PEI has announced that it will expand its mentorship program for recent graduates to include applications from international students, giving them better access to the PEI workforce. Skills PEI contributes up to 50% of wage costs for the first year of employment for postsecondary graduates who are enrolled in the mentorship program. “Hopefully they join the companies, help the company grow, and they will stay here on Prince Edward Island,” said Richard Brown, PEI’s Minister of Workforce and Advanced Learning, “the company grows, the economy grows, it’s good for Prince Edward Island.”
V. 16 I. 4 – Apr 2016
UOIT Signs MOU with Chandigarh University
Source: University of Ontario Institute of Technology via Academica
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chandigarh University, a private institution in northwestern India. UOIT has outlined a number of areas of potential co-operation between the two institutions, including short-term faculty mobility opportunities to CU, two-way student mobility between campuses, and research and development projects. Vice President, Research, Innovation and International at UOIT Michael Owen says, “the agreement with Chandigarh University paves the way for the development of student exchanges, student internships, and new faculty research endeavours between both universities.”
Students Weigh in On International Integration
Source: Academica Forum
Over the past twenty years the recruitment of international students has become a key priority for many Canadian PSE institutions. Major schools have produced multi-year plans to help make themselves more international, and these plans often give priority to increasing the proportion of international students studying on their campuses. Major figures in higher ed have also warned that the recruitment of international students and the charging of higher tuition fees to this cohort can result in ethical concerns, and have called for enhanced federal guidelines to govern the enrolment of non-Canadian students in Canadian institutions.
We asked 1,400 StudentVu panelists what they thought about the growing presence of international students on campus, the domestic student-international student relationship, the proportion of international students to domestic students, and other related issues. Our panelists reported that they believed international students had a positive impact on their postsecondary experience; many also expressed support for a school population comprised of 20-40% international students, and voiced concerns about their schools’ treatment of international students.
For the full report, please visit Academica.
Work Permit Program for International Students Needs Reform
Source: The Globe & Mail
A federal government report showing that many international students are working in low-wage jobs after graduation is leading to calls to redesign Canada’s liberal employment rules for foreign graduates.
Canada is unusual among the world’s top destinations for international students in allowing graduates on a work permit to work in any field after they finish their studies. An internal report from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) found that the post-graduation work permit program (PGWP) was creating a poorly paid, underemployed work force among recent international student graduates at colleges and universities.
For the full article, visit The Globe & Mail.
Canada Invests $2B in Innovation, Sustainable Growth for PSE
Source: Government of Canada News Release via Academica
Canada’s post-secondary institutions are at the forefront of excellence in science, research and innovation. They help to train the workforce of tomorrow and create the knowledge and insights needed by the private and public sectors to build a clean, sustainable economy.
The Minister of Science, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, today announced that the Government of Canada will launch the application process for a $2-billion fund that will improve research and innovation infrastructure at universities and colleges across the country.
Announced in Budget 2016, the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund will enhance and modernize research facilities on Canadian campuses and improve the environmental sustainability of these facilities. Consultation with the provinces and territories as well as work to implement the initiative as quickly as possible are already under way.
The targeted, short-term investments under the Fund will promote economic activity across Canada and help Canada’s universities and colleges develop highly skilled workers, act as engines of discovery and collaborate on innovations that help Canadian companies compete and grow internationally.
Indian States Support Opening Up to Foreign HE Providers
Source: The PIE News
Ten of India’s states have so far come out in favour of enabling foreign higher education institutions to operate in the country, but any new policy must ensure that foreign providers have something to offer domestic students, they have said.
There is currently no legislative framework in place to allow foreign universities to operate in India. The 2013 Foreign Education Providers Bill has been blocked from passing on several occasions, but last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government intends to let foreign providers operate campuses in the country.
For the full article, please visit The PIE News.