V. 14 I. 5 – May 2014

Study Examines Reasons Why International Students Don’t Complete Programs

CIEC Author

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education via Academica | May 28, 2014

A new study by US-based organization NAFSA: Association of International Educators suggests that while growth in the numbers of international students studying in the US continues, the satisfaction and retention of those students may be faltering. The study is considered one of the first to examine retention issues affecting international students across multiple institutions, with 500 educators and 500 students at more than 100 colleges participating. According to the researchers, educators and students differed in their opinions of why international students leave programs before completion. While educators felt that there was a combination of factors including finances, academics, English-language problems, and the desire to attend an institution that is a “better fit,” students said the issues were all financial (access to jobs or internships, affordability, and availability of scholarships). This suggests that “there may be a gap in understanding about what students want and what they’re getting.” Recommendations from the report include increased transparency regarding the costs of a program and the creation of internships and work placements.

TCS Insights: Educational institutions must have open lines of communication with international students to become more aware of the reasons why they decide not to complete their academic experience. Scholarships, internships and jobs must be accessible for students to encourage them that there is something available for them when their studies are finished.

CIEC & Agints.com Partnership Improves Education Agent transparency via Academic & Student Reviews

CIEC & Agints.com Partnership Improves Education Agent transparency via Academic & Student Reviews

CIEC Author

The Canada India Education Council (CIEC) and Agints.com today announced a strategic alliance to bring transparency, integrity and accountability to the student recruitment market and enable Canadian colleges & universities, as well as students, to connect with reputable education agents via peer [academic] & student reviews of education agencies. 

As part of its CARE Initiative (Canadian Academic Advisors Representing Excellence), CIEC conducts academic reference checks and now publicizes the CARE Agents’ average score in key areas on the CIEC website.  This allows academic institutions across Canada the means to conduct peer-reviews of education agents and solidifies CARE Agents’ commitment to ethical and quality student recruitment. 

Agints.com is a new website providing student reviews of education agents as well as a listing of the institutions they represent, the professional bodies they belong to, and the industry qualifications that they hold. 

 “Both CIEC, through its CARE program, and Agints.com share very similar goals – we want to improve the quality and transparency of the services provided by education agents. It made perfect sense to team up.” said XXX of Agints.com 

“By accessing academic and student reviews, education agents and students can accurately gauge CARE agents’ professionalism, ethical standards, and knowledge of the Canadian education system,” CIEC’s CEO Husain Neemuchwala said.  

“We are excited about the partnership with Agints.com because it gives our CARE Agents (Agent Members) a way to promote their business and CARE membership more widely. It also benefits our Academic Members and other academic institutions across Canada.” 

Visitors to agints.com – whether students or educational institutions – can easily search CARE Agents from the home page. Simply click on Browse by Professional Body, and then CARE. Agints.com, together with its partner sites, has a network of over 2,500 education agents and 1,200 colleges and schools all over the world.  Agents, colleges and schools can register a free trial account – click here to get started. 

Visitors to CanadaIndiaEducation.com can view a listing of CARE Agents and learn more about the simple & inclusive CARE process (CIEC Agent Membership – Enjoy a free pre-screening).  Each agent profile displays the agent’s academic peer review scores and contains a link to their agints.com profile for student review scores, qualifications, and other information. CIEC is an independent national, non-partisan, event-driven organization operating within the Canada-India education corridor. CIEC enhances ties and creates opportunities for academic institutions and learners from both countries.

Canadian Business Schools Focus on Female Applicants

CIEC Author

Source: Globe and Mail via Academica | May 23, 2014

Several Canadian business schools have developed recruitment strategies designed to attract a demographic that has been historically underrepresented in MBA programs: women. Queen’s University, Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business [CIEC Academic Member], and the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business are among those who have made female students a priority. Sauder says that it wants to lead “Canada’s globally ranked business schools in female MBA enrolment within 5 years.” Dean Robert Helsley said, “There is no sense in which this is affirmative action. We are just trying to make sure that qualified applicants from all populations want to come here and have the opportunities we can provide them to be successful.” To encourage female applicants, business schools are collaborating with female leadership organizations as well as offering scholarships and one-on-one recruitment sessions. Jennifer Berdahl, an incoming professor at Sauder, says that while there is much more work to be done, such efforts stand to benefit male as well as female students.

