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Source: Study International
The University of Ottawa announced yesterday that the university was “deeply concerned” about American President Donald Trump’s executive orders and have thus “immediately sought ways” to help any students or academics who are affected.
Source: New York Times
At the College of the North Atlantic here, a young Chinese woman stood discussing her future with two fellow students, a Bangladeshi man and a Korean woman, amid a flow of mostly pale Newfoundlanders in down coats and hoodies heading for class.
Source: National Post via Academica
“There is no Canadian equivalent of Harvard, with its prestige, limited enrollment and its $60,000 tuition. And really, it’s just as well,” writes Stephen Gordon for the National Post. Gordon argues that while some Canadian universities and programs have high entrance standards, gaining admission into one of these programs is “nowhere near as difficult as entering an elite U.S. college.” Gordon sees this characteristic of Canadian higher ed in a positive light, arguing that that social mobility is likely enhanced by the fact the the country’s higher education institutions are not as rigidly stratified as those in the US. “If—as available evidence suggests—Canadian social mobility is significantly greater than it is in the U.S., then much of the credit goes to the fact that there is no Canadian university that plays the prestige-signalling game that Harvard does,” concludes Gordon. “A ‘Harvard of Canada’ is the last thing we need.”
Source: The Province via Academica
PSE institutions in British Columbia would be wise to “cultivate new markets” for international student enrolment and avoid becoming overly dependent on China, according to a US-based analyst. Rahul Choudaha tells The Province that despite a recent jump in the number of Chinese international students coming to BC, this growth—and the overall growth in international student numbers—is slowing. However, India stands out as an exception to this slowdown, says Choudaha, who notes that enrolments from India grew 25% last year, outpacing the growth rate of Chinese enrolments. “Given the scale and the growth potential of India as a source of international students, Canadian institutions have an untapped potential in recruiting Indian students at the bachelor’s level,” the analyst concludes.
Source: Times Higher Education
Canada has overtaken the UK as the most attractive English-speaking country for European Union students, according to a study that highlights the damaging impact of the Brexit vote on the UK university sector. A survey of 219 international students at universities in the UK found that Canada was the most desirable English-speaking nation for EU students, followed by the UK, Australia, the US and New Zealand in last place.
For the complete article, visit Times Higher Education.
Source: MiD DAY
The Mumbai University has turned to using QR code technology to curb the nuisance of bogus certificate.
Source: Seneca College via Academica
What role does an immigrant’s region of origin and English language proficiency have on their academic and employment outcomes? This is the question that researchers at Seneca College’s Centre for Research in Student Mobility explore in a new report. The study followed the pathways of 18,466 students (non-international) who entered Seneca College between 2010 and 2014 within five years of leaving an Ontario high school. The study found that Seneca students who were born outside of Canada were more likely than their Canadian-born peers to have highly educated parents, live in lower-income neighbourhoods, and to aspire to university. Despite having attended an ON high school, many immigrants come to Seneca with weak English-language skills requiring support in language proficiency, with 59% being placed below college level English, compared to 36% of Canadian born students. Despite this, however, these students achieve similar overall GPAs and graduation rates.
Source: Study International
For all you who’ve yet to experience student life at university, here is a much-needed dose of reality.
Source: University Affairs via Academica
“The perfect storm of political upheaval has happened from an academic recruitment point of view,” writes David Kent for University Affairs, citing Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as factors that may drive more highly talented researchers to Canadian universities. While researchers often consider salary an important factor when weighing competing offers, Kent writes that these decisions are impacted by a number of other concerns. “In the Trump, post-Brexit world, Canada starts ticking a lot of boxes in comparison to other places,” the author concludes. “Universities in Canada need to consider this set of circumstances swiftly and attract the best and brightest into long-term positions with real institutional commitment to their future success.”
Source: The PIE News
Spending by international students and their visiting friends and family amounted to a net CAN$11.4bn in 2014, up from $8bn four years earlier, according to the federal government’s new economic impact study. Canada’s international education services now account for 11% of the country’s service exports.
For the complete article, visit The PIE News.
Two teams of students from Ryerson University will spend most of their winter break in villages in India and Egypt teaching locals how to build and sell affordable water filters, reports the Canadian Press. The goal of the two small teams is to help improve access to clean water while providing local residents with an entrepreneurial education that can spur the creation of new businesses. The two student initiatives—Project Saaf and Project Myaah—are part of the Ryerson chapter of a non-profit organization known as Enactus, whose goal is to transform lives through socially conscious entrepreneurship. “What makes the holidays special for me is the act of giving…The most essential thing that I could give is something that I think should be a human right, the gift of water,” said Samarth Arabastani, a third-year electrical engineering student who is leading the project in India.
