive about taking on more responsibility and spending recess on a different playground. He may describe his anxiety as “butterflies in my tummy.” He may not have much of an appetite in the days leading up to the start of school, may take a longer time falling asleep at night or become clingy. Rest assured that these feelings and behaviours are normal and it’s a good idea to tell him so. Share that even teachers feel nervous before school begins again. Go for a walk around the exterior of the school and spend some time in the new playground. If he’s especially worried about meeting his new teacher on the first day, call the school during the last week of summer holidays, when teachers are already back in their classrooms, to arrange a brief meeting between them.

Middle school: Jitters

Even though your child has by now developed a comfortable knowledge of the inner workings at her school, she may still experience anxiety as September approaches. She may have heard negative comments about her new teacher or may be uneasy because she won’t know who it will be until the first day of school. Remind her that just because her friend didn’t connect with that teacher, doesn’t mean that she won’t. Maybe share a time when you were biased toward someone before you met and then were pleasantly surprised when you got along really well. Remain positive and encouraging by sharing your confidence that they will work well together and that at the worst, you are always available to help brainstorm solutions to any bumps in the road.

Other than teacher worries, your child may be concerned about her reunion with former classmates, especially if they haven’t spent much time together during summer vacation. Anxiety is often expressed in the form of “what if…..?” questions such as “what if Angela and Samantha won’t let me play with them?” Reassure her that it’s normal to worry about this after being apart from her friends for so long. Suggest a play date so that they can reconnect and if she’s experiencing physical symptoms, let her know that an upset stomach and queasiness will ease once she settles back into the old familiar routine.

High school: Angst

Grade 9 is commonly the most anxiety provoking step up the academic ladder. Major Eighters become Minor Niners and drop to the bottom rung in a much larger pond. Many are stressed about adjusting to a new timetable, teachers, new students and navigating their way around the school without getting lost. Some may worry about increased peer pressure especially in regards to drugs and alcohol. Teens communicate less about their feelings. They may manifest their anxiety by retreating – spending more time on their computers (if that’s possible) or in bed sleeping. They might also become more irritable. If their behaviour appears more surly than usual, rather than taking the bait, approach gently with understanding and compassion. As always, timing is everything with teens so approach with caution in order to elicit the best response. Instead of asking him to turn off the television so that you can chat, which will likely get you nowhere, initiate a conversation while you’re walking the dog or when you’re in the car together. Rather than asking questions that require only a yes or no response such as “Are you feeling nervous?” say something like “I’ve noticed that you’re quieter than usual. I remember how unsettled I felt at the beginning of a new school year. What’s going on for you?”

Recently, my daughter, who too is worried about her transition to Grade 9 next month, shared with me how less frightening the roller coaster rides at Canada’s Wonderland are when you’re actually on them than when you’re watching from the sidelines. “I have no doubt that you’ll feel the same about high school,” I said. She reflected for a moment and responded with “I hate it when you’re right!”

Sara Dimerman is a psychologist, author and mom to two daughters. For more advice, connect at www.helpmesara or on Twitter @helpmesara.

Canada Proposes Changes to Visa Rules to Deal with Bogus Foreign Students

August 19, 2013August 19, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Migration Expert Canada

The Canadian government has proposed changes to study permit and visa rules for overseas students to cut down on the number of bogus students entering Canada. The Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) intends to only grant student visa and work permit to those who have enrolled in government-accredited schools.

On August 14, 2012, CIC officials said that Canada may opt to introduce some stringent regulations for international students to curb the number of bogus students entering the country and disappearing thereafter. As Canadian immigration spokesperson Nancy Caron stated, the department has been considering these proposals to ensure that immigrant students are not abusing the study permits and visas.

“The proposed regulatory changes would ensure that study permit holders are genuine students by requiring students to enroll in and actively pursue a course or program of study after arrival in Canada. Institutions that are not designated by provinces and territories would no longer be able to host international students,” said Caron.

Under the proposed changes, the CIC would not grant Canadian student visas and study permits for overseas students who enroll in programs or courses with a period of less than 6 months to complete. The Canadian immigration department is considering providing them temporary visit visas instead, which allow them to come to Canada and apply for a study permit from within the country later.

“Disingenuous study permit holders use their study permit as a primary means to gain full access to the Canadian labour market,” Caron stated, “Strengthening aspects of the program that could be abused by fraudulent schools or non-genuine study permit applicants is vitally important to protect Canada’s reputation abroad.”

The proposed changes came after a national task force released a report urging the government to double the number of international students studying in Canada by 2020 to encourage innovation and exchange. The proposal is still in the consultation phase.

University of Alberta eliminates 20 arts programs

August 19, 2013August 19, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Globe and Mail

The University of Alberta has taken the first steps toward closing 20 arts programs, suspending enrolment in a range of academic majors such as languages and music in an effort to cope with substantial budget shortfalls.

The programs were singled out among the faculty of arts for low demand, having had 10 or fewer students enrolled each fall from 2005 to 2012. The decision was circulated in an internal memo to department chairs on Friday, less than two weeks after the U of A offered a voluntary buyout package aimed at trimming its faculty ranks.

The suspended programs are among several money-saving measures hitting home at Alberta’s universities and colleges this fall, after the province cut university funding by 7 per cent in its March budget. Sparsely populated arts and language courses were among the first programs deemed expendable as the U of A tries to refocus funds on flagship disciplines, as has often been the case in other provinces facing funding woes. Similar reviews will likely be repeated in the U of A’s other faculties.

“We’ve all just been sharpened by the budget cuts that were delivered in March, and we’re trying to make sure that our house is in order,” said Heather Zwicker, the U of A’s vice-dean of arts.