TCS Insights: Canada represents a welcome home for female students working towads earning their MBA. Numerous Canadian institutions are working to further this reputation and provide a worthwhile academic experience for students, regardless of gender.

BrockU Launches Recruiting Website for International Students

CIEC Author

Source: BrockU News Release via Academica | May 22, 2014

Brock University has launched a new website designed to help attract and assist international students. The website describes for students the variety of programs available at Brock and offers information about campus life and the Niagara region. Students will also be able to access information on policies and procedures that will be relevant following their application, including information on applying for study permits, registering for courses, and paying fees. The site includes a calendar of important dates, including dates and times of recruitment events. It is currently available in English and Chinese, but plans are in place to add additional languages.

TCS Insights: Brock University is beginning the process of becoming a major destination for students coming to Canada from abroad. By launching this website to provide prospective students with the information they need before enrolling at Brock, they are letting students know that there may be a place for them at their institution.

Canadian Business Schools Make Executive Education Rankings

CIEC Author

Source: Globe & Mail via Academica | May, 16, 2014

The Financial Times has released its 2014 ranking of executive education programs at business schools, with 6 Canadian institutions making the list in the open enrolment category (top 70), and 4 in the customized programs (top 80) category. In the open enrolment category, University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management tied for 20th spot, followed by Ivey Business School at Western University (22); Queen’s University’s School of Business (28); York University’s Schulich School of Business (39); Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia (49); and the University of Alberta’s School of Business (66). In the customized programs category, Rotman placed 42nd followed by Ivey (45), Schulich (57), and Alberta (77). uAlberta was a newcomer to both lists this year.

TCS Insights: Canadian institutions are continuing to see their reputations rise in 2014 as another ranking system has validated what Leiden, Times Higher Education and others have said. International students would do well to consider pursuing higher education in Canada.

Canada’s Higher Ed System Again Ranks Third in World

CIEC Author

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education via Academica | May 14, 2014

Universitas 21 has released its 2014 Rankings report, which ranks national higher ed systems as opposed to individual institutions. Canada has once again come in at third place, following the US and Sweden in first and second, respectively. The rankings consider 50 countries which are ranked separately in 4 areas (Resources, Environment, Connectivity, and Output) before being ranked overall. Each area includes 24 measures in order to “create a very detailed picture of the higher education system in each country.” New this year is a separate ranking that includes the other 4 areas, but adds consideration of each country’s GDP and income levels; in this second ranking, Canada falls to 7th, with Sweden, Finland, and Denmark leading the pack. This is the third year that Universitas 21 has released national system rankings.

TCS Insights: The latest Universitas rankings further solidify where Canada stands as a nation in terms of being able to provide a worthwhile higher education. These findings support previous studies that rank Canada as the third most desirable destination for business school graduates and second when it comes to access to a post-secondary education.

Canadian Universities Work With India on Water for Health Project

CIEC Author

Source: uAlberta News via Academica | May 9, 2014

A joint initiative between Canadian universities and the Government of India will help provide people in need with safe drinking water. The $3-million Water for Health initiative brings together India’s Department of Biotechnology and IC-IMPACTS, a Canada–India Research Centre of Excellence [and CIEC Academic Member]. The University of Alberta will play a critical role researching management practices for safe drinking water, including quality monitoring and finding affordable treatment solutions. The University of British Columbia, meanwhile, will focus on sustainable infrastructure and the University of Toronto will tackle public health. “We have a common goal, a common passion to make a big difference in Canada and India,” said uAlberta professor Sushanta Mitra. It is hoped that the research will benefit not only India but also the 5 million people in Canada who do not have access to safe drinking water.