Source: The PIE News
International education has not escaped the effects of last month’s demonetisation of the Indian rupee. While the industry is unlikely to suffer in the long term, India-based education agents have told The PIE News there are short term implications to overcome, including problems with student payments for visas and tuition fees as well as bank withdrawals.
For the full article, visit The PIE News.
Source: Council of Ontario Universities via Academica
More than nine out of ten university graduates from Ontario find well-paying jobs within two years of graduating, according to a new study conducted for the province’s Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development. The survey-based study showed that university graduates in full-time jobs earn an average salary of almost $42K six months after graduation, and an average of more than $49K after two years. The report also found that employment rates and earnings for university undergraduates were higher than they were for any other level of education. A large majority of recent graduates in full-time jobs also said that their work was related to the skills they developed in their program of study. “In a complex and ever-changing world, Ontario’s universities are helping to build a brighter future for graduates, their families and communities, and the province,” said Council of Ontario Universities President David Lindsay.
Source: La Presse via Academica
Quebec Minister of Higher Education Hélène David announced this Monday that the province will inject an additional $12M in grant funding for the province’s CEGEPs and universities. The funds were made available immediately and are marked to be spent by the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2017. Of the $12M, $2.7M will be used to mentor and retain foreign students. Another $3.2M will be used to increase the supply of continuing education programs, while $3M will be devoted to providing more resources for student success. The remainder will be used for various measures such as support for innovation, strengthening French language proficiency among students, and intervention practices against sexual violence and radicalization.
Source: University World News via Academica
Students around the world place a high level of emphasis on culture and values when they are asked to imagine a “world class university,” reports University World Report. The students in question were speaking at the recent Times Higher Education BRICS and Emerging Economies Universities Summit, under the theme “Reimagining the world-class university.” “We need to create the means of engaging with each other’s language, literature and cosmology,” noted one student speaker, while others spoke to a need for more engaged teaching, as well as a call for education research to feed more quickly into teaching methods. The vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand reportedly noted that institutions must be “locally responsive and globally competitive,” a strategy he said universities cite but do not always “internalize.”
Source: Times Higher Education via Academica
Canada’s decision to welcome thousands of Syrian refugees “stands out as an important symbol” of the country’s “openness and eagerness to attract newcomers,” says University of Toronto President Meric Gertler in an interview with Times Higher Education. Gertler highlights a number of significant steps Canada has taken to be open compared to the isolationist tendencies of Brexit and the Donald Trump presidential campaign. These include Canada’s efforts to attract 450,000 international students by 2022, its amendments to its citizenship process for international students, and its increased investment in research and scientific infrastructure. “Canada has certainly emerged as a place of stability, of openness, of inclusiveness,” says Gertler. “I think we’re doing many things right now that will position us as a stark alternative to things that are happening in other countries, including the UK and the US.”
Source: Torontoist via Academica
The Torontoist has released an article highlighting how three universities and three colleges based in Toronto are working to support student mental health issues. The piece focuses on what programs and events the schools offer on top of existing counselling programs that are available on most campuses; it examines the efforts of Ryerson University, the University of Toronto, York University, Humber College, Seneca College, and George Brown College, as well as collaborative efforts between the institutions. Among these collaborative efforts is Mindfest, an event organized collaboratively between OCAD University, Ryerson University, and the University of Toronto that includes information sessions and a club night to help raise students’ awareness of the mental wellness programs available to them on their home campuses.
Source: The PIE News
Competitive fees and attractive post-study work options are some of Canada’s most magnetic features drawing international students to its shores. Word of mouth recommendations, however, remain powerful influences when students are choosing a study destination.
For the complete post, please visit The PIE News.
Source: The PIE News
Nova Scotia has launched two initiatives aiming to entice international student to stay, work and possibly immigrate after they graduate, in order to shore up the province’s ageing and shrinking workforce.
To read the complete article, visit The PIE News.
Source: The PIE News
The Shivalik Hills Foundation Trust has been granted permission by the Higher Education Department in Uttarakhand, India, to open a university.
To read more, please visit The PIE News.