All fifty students already enrolled across the 20 majors will be able to finish their programs, and many courses within the programs will still be offered, though some are expected to be axed. And the U of A is not the first Alberta school to contemplate closing programs – in April, Mount Royal University in Calgary announced it would suspend eight programs, including a theatre-arts diploma and a journalism certificate. The day after the provincial budget was revealed, U of A president Indira Samarasekera told The Globe and Mail she planned to use the cuts as a way of “reinvesting our resources in what we do best,” and if that meant closing some programs, “we will undertake to do that.” In a separate June interview, she also cautioned that the cuts would “hurt students in the long term.”

But Laura Beard, chair of the department of modern languages and cultural studies, which houses several of the suspended majors, expects the impact of halting some arts enrolments will be minimal for most students. “We still have 44 majors just within the [bachelor of arts degree], and arts actually offers 12 different degrees,” she said.

Some students are still feeling uneasy. Daniela Munoz, 23, is majoring in Latin American studies, one of the soon-to-be-suspended programs, and worries she may wind up with fewer courses to choose from and be forced to look to other departments for credits.

“I am paying tuition, and I feel like my program being cut is like telling me, well, we don’t value you as a student here,” Ms. Munoz said. “It’s sad, and it’s unfair.”

Alberta’s Advanced Education Minister, Thomas Lukaszuk, supported U of A’s decision. “Some argue that if you eliminate programs and you don’t offer everything to everybody, that somehow speaks to quality, and I disagree with that premise,” he said. “We don’t judge our universities simply by the number of courses they offer.”

Schulich School of Business to launch Hyderabad MBA program

August 16, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Canada’s Schulich School of Business, which will soon launch a new MBA program in Hyderabad in collaboration with the GMR Group, has recently been ranked by Britain’s prestigious Economist magazine as having the world’s #1 EMBA program.

The Economist, which has produced an annual ranking of the globe’s top MBA programs for more than a decade, has ranked the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program #1 in the world in its first ever survey of Executive MBA programs.

Based in Toronto, Canada, the Kellogg-Schulich EMBA program finished ahead of EMBA programs offered by a number of the world’s top business schools, including UCLA, Oxford, Chicago and IMD. Schulich offers the EMBA program in partnership with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, USA.

Schulich will open its doors in September to 40 MBA students in Hyderabad, India as part of a new twinning arrangement between the School and GMR School of Business, an educational initiative of GMR Varalakshmi Foundation of the GMR Group, India’s leading infrastructure major. Students will spend Year 1 at the Hyderabad campus and Year 2 at Schulich’s Toronto campus, and Schulich faculty will teach all of the courses in Hyderabad, as well as in Toronto. Schulich also plans to offer an Executive MBA program at the Hyderabad campus beginning as early as 2015.

According to The Economist, the Kellogg-Schulich EMBA was best in the world in a number of categories, including: program quality, facilities, program content and electives, networking and the extent to which the program has helped fulfill pre-EMBA goals.

The Economist is the only major business publication that rates business schools on criteria deemed most important to students and alumni – everything from diversity of career opportunities to earning potential and networking opportunities. The Economist EMBA survey measured two broad categories: the personal development and educational experience of students and alumni and career development. Within these categories, the Economist scored programs using 27 different criteria, including the quality and diversity of students, the quality of the faculty, the percentage of students who receive a promotion after they graduate and the average salary increase graduates can expect. The final scores are based on a mixture of student-reported salaries, student ratings and data provided by the schools.

“We’re proud to have been rated as the world’s best EMBA program,” said Dezsö J. Horváth, Dean of the Schulich School of Business. “We’ve worked very hard since the launch of the program in 2001 to make it a world-class degree that offers truly global career opportunities for executives aspiring to senior leadership roles.” Added Horváth: “We intend to offer that same level of excellence in the Schulich MBA in India program that will commence this September at the newly constructed GMR School of Business.”

Schulich’s ties to India go back more than 20 years. The School has had exchange partner agreements with a number of India’s leading management schools, including the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad. In 2005, Schulich opened an international satellite centre in Mumbai that: recruits talented students; provides career placement services to Schulich students and alumni seeking career opportunities in India; offers Executive and Leadership Development programming for Indian executives; supports Schulich’s alumni chapter in India; and manages local media relations.

Schulich previously offered the Schulich MBA in India program in partnership with the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in Mumbai. The Schulich MBA in India, which launched in January 2010, was the first MBA program to be delivered in India by a leading international business school. Three cohorts have so far graduated through the program.

About Schulich

Known as Canada’s Global Business School™, the Schulich School of Business in Toronto is ranked among the world’s leading business schools by a number of global surveys, including The Economist, Forbes, Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Expansión (a Time Warner publication based in Mexico City) and The Aspen Institute (a Washington, DC-based leadership think tank). Schulich’s MBA program is ranked #1 in Canada by The Economist, Forbes, The Aspen Institute and Expansión. The Aspen Institute survey measures which schools are doing the best job of preparing future business leaders for the environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day business. Schulich is ranked #2 in the world in the Aspen Institute’s most recent global survey, and #1 in the world in its previous survey. The Kellogg-Schulich EMBA program is ranked #1 in the world by The Economist, #5 in the world by The Wall Street Journal (as part of the Kellogg global network of EMBA partner schools) and #1 in Canada and 27th in the world by the Financial Times of London.