TCS Insights: Established educational institutions from across Canada are taking initiative to aid those without access to safe drinking water in India. The impact of this work will not only grow the relationship between both nations but will help citizens in need on both sides of the world.

Nova Scotia Announces Funding for Aboriginal, International Student Programs; Innovation Projects

CIEC Author

Source: NS News Release via Academica | May 9, 2014

Nova Scotia has announced $5 million in funding for 9 new projects at its universities. This round of Excellence and Innovation Fund-supported projects focuses on reaching international and aboriginal students, simplifying application procedures, and promoting innovation in the province. Cape Breton University will work with Unama’ki College to improve educational accessibility for aboriginal learners, while CBU, Saint Mary’s University, and Acadia University will study ways to offer local academic programs in Zhuhai, China. At the University of King’s College, the funding will support a pilot project to recruit and retain students from the United States; Mount Saint Vincent University, meanwhile, will devote money to enhancing its International Education Centre. The funding will also support 4 “sandbox” projects that will offer spaces for students and industry to develop ideas that have the potential to grow into business opportunities.

TCS Insights: The province of Nova Scotia continues to welcome international students by allocating more funding for projects, programs and new student centres. Such commitment will help maintain the level of enrolment of foreign students in the Maritime region of Canada.

More Visas Being Issued to People From India Seeking a New Life in Canada

CIEC Author

Source: Expat Forum via Indian Economic & Business News | May 5, 2014

Canada remains a destination of choice for visitors, students and business travelers from India with more than 130,000 visas being issued to people coming to visit family, friends or as tourists last year. There were also almost 14,000 student visas granted and more than 33,000 Indian citizens who became permanent residents of Canada, according to the latest figures announced by Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. He said that for over a century Canada has benefited from the talent and hard work of newcomers from India. ‘Tens of thousands of Indians continue to make the journey to Canada every year to help us build our country, our economy and, in many cases, to settle permanently and become Canadians,’ he explained. ‘The government has been making changes to facilitate legitimate travel, welcoming more visitors, businesspeople and students to Canada than ever before,’ he added. This includes the Business Express Programme (BEP) that was introduced in 2008 and created to ensure faster processing of visa applications for business people. The Worker Express Programme, which provides expedited service to applicants sent to Canada by companies under the BEP, was introduced in India in June 2009 and has since benefited more than 7,200 Indian citizens. In addition to the BEP, in July 2011, the government extended the duration of multiple entry visas from five to 10 years allowing visitors to enter and exit Canada for up to six months at a time over a 10 year period.

TCS Insights: By making visas more accessible to travelers from around the world, Canada has been able to benefit from the thousands of Indians who choose to study or work there. The decision to increase the length of multiple entry visas while allowing more travel to and from the country has also proved beneficial.

World’s First ‘Celebrity Management’ Institute to Start in New Delhi, India

CIEC Author

Source: B-Town Institute of Celebrity Management Press Release | Apr 28, 2014

Contact: Cheshta Malhotra, PR Executive – B-Town PR, +91-11-31908855

B-Town Institute of Celebrity Management is all set to start in New Delhi by June 2014 to offer an exclusive “Celebrity Management Course” that will expose students to case studies of celebrity management, talent management, artist management and public relations management.

Celebrity Management is an emerging career field with plenty of promises of a luxury lifestyle, lucrative compensation packages, high profile contacts and above all a glamorous working environment. The Celebrity Management course in India will be the first of its kind to be conducted in New Delhi, India.

For more information about the institute and course you can visit btowninstitute.com and click here for the prospectus.