Source: The PIE News
More clearly articulated pathways between different levels of study is what Canadian educators must offer international students to improve their access to Canadian HE, according to a panel presenting at the CBIE annual conference in Canada.
For the full article, please visit The PIE News.
Source: Study International
In November 2016, India’s government suddenly declared that all 500- and 1,000-rupee notes no longer held any value, sending citizens across the country scrambling to exchange their now-worthless bills. In the aftermath, university students are finding it difficult to get a hold of the cash they need for daily expenses, such as buying food, printing documents, and getting top-up for their mobile phones.
To view the complete article, visit Study International.
Source: The Vancouver Sun
IC-IMPACTS, headed by UBC professor Nemy Banthia, is teaming up with India’s Department of Science and Technology, as well as the country’s Biotechnology Department, to provide $4 million for the research projects. Each project, said IC-IMPACTS communications manager Ashish Mohan, features Canadian and Indian researchers and are in later stages of development, ensuring the resulting technology can be brought to market.
For the complete article, visit The Vancouver Sun.
Source: New Delhi Times
Jordan Reeves, Consul General of Canada in Mumbai says that he is upbeat about the rise of Canadian equity investment in India. He further says that Canadian investors are bullish on the Indian economy as is evident from the fact that they have made around $11 billion investment in India in the last year. Canada is also a major collaborator towards the realisation of the skill initiative. In April 2015, during PM Modi’s visit to Canada, education and skills development were identified as priorities. Thirteen MoUs were signed between India’s National Skill Development Council and Canadian colleges and institutes to formalise skills collaboration in various sectors. Modi also agreed to take concrete measures to expand bilateral cooperation in key areas including the economy, trade and investment, civil nuclear cooperation, energy, education and skills development, agriculture, defence and security, science, technology, innovation and space, culture, and people to people tie.
For the full article, visit the New Delhi Times.
Source: Indian Express
The HRD Ministry’s ‘Project Vishwajeet’ — aimed at catapulting the IITs to the top league of global academic rankings — could cost the government close to Rs 22,000 crore over five years. Directors of seven IITs met the ministry officials on October 20 and sought Rs 21,870 crore as investment to improve their research output, faculty, infrastructure and international outlook in order to break into the top 100 club of global university rankings by 2018 and top 50 by 2020.
For the complete article, please visit the Indian Express.
Source: Journal de Montreal via Academica
Several thousand international students will have newfound access to free cultural activities through a new “passport” program spurred by the city’s universities. The International Student MTL Passport program aims to encourage Montreal’s 28,000 international university students to enjoy the “cultural wealth of the city” by distributing maps and providing the students with free access sites such as the Biodôme, the Botanical Garden, the Insectarium, and the Planetarium. They will also be offered credits to participate in a number of other events at reduced cost. “We want to decompartmentalize the students, get them out of their campuses,” said Nadine Gelly, general manager of the cultural promotion organization La Vitrine, which helped launch the project.
Source: Canadian Business via Academica
Canada has introduced new changes to its immigration policy that will provide additional advantages to international students with Canadian degrees. The changes award additional points within Canada’s Express Entry system to applicants whose degrees were obtained in Canada. Previously, applicants could earn up to 150 points for their educational qualifications, and the only advantage for those who studied in Canada was not having to prove the equivalency of their degrees. Under the new system, applicants with a Canadian educational credential will get up to 30 additional points. “It’s going to be a boon to international students who have studied here—it’s going to give them a big leg up,” says immigration lawyer Tamara Mosher-Kuczer.
Source: Study International
In 2015, Canada increased the number of study permits issued to international students by 5.4%, according to official government data. In a report compiled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, it was revealed that 125,783 new study permits were granted to international students last year. The Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration also showed that the number of foreign students applying for study permits in the same year had increased by 6.4 percent from the previous year to 187,968.
For the complete article, please visit Study International.
Source: Conference Board of Canada via Academica
Canada must encourage more international students to stay and work in the country if it wants to make the most of their economic potential, according to a new report from the Conference Board of Canada. The report highlights how international students generate up to $10B annually in economic activity and account for 11% of total postsecondary enrolments in Canada. The report argues that Canada would benefit economically by changing immigration policy to help more international students work in the country after graduation. “International students generate billions of dollars of economic activity at Canadian Post-Secondary institutions and in the surrounding communities. They also provide considerable social and cultural value to Canada,” said Conference Board Vice-President, Industry and Business Strategy Michael Bloom. “On the other hand, the great majority of international students do not stay in Canada after their studies and hence do not employ their skills and expertise in our economy.”