Global, innovative and diverse, Schulich offers business programs year-round at its state-of-the-art complex at York University; at its Miles S. Nadal Management Centre located in the heart of the Toronto’s financial district; and at a new campus in Hyderabad, India. Schulich also operates a number of satellite centres in Beijing and Shanghai, China; Mumbai, India; Seoul, South Korea; Mexico City, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Schulich offers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate business degrees that lead to rewarding careers in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, and has more than 24,000 alumni working in over 90 countries. The School pioneered Canada’s first International MBA (IMBA) and International BBA (iBBA) degrees, as well as North America’s first ever cross-border executive MBA degree, the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA. In addition to Schulich’s Master of Finance and Master of Accounting degrees, the School recently launched one of the world’s first Master of Science in Business Analytics degrees. Schulich’s Executive Education Centre provides executive development programs annually to more than 12,000 executives in Canada and abroad.

TOP CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES TO TOUR INDIA

August 16, 2013August 16, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

by Sparsh Sharma

MUMBAI: Nine elite Canadian universities are coming to India from August 19th to August 31st, 2013 to meet with top Indian students and discuss Canada as a premier destination for higher education. The delegation is led by Robert Finlayson of Carleton University in Ottawa and Michelle Beaton of Ryerson University in Toronto. The tour, organized by the Canadian Higher Education Committee (CHEC), under the aegis of the Council of International Schools (CIS), is in its ninth year and will include stops in Mumbai, New Delhi, Dehradun, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

List of participating universities in 2013:

University of British Columbia, Carleton University, Concordia University, Guelph University, McGill University, Queens University, Ryerson University, University of Toronto, York University.

Why Canada?

Council of International Schools Backgrounder:

Synergy 2013: seats filling fast

August 16, 2013May 13, 2015Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Registration is now open for our highly successful “Canada-India: A Synergy in Education” event, held since 2007. The Canada India Education Council (CIEC) is proud to host Synergy 2013 on Oct 3 & 4 at the Hilton Garden Inn near the Toronto Airport.

This year’s event will highlight education activities as well as provide networking opportunities for institutions and organizations interested in operating in either or both countries. With a focus on key academic areas of co-operation and on partnerships, Synergy 2013 will provide updates from India regarding the entry for foreign education providers (Bill 57) leading to many possible outcomes for Canadian education providers. Synergy 2013 will serve as a great way to hear about both governments’ programs and policies in education, which have been recognized as a signature priority. An interesting session will be conducted by the National Association of Career Colleges (NACC) who will discuss impending legislation and how it could transform ‘Internationalization’ efforts for private institutions. Synergy 2013 will also feature a round table discussion on the intersection of immigration & education in the Canada-India corridor and feature closing remarks by Hon. Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport) and a reception by the co-chairs of the Canada-India Parliamentary Association.
Highlights of this year’s sessions:

Update on Canada India Higher Education cooperation & promotion of Canada as a study destination by Foreign Affairs & Int’l Trade (DFAIT)
Update on the Ontario-Maharashtra-Goa (OMG) program & cross directional push for higher levels of collaboration in Research & Higher Education by Dr. Lalu Mansinha
Updates from Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute and the recently founded IC-IMPACT (announced by PM Stephen Harper in Nov 2012) will also be present and discuss opportunities for collaboration.

Join over a hundred academic experts from both countries as they discuss recent developments and hear illustrious speakers stimulate thought and demonstrate the opportunities of this dynamic and burgeoning education corridor.

For a detailed Agenda, click here. To Register, click here.

The seating capacity at Synergy 2013 is only 120 and registration is once again on a first come basis. CIEC has negotiated a special rate for delegates staying at the hotel, which will also provide complimentary airport transfers.
To take advantage of the discounted hotel rate, you must reserve your room by August 31^st by clicking here.
For delegates arriving from India, CIEC is pleased to provide a 1 night FREE stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s landmark event and in the meanwhile, have yourself a great summer!

Business Model for Education Venture Calls for ‘Empowering Adjuncts’

August 12, 2013August 11, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

So much of the innovation in higher education today seems based on structures that treat faculty members as an afterthought, and a low-paid one at that. A fledgling online-education venture called Oplerno, however, aims to do just the opposite.

It’s based on a business model ensuring that 80 to 90 percent of what students pay will go directly to the people teaching the courses.

There are “phenomenal professors making poverty wages” right now, says Oplerno’s founder and chief executive officer, Robert A. Skiff Jr. “That’s a misallocation of capital.”

With Oplerno “we’re trying to recreate the relationship of a small group of people learning from a teacher,” says Mr. Skiff. “But instead of the institution capturing the money, we want the teacher to.”

Oplerno is seeking to attract experienced professionals as well as traditional academics as faculty members. But unlike some other for-profit models, in which faculty members are recruited to teach a standardized curriculum, those who teach for Oplerno will be expected to develop their own courses—and will own the intellectual-property rights to them.

Courses will run for 12 weeks but can start at any point during the year. In a way, it’s the anti-MOOC, with the focus on small classes of 25 to 30, rather than one instructor teaching thousands, and an expectation of more student-faculty engagement. “People have to learn from people,” says Mr. Skiff. “There has to be a relationship between the student and the teacher.”

Oplerno LLC (the name is short for “open learning organization”) isn’t one of those Silicon Valley education darlings. At this point, with just Mr. Skiff and two other employees on the payroll and about $50,000 in start-up funds, it’s barely a molehill on the landscape of higher-education reinvention.

But the company, which Mr. Skiff describes as a “a self-organizing, nonlinear, complex adaptive system,” does present an interesting approach.

In addition to “empowering adjuncts,” Mr. Skiff says he sees Oplerno as creating greater transparency for students. Once faculty members have proposed their courses, they will also provide detailed information about their syllabi, their expectations of students, and their own expertise for teaching it. (Students will be graded on a portfolio of their work.) The Oplerno “marketplace,” where courses will be listed, will also have space for prior students—and outsiders—to comment on courses.

“Students are going to be able to vet the faculty before they take the courses,” says Mr. Skiff.