OUSA Releases New Policy Paper on International Students

CIEC Author

Source: OUSA News Release via Academica | May 6, 2014

The Ontario University Students Association has published a new policy paper that addresses international student enrolment. OUSA expresses its support for increased internationalization, but suggests that if a goal of doubling Canada’s international student enrolment by 2022 is to be achieved, issues including international student tuition and student support networks must first be addressed. The report issues a series of recommendations; several focus around tuition fees, including suggestions that international student tuition should not exceed the real cost of education and that needs-based financial assistance be considered. Moreover, the report calls for international student tuition to be better regulated within the provincial framework. The report also suggests exploring strategies to increase the number of Canadian students who are able to pursue study abroad opportunities, calling for comprehensive support for inbound and outbound students.

TCS Insights: The OUSA recognizes the importance of international students in Canada but states that various tuition reforms must take place so that the number of these students continues to rise. Their policy paper also says that support systems for students entering the country for the first time need to be improved to aid the academic experience as well.

2014 Leiden Rankings of Scientific Performance Released

CIEC Author

Source: Leiden News Release via Academica | April 30, 2014

Leiden University’s Centre for Science and Technology Studies has released its latest annual rankings. The Leiden rankings measure the scientific performance of 750 universities worldwide, including each institution’s scientific impact and involvement in scientific collaboration. This year, 28 Canadian universities appear on the list. Only the University of Toronto cracked the top 100, appearing in 87th place. The University of British Columbia (109) and McGill University (119) also made strong showings, while the University of Victoria was Canada’s top-ranked university without a medical school, at 183rd. The University of Ottawa (185) rounds out Canada’s top 5. New York’s Rockefeller University ranked first overall. The rankings are based on a bibliometric methodology that considers citation impact and scientific collaboration, corrected for scientific fields. Rockefeller’s first-place finish reflects that it had the highest percentage of frequently cited publications.

TCS Insights: Canadian academic institutions currently find themselves ranked among the top tier in the world, in terms of scientific collaboration and impact. Both international and domestic students interested in a career in science would do well to consider pursuing higher education at any of these places of study.

5 Canadian Universities Among THE’s Top 100 Under 50

CIEC Author

Source: Times Higher Education via Academica | May 5, 2014

The Times Higher Education (THE) 100 under 50, which ranks the top 100 universities in the world under 50 years old, has been released. The list employs 13 separate indicators used by THE in its World University Rankings, but calibrates the data to “reflect the special characteristics of younger universities,” putting less emphasis on academic reputation. The University of Calgary was Canada’s top-ranked young university, coming in at 19th overall. Simon Fraser University also finished in the top 25, at 24th. The University of Guelph, the Université du Quèbec à Montréal, and Concordia University were ranked 73rd, 84th, and 96th, respectively. 4 Canadian institutions cracked the list last year. Universities in Southeast Asia—Pohang University of Science and Technology (Republic of Korea), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) took four of the top five spots in the list. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, in Switzerland, took second place.

TCS Insights: With five young educational institutions on this list, Canada will continue to increase its reputation as a destination for higher learning for generations to come. The results of these rankings also reaffirm the fact that Canadian universities are among the most well recognized in the world.

Higher Ed Leaders Meet To Discuss Internationalization Issues

CIEC Author

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education via Academica | May 1, 2014

More than 1,000 higher education leaders from 70 countries met in Miami this week to discuss how internationalization can help solve global inequities in health, education, and other social issues. Participants discussed, too, how internationalization can exacerbate existing inequities. Among the issues raised was the growing ubiquity of English at global universities; many international universities adopt English as a means to attract foreign students and improve their research rankings. For some universities, however, this is a point of controversy. Participants also discussed the potential of MOOCs to democratize higher education or consolidate existing hierarchies. Adam Habib, Vice Chancellor at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, called on universities to contribute to an online “global academy of commons” dedicated to broadening the reach of higher education rather than enhancing individual institutions’ own reputations.

TCS Insights: Many notable names in higher education gathered to discuss the importance of increased internationalization and how institutions can best attract students from abroad. Further usage of the web was also encouraged for the benefit students around the world.