The transparency extends beyond the students and the faculty. Eventually, says Mr. Skiff, he hopes to partly evaluate courses based on feedback from employers who have hired Oplerno students or alumni.

Professors will set their own prices, but Mr. Skiff says his goal is for most courses to be priced from $500 to $1,500 each. Oplerno will take 10 percent or $100 per class, whichever is greater, so a professor teaching a $1,000 class with 10 students would earn $9,000.

A student “might spend extra money to work with an Oscar-nominated screenwriter”—one of the 17 faculty members who’ve already signed up to teach via Oplerno has those credentials, he says—but maybe pay less for another course. “People can pick or choose based on their needs,” he says.

Mr. Skiff says he would be “really bummed out” and consider Oplerno unsuccessful from a societal standpoint if students had to go deeply into debt to attend.

John H. Todd, an emeritus professor of natural resources at the University of Vermont, and his wife, Nancy Todd, are among those faculty members looking at Oplerno. Ms. Todd has already proposed a course on ecological literacy. Mr. Todd will propose one on his field of expertise, ecological design.

They both know Mr. Skiff from his days as a co-founder of the Vermont Commons School, in the late 1990s (he founded that with his wife, Leah Mital-Skiff, and his father, Robert A. Skiff Sr., a former president of Champlain College), and the Todds are enthusiastic about his new venture. “I know a lot of people who would like to teach, but there isn’t this vehicle” to allow it, says Mr. Todd, who also taught Mr. Skiff at Vermont.

He also appreciates Mr. Skiff’s challenge. “It rather depends on if he can attract people who are highly recognized in their field” to teach, he says.

That’s where some of the self-organizing comes in. Mr. Skiff says that, as faculty members sign on, he hopes they will start to “develop their own networks” to attract others, so that Oplerno can eventually offer certificates, programs, and at some point full degrees. He plans to apply for accreditation this fall from the State of Vermont to award credit for its courses.

Ayaz Ul Haque, managing director at Exalt Capital Partners and an informal adviser to Oplerno as it begins to position itself to raise additional funds, says the ideas behind the company are appealing in the current climate. With the value of higher education “under the microscope,” he says, Oplerno offers a sense of clarity about the “black box” of college costs.

“It’s a model that needs to be proven,” Mr. Haque allows, “but I think most of the risks are on the execution side.” (He met Mr. Skiff through mutual friends from Middlebury College, which they both attended; Mr. Skiff graduated in 1990.)

Mr. Skiff, who is now completing his Ed.D. degree at the University of Vermont (his dissertation is unrelated to this venture), says he appreciates the challenges he faces, not least of which is establishing Oplerno as a legitimate academic enterprise. For that, he says, he’ll eventually hire deans and others: “It does take expertise. But it’s not rocket science.”

Phishing ploy targets McGill accounts

August 12, 2013August 11, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

MONTREAL: Anyone getting an email from McGill University that sounds a little “phishy” ought to beware.

The university was forced to call in Montreal police after being targeted by identity fraudsters in a recent phishing attack designed to acquire confidential information from staff and students.

Although 36 McGill Minerva accounts were hacked and 14 had deposit information changed to another account, McGill believes that it contacted the banks in time and was successful in recalling all payments, a spokesperson said on Monday.

“No one has suffered any financial loss, we believe,” said the spokesperson.

This is a worldwide problem and universities across the globe, as well as across the country, have been targeted in phishing attacks.

Phishing attacks or scams trick users into revealing confidential information with the aim of gaining illicit access to systems. Most phishing attacks are conducted by emails which mimic legitimate establishments and urge potential victims to enter account numbers and/or passwords. Attempts to log in reveal financial information and account details to the phisher, who then has control of the account.

Concordia University sent out an email in May alerting its community to the fact there were “several email phishing scams” going on.

“We have been the victim of phishing attacks and we’re not alone,” said Chris Mota, director of media relations at Concordia. “As much as we try and remind and warn people, there are always the few exceptions who click on a link coming from Concorida.ca (notice the misspelling) or the Help Centre, or other seemingly reliable sources.”

However, a spokesperson at the Université de Montréal said on Monday that phishing hasn’t been a particular problem there recently. Jenny Desrochers, director of media relations at the Université du Québec à Montréal, said UQAM hadn’t been targeted in as big a way as McGill either, although phishing is always a concern.

“We are always very attentive and vigilant about this phenomenon that targets many large institutions,” Desrochers said.

She said measures have been taken to prevent phishing, primarily through informing students and staff about the existence and the risks of this type of identity fraud.

Phishing attempts can be very convincing despite universities’ and banks’ constant reminders that they would never send an email asking for confidential information, nor ask people to log on to a website to do so.

In a message to all members of the McGill community, Michael Di Grappa, vice principal of administration and finance, said the phishing attack started July 11 and directed users to a website that looked very much like the school’s Minerva page, while asking them to supply their McGill username and password and/or their McGill ID and PIN.

“Upon discovery, the Information Security Office disabled access to all 36 affected user accounts and Human Resources are in the process of notifying all individuals affected,” Di Grappa said.

Students and staff are reminded to be on the lookout for a phishing email — one that targets McGill users and appears to be coming from McGill — that asks for any personal information. McGill is providing tips on phishing at: http://kb.mcgill.ca/it/phishing. Anyone who believes they have been a victim of phishing can contact: [email protected].

U of A offers voluntary buyout packages to professors to meet funding shortfall

August 12, 2013August 11, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON: On short notice, the University of Alberta is quickly taking steps to reduce the number of professors through voluntary buyouts, with some professors expected to leave as early as December.

The university, which submitted its proposed budget to the province last week, received “informal messages” that it needs to move more quickly to balance the books, acting provost Martin Ferguson-Pell said in an interview.

That meant crunching a three-year plan to balance the budget into two years and cutting $56 million in the next two years, said Ferguson-Pell.

While he could not say how many of the 4,500 academic staff he expects will leave, Ferguson-Pell said about 75 per cent of the $56 million to be cut is devoted to salaries. “That gives an idea of what we are removing in terms of compensation.”

“This is not something we do lightly, we have a lot invested in our academic staff. But there is not much choice,” he added.

“We don’t have any sense of how many people will be interested, so we put it out for discussion.”

Most would leave in June 2014, but some could leave as early as this December, he added. It will require reviewing course offerings and classes for the fall of 2014.

Under the offer, professors have a month to consider the offer and will know by the end of September if they are accepted for the buyout, a maximum of one year’s salary. Each case will be decided by the deans in consultation with administration, he added.

“Students will have concerns about class sizes and program availability but we can’t say anything about that until the numbers come forward,” said Ferguson-Pell.

The U of A is also about to review the high school averages needed to gain acceptance in too high demand faculties.

It’s possible those averages will be increased, especially in engineering and science, to keep within enrolment targets, said Ferguson-Pell.

Kevin Kane, president of the academic staff association, said the association is “receptive” to the idea of voluntary buyouts as another tool to deal with the 7.2 per cent reduction in provincial funding announced this fall to all universities and colleges.

But there’s a lot of concern that high profile, mid-career people and promising younger professors will take the package which is offered to everyone, not just to those near retirement, he added.

“We could lose some very important people,” said Kane, who also worries that research teams could be broken up.

The more academic staff who take the buyout, “it may ease the budget crisis, but you could see our programs negatively affected,” he warned.

The staff association is also disappointed the university administration acted “unilaterally” in announcing the buyouts. Under the collective agreement, this step should have been put to a vote among the academic staff, he added.

“We’re sympathetic, but we think they should follow proper process.”

The U of A’s hand was forced by the province which has “unrealistic expectations” about how fast the university can move to cope with such major budget cuts, Kane added.

Political science professor Ian Urquhart said the university has switched direction again in its desperate effort to trim budgets. Previously it was looking for program cuts to save money and now it is cutting academic staff.

“It’s hard to have confidence when university leadership lurches from one half-baked approach to another,” said Urquhart, adding that people are frustrated.

Also, the administration should provide taxpayers and faculty with many more budget details so it is clear to the public and professors which faculties are being cut more, he said. So far, both are kept in the dark, he said.

Urquhart put in a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get those details of faculty cuts. In response, he recently received 87 pages with all the specific budget numbers brushed out.

“We need more transparency,” he said. “I expect the government to keep us in the dark but I expect more form the U of A leadership. The university is no better than the province in providing information,” he said.

Thomas Lukaszuk, minister of Advanced Education, said Tuesday he received the U of A’s proposed budget last week but has not yet read it. He expects to respond in a couple of weeks.

Lukaszuk also said he did not ask the U of A to accelerate its cuts from the proposed three-year plan they announced earlier this spring.

But he noted that the $60 million deficit the university planned to carry over was larger than the $47 million the university lost when the operating grants were cut.

The U of A has already cut $28 million from its 2013-14 budget.

In addition to the $47 million cut in provincial funding, the U of A had a structural deficit of $12 million, partly due to falling investment revenues.

Last week, the staff association declined to reopen the two-year collective agreement to consider salary rollbacks. The agreement provides for a 1.65 per cent increase this year and next.

MacEwan University has no plans to offer buyouts to its academic staff, spokesman David Beharry confirmed.

Ambitious plan aims to boost Western University’s profile at home and abroad

August 12, 2013August 19, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: London Free Press

Four years after a pledge from the top to make Western University one of the world’s best, faculty, staff, and students have a plan to make that happen.

The focus on going global, though, won’t stop the school from strengthening its connections to London, says the university’s vice-provost.

“We want to raise our profile, we want to continue to offer the best education in Canada and be the destination for the best students and best faculty and best staff,” says Alan Weedon, the school’s vice-provost of faculty, planning and staff.

“If you don’t do these things then you start to lose ground.”

But, Weedon adds, “we recognize we need to focus on our relationship with London, with Southwestern Ontario, and the rest of Ontario and Canada.”

Going Global: Achieving Excellence on the World Stage, is the title of the university’s new draft strategic plan now under review by faculty, staff and students until the end of September.

The ambitious plan outlines several main goals for Western:

— Become a world-class research centre, with a higher international profile

— Better engage the community, including alumni and London

— Build on reputation for excellence in education

— Find new funding sources to help pay for improvements, expansion

The plan appears to be a roadmap for Western president Amit Chakma’s early dreams for the school.

In his first interview after being named president in 2008, Chakma vowed to make Western one of the world’s top 100 post-secondary institutions.

He called on faculty and students to work with other disciplines to tackle complex challenges and added “the key for interation recognition is to have impact.”

Those goals are present throughout the new plan.

“What the strategic plan does, is help everyone on this campus in their day-to day work focus on the things that will get us to where we would like to be,” Weedon said.

“Western is an extraordinary university, but we tend to hide our light under a bushel and we need to get the word out nationally and internationally that we’re here. I don’t think we’re being recognized for what we are.”

The same could be said for the university’s relationship with London, Weedon says. Western has many connections with the city that simply aren’t known or celebrated enough, he says.

Western’s link to the city seemed to be growing stronger in 2011, when plans to build a downtown campus were announced.

But politicians balked at the price tag — at least $70.8 million.

“The fact that one didn’t progress, wasn’t because we weren’t interested. It turned out to be not politically viable in the city,” Weedon says.

Asked if Western has given up on expanding its downtown presence, he says: “Certainly not.”

“We are partnering with the city in a number of areas. We continue to be open to that.”

Expanding Western research, attracting more students, faculty, creating programs and raising the profile, won’t come cheap. And the strategic plan outlines ways the university can raise money.

“We need to look at all our funding sources and, if possible, multiply our funding sources because we can’t rely on government and tuition,” Weedon says.

GOING GLOBAL

What: draft strategic plan for Western University

When: Comments by faculty, staff, students due Sept. 20.

Next: Plan goes to school’s senate and board of governors in November

GOALS

1. Create world-class research and scholarship by:

— Expanding interdisciplinary research

— Creating 50 new research chairs

— Increasing quality/quantity of research funding applications

— Focusing on research with impact

— Telling the world what Western does

— Hiring the best people

2. Educate students to succeed and lead by:

— Expanding graduate enrolment, in part with new graduate programs

— Establishing new professional master’s degree programs

— Minimizing financial, structural barriers to interdisciplinary study

— Engaging more undergraduates in research

— Offering more ways, such as online courses, to learn

— Increasing internships

3. Better engage alumni, international community, London region

4. Find new funding sources

ABOUT WESTERN

— One of Ontario’s largest universities

— 28,000+ students, including undergraduate and graduate

— 220,000+ alumni and former students

Are College Students Buying Required Textbooks? 75% in US Say No

August 12, 2013August 11, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Publishing Perspectives

This summer, E-textbook publisher Bookboon.com conducted a survey of college students in the United States, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. In total, nearly 10,000 students completed a questionnaire found in the Bookboon student newsletter and on Facebook, consisting of eleven questions regarding the use of textbooks. And the results can’t be good news for traditional textbook publishers.

In the United States, over 75% of students decide not to buy the textbooks their classes require, in large part because students find textbooks too expensive and are discouraged by the simple fact that quite often, only a few chapters from the books are needed for study.

On average, US students spend $655 per year on required textbooks. But according to the survey, more than nine out of ten students find textbooks too expensive, resulting in the 76.6% of US students who make the decision not to purchase the required books. (In the UK, the numbers are even more startling, with 83.3% of students not always buying required textbooks.)

So instead, according to the survey, students are constantly on the lookout for cheaper options, including copying the needed chapters, finding online alternatives, or, in the case of 60% of those surveyed, buying their textbooks second hand. Indeed, only 25% of students buy their textbooks new, despite the recommendation of their professors to purchase the latest editions. (The remaining 16% of students find other alternatives, including borrowing or renting the required textbooks.)

Given this, it may not be surprising to learn that 58% of college students in the US prefer digital textbooks: students find them easier to carry, to read from, and believe they are cheaper. But on the other hand, the survey results were very different in Europe. Bookboon’s COO Thomas Buus Madsen wrote, “American students are at least a couple of years ahead of their European counterparts. In countries such as German, the UK, and the Netherlands, only 30-40% of the students prefer digital textbooks. Most European students stick to paper. This is partly because eReaders and e-textbooks are less available. Additionally, publishers, professors and universities in Europe are less active in promoting and adopting the use of e-textbooks compared to the USA.”

Of course to put the $655 yearly price tag for textbooks into perspective, consider this: a 2011 study done by the Student Health Service of the University of Pennsylvania showed that students in the US also spend roughly $900 a year on alcohol. Perhaps, in part, to drown out their sorrow at spending $655 on textbooks.

Read the entire survey here.

Canadians help to improve the lives of abandoned children in India

August 12, 2013August 11, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Connect – Canada in India

Since 2008, the East Meets West Orphans Foundation (EMW) of Canada has been helping to provide medical treatment and education for orphans and abandoned and destitute children in Kolkata through an agency agreement with the Indian Society for Sponsorship and Adoption (ISSA). Spearheaded by its president, Order of British Columbia-recipient, Mohini Singh, and ten other board members, EMW is supported by Canadians from all walks of life.

A registered charity through the Government of Canada, EMW has provided over 90 children with education, essential medical care and surgical procedures; many of whom have been adopted by families in India, Canada and other countries. In 2012, EMW sponsored the “Bara Anduliya Crèche” daycare centre for underprivileged children from three to six years of age, which helped provide more than 30 young children with food, early education and medical care.

Examples of EMW’s support are ISSA’s homes Nava Jeevan (for children upto two years of age) and Nava Diganta (for children between the ages of two and 14) which provide specialized medical care and cater to development and education needs of children abandoned at an early age. Such support has recently helped provide surgery and medical care for two infants Subarna (born with a cleft palate and dislocation of both hips) and Ram (suffering from high respiratory distress, malnourishment and developed sepsis).

Through efforts such as a fundraiser organized together with the Deepak Binning Foundation, contributions by the Calgary Foundation and support from individuals such as Kelowna philanthropist Thomas Budd, EMW raised over $30,000 in 2012 and increased awareness among hundreds of Canadians to the plight of millions of impoverished children across the globe.

At the Deepak Binning Dinner fundraiser to be held on 26 October 2013, together with the Deepak Binning Foundation, EMW will also raise money for cancer research and support institutions such as the Cancer Centre and the University of British Columbia in the Okanagan. With an India theme, featuring Indian music, food and attire, the event is held each year to honour the memory of Deepak, a young Indo-Canadian victim of cancer. The organization says, “It is important to help people in our new home, Canada and our native country, India.”

Meet Mohini Singh: With a long and distinguished career as a radio and television journalist, Mohini Singh is a staunch advocate of women and children’s rights both in Canada and around the globe. She has supported issues as diverse as helping victims of spousal abuse, literacy, and the plight of orphans in India. She continues to struggle to overcome challenges such as multiple sclerosis, but that hasn’t hindered her efforts. Ms. Singh was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2008, the highest civilian award by the Province of British Columbia. She went on to be awarded the Sarah Donalda-Treadgold Memorial Award Woman of the Year for Kelowna in 2009 and the Queen Elizabeth II diamond jubilee medal in 2012. She also became the first Indo-Canadian woman to be elected to the Kelowna City Council in 2011. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s quote “You must be the change you want to see in the world,” Ms. Singh’s efforts and initiatives led to the creation of the East Meets West Orphans Foundation in 2008.

Sharing her thoughts in a conversation with us, Ms. Singh said, “Everyone has the power to make a difference, no matter how big or small it is. When you take the first step others will follow and that will lead to change. My hope is to help people get back on their feet and lead fulfilling lives whether it is in Canada or in India. Together we can make a difference. I know what we are doing through EMW may be very small when you compare it to other organizations, but my hope is that in the long run we will make a huge difference. ISSA is an amazing organization and we are honoured to partner with them. For the future we are looking at another education project in Punjab for orphaned girls.”

About the East Meets West Orphans Foundation: With a mission statement of, “improving the lives of abandoned children by providing healthcare, education and necessary medical treatment for children living in orphanages in developing nations,” the foundation is administered by its board of directors – Vern Nielsen, Caryl McCabe, Kam Boparai,Scott Matthies,Mohini Singh, Andy Virk, Medha Prabhu,Laurence East, Harjeet Sangha, Gwen Zilm and Sharon Shepherd.

About the Indian Society for Sponsorship and Adoption (ISSA): Headed by its Founder Secretary Mrs. Saroj Sood, ISSA is a non-profit child welfare organisation established on 16th December 1975 with a committment “to help abandoned and destitute children in whichever manner conducive to their welfare; either through permanent rehabilitation or sponsorship in the form of education, medical treatment etc.”

Business school scholarships offered for LGBTQ community service

August 12, 2013August 11, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Globe and Mail

Building on an established relationship with those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) – and others who are their advocates – HSBC Bank Canada has established new scholarships at four Canadian business schools worth $80,000 and potential employment over the next four years. The announcement comes on the eve of the Vancouver Pride Parade on Monday.

“Our business model is all about different perspectives and diversity,” says Mike Webb, senior vice-president and head of human resources for the Vancouver-based bank, and also executive sponsor of its internal Pride Network.

For businesses, it is also about the bottom line. “If you look at the incredible economic impact that the LGBT community has in Canada and elsewhere, it is amazing the economic opportunity that is there,” Mr. Webb says. “If you neglect it, ignore it, you are losing out on a phenomenal opportunity.”

The scholarships will be offered to four students a year over four years at each of the following schools: Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto; Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto; Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business in Vancouver, and Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

The award recognizes academically strong students (gay or straight) who demonstrate leadership and community service through participation in LGBTQ organizations or initiatives on campus. Each winner receives $5,000, consideration for summer internships and, after graduation, potential acceptance into management trainee programs at HSBC.

Rotman’s winner for 2013 is Vincent Ho, 20, an undergraduate accounting student who holds a cumulative grade point average of 3.99 out of 4 entering third year in September.

He is the incoming president of the Rotman Commerce Pride Alliance, one of the few LGBTQ-focused student groups at an undergraduate business program in Canada. The group provides a networking venue for students to link to LGBTQ professionals and works with “ally” students to bring awareness and education about LGBTQ diversity and other issues. With host support from KPMG, his organization runs an annual live case competition. He also volunteers for various LQBTQ initiatives on and off campus.

A summer intern at KPMG, Mr. Ho says the HSBC scholarships send an important message to students and business.

“It signals to students that big companies like HSBC want to recognize LGBTQ talent and show they are interested in having these sorts of employees on their teams because they do bring enormous diversity,” he says. “Through that, you are able to better understand your customer and how the business works.”

Haskayne woos new faculty

While a lecturer at Harvard Law School this year, James Coleman saw a posting for a tenure-track job at the University of Calgary that seemed right up his alley: a joint appointment in the faculties of business and law on energy and environmental issues.

His friends thought so, too, sending e-mails of encouragement. “‘They seem to be looking to hire you,’” recalls Prof. Coleman. “Once I started here, I had a lot of people who thought, ‘I got James that job!’”

The Minneapolis-born scholar is one of 10 new faculty members and three new directors recently hired by Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business in its biggest recruitment drive in a decade, according to school officials.

“We are expanding our research capacity by almost 20 per cent,” says Loren Falkenberg, associate dean of research at Haskayne, with nine of the 10 new faculty hires in the research-oriented professorial stream. The new faculty come from eight different countries, though all pursued graduate studies in Canada or the United States.

With 79 full-time faculty, the school now aims to boost its research standing after a period of budget restraint and the loss of professors due to retirement and departures.

For Prof. Coleman, Calgary made sense as a destination because of his research interest in the business and legal aspects of energy and environmental issues. “Regulatory risk is such a big issue for oil and gas companies and for the companies where our students will go work,” he says.

He is based at the law school, but will teach at the business school as well.

As in any decision that involves leaving one’s home country, non-academic issues proved crucial as well. A Westerner at heart, Prof. Coleman is an avid hockey player and looks to join some men’s leagues in Calgary.

Along with new faculty, Haskayne has added three new administrative directors.

Kim Neutens, becomes director of the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, after a 10-year stint as director of MBA program services at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Jenny Krahn, a Haskayne undergraduate business graduate, has been named director of the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership. Hugh Evans, formerly vice-dean and director of corporate education at Henley Business School in Britain, has been tapped as director of executive education.

Seneca and UOIT sign new articulation agreement

August 12, 2013August 11, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

TORONTO: A new partnership between Seneca College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) will allow qualified Seneca students to seamlessly pursue a range of degree programs at UOIT without having to repeat relevant courses.

Students from select diploma programs can apply the credits they earned at Seneca towards 14 different UOIT programs including honours undergraduate degrees in Arts, Commerce, Information Technology, Health Sciences and Science. Career options include adult education, criminology, legal studies, networking, information technology security, game development, nuclear power, biological science and nursing.

“We are happy to partner with Seneca to increase the number of diploma-to-degree pathways for students,” said UOIT President Tim McTiernan. “This articulation further supports UOIT’s commitment to providing unparalleled access to education through multiple pathways to degree completion. We look forward to ongoing collaboration between our two institutions and creating a consistent, flexible and seamless system for our students.”

“This new partnership with UOIT provides qualified Seneca students with more pathways to earn two postsecondary credentials in less time,” said Seneca President David Agnew. “Seneca is the Ontario leader in providing pathways to university and this further demonstrates our commitment to student success by providing new and enriching opportunities.”

Seneca and UOIT are both committed to providing students with career-oriented programs and more diploma-to-degree pathways; this new partnership is a natural match.

About UOIT

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) advances the discovery and application of knowledge through a technology-enriched learning environment and innovative programs responsive to the needs of students, and the evolving 21st-century workplace. With more than 9,200 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in 70 programs delivered by exceptional faculty, UOIT promotes social engagement, fosters critical thinking and integrates outcomes-based learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. UOIT’s commitment to accelerating economic growth and social innovation is realized through research collaborations with leading organizations such as Ontario Power Generation, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Durham Regional Police Service. UOIT will mark its 10th anniversary on September 4, 2013. To find out more, visit uoit.ca.

About Seneca College

With campuses across the Greater Toronto Area, Seneca offers degrees, diplomas and certificates renowned for their quality and respected by employers. Combining the highest academic standards with practical, hands-on learning, expert teaching faculty and the latest technology ensures Seneca graduates are career-ready, visit senecacollege.ca.

Need for foreign exchange student host families

August 1, 2013August 11, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: News Channel 10

AMARILLO: The new school year is approaching fast but dozens of high school students still don’t know where they’ll be living come the start of the semester.

We’re talking about foreign exchange students. One area coordinator says she still has 100 students that need host families.

Lindy Wakefield has traveled to 45 different countries, and because of those travels she has dozens of friends all over the world.

As a coordinator for an international student exchange program, she wants to help others make those connections.

“We have students in Norway, Spain, Germany, Asia and South America still looking for homes,” Wakefield said.

Texas has more exchange students per capita than any other state, but Wakefield wants to share the panhandle generosity with more international students.

“I can go 120 miles outside of Amarillo, and right now I’ve been focusing on Amarillo and Canyon, but I’m really really hoping, and I can expand at any time, to actively, aggressively expand it next year,” she said.

Wakefield’s organization, the Center of Cultural Interchange is just one of several exchange programs active in the panhandle.

Right now 16-year-old Augusto from Brazil is staying in Amarillo for the summer through a Lions Club program.

“I love the U.S.,” he said.

Augusto’s host mom, Paula Davis, has invited five different students into her home over past years. All experiences she says are shaping her boys into open-minded, well-rounded young adults.

“It helps them understand that people across the world have a lot of similarities,” she said. “Just because we have different backgrounds or different races or different cultures doesn’t make us so different.”

Davis and her boys keep in touch with former students they’ve hosted. So does Wakefield who says an e-mail from a German student she knew in high school highlights how influential exchange programs can be.

“It was the most magical year of my life. It made me fall in love with the U.S. and always made me defend the U.S. when anyone went to criticize it, no matter where I was,” she read. “Thanks for having other exchange students have such an experience.”

India’s newest state has more people than Canada and more Microsoft IT employees than anywhere but Redmond

August 1, 2013August 12, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Quartz

The creation of India’s newest state, Telangana, marks the end of a decades-long quest for self-governance in the country’s south, and was greeted with celebration on the streets of Hyderabad, the state’s new capital city.

But the ruling Congress party’s vote to approve the state’s creation Tuesday night may also usher in an era of uncertainty for dozens of multinational companies with major operations in Hyderabad.

If it was a stand-alone country, Telangana, with a population estimated at 36 million people, would be more populous than Canada, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan or Australia. At 44,300 square miles, Telangana will be about the same size as the US state of Kentucky.

Most importantly for global business, Telangana will share Hyderabad, the south Indian information technology metropolis, with Andhra Pradesh, the state is it separating from, for the next ten years. After that, the city will go to Telangana, whose leaders may have scant business experience, particularly with global corporations.

The city houses the information technology operations of some of the world’s biggest companies, including the largest Microsoft IT center outside of its Redmond, Wash. headquarters. Microsoft’s website calls the Hyderabad center the “backbone” of the company’s IT operations and says it handles IT for more than 1.3 million devices and 194,000 end-users in over 108 countries as well as managing Microsoft’s global data centers and corporate network.

Thousands of employees from other multinational companies including Accenture, Bank of America, Dell, Novartis, JP Morgan, Google, and Facebook also work in Hyderabad’s sprawling business parks.

The Times of India reported that Wednesday “Brand Hyderabad is set to shine once more and brighter at that,” with the Telangana decision made. But Telangana’s independence movement has been tainted by violence, and Tuesday night’s announcement does not seem to have put an end to that. Businesses, schools, and public transportation were shut Wednesday as rock-throwing protestors vented their anger over the decision to give Hyderabad to the new state.