Source: CBC
The University of Prince Edward Island is hosting “talking circles” to help international students gain confidence in their English language skills. The events, held every second Friday, are organized by the International Relations office and the English Academic Preparation program at the university. At each session, they focus on specific subjects so international students can understand English jargon.
For the full article, please visit the CBC.
Source: Research Infosource via Academica
The firm Research Infosource Inc has released its list of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges for 2016. The list ranks Canadian colleges’ research capacity and activities by looking primarily at research income and research intensity per faculty member. Included on the list were CIEC Academic Members: Durham College, Fleming College, Humber College & the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
International students at the University of Prince Edward Island will soon have additional support to help them to stay in the province, reports CBC. UPEI has reportedly increased its support to international students over the past year-and-a-half in particular, and has been working with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and PEI to support students with language training and adapting to life in Canada. ACOA is providing $493,631 under its Business Development Program and PEI is providing $53K through the Department of Workforce and Advanced Learning. International students reportedly make up 22% of UPEI’s full-time student population, a figure that CBC states has been growing steadily in recent years. “This important diversity adds so much in terms of cultural exchange and learnings among all of our students,” said UPEI President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz.
Source: Globe & Mail
At a recent conference in Ottawa, where speakers included Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains and Advisory Council on Economic Growth chair Dominic Barton, a challenge was laid on the table.
We live in a low-growth world and Canada is not immune – we’ve experienced sluggish growth for much of the past decade and our GDP growth rate is not predicted to breach the coveted 3-per-cent mark without bold action now.
So what do we do?
For the full article, visit The Globe & Mail.
Source: Diverse
In an effort to get more students to think sooner than later about studying abroad, a new pilot program enables college freshmen to set up online profiles that match them with programs of interest around the world.
“It’s like an online dating site only instead of getting matched to people, they’re getting matched to global opportunities,” said Samantha Martin, CEO of Via TRM, a Colorado-based tech startup that launched a pilot version of the program this fall with three universities.
For the full article, please visit Diverse.
Source: University World News via Academica
Institutions from around the world can learn much from the progress that China and India are making in global university rankings, writes Anand Kulkarni for University World News. The author highlights how both countries have fared well in recent years, noting for example that India has risen to eighth in the world for the number of students it graduates in science and engineering. Kulkarni warns, however, that graduating more students in a particular area “does not necessarily say much about quality, the ability of graduates to find meaningful jobs or research capability, among other things.” This is part of the reason, Kulkarni writes, that China has advanced in world university rankings at a better pace than India. The author attributes this success to China’s more consistent distribution of institutions among the different tiers of rankings, while India’s tendency to have a “best and the rest” system, with only a few elite institutions, continues to hold back the country’s overall performance.
Source: Inside Higher Education via Academica
“To be better advisers, we need to consider the cultural baggage a student brings to a conversation when discussing their major,” writes June Y Chu for Inside Higher Ed. Chu illuminates the ways that culturally competent advising must grow to better serve a diverse student body. This approach uses a holistic approach that goes beyond telling a student to pursue the subject they love, and takes into account issues such as family conflicts and responsibilities. Chu further adds that “the question for advisers is how our own cultural values influence our advising and potentially devalue the cultural history a student brings into our office.”
Source: Simon Fraser University via Academica
[CIEC Academic Member] Simon Fraser University has received a $500K gift to provide students the opportunity to learn from world-class Indian scholars. Provided by Hari and Madhu Varshney, the gift will fund the Hari and Madhu Varshney Visiting Scholars Program in Indian Studies, which will help leading Indian academics come to SFU to share their knowledge and insights. “This wonderful gift will strengthen SFU’s commitment to engage the world,” says SFU president Andrew Petter. “Thanks to the Varshneys’ generosity, these scholars will enrich our educational and research environment, while deepening understanding of India’s rich culture and heritage amongst the communities we serve.”
A new pilot program announced by the Nova Scotia Government to keep international students in the province is a “very encouraging” step, yet it does not fully address the barriers most commonly faced by these students, says the Canadian Federation of Students for Nova Scotia. The government pilot in question aims to support 50 international students who are completing their final year of PSE in “priority areas” such as health care, computer engineering, and ocean sciences. These supports includes career mentoring, access to employment-related events, and workshops. Yet the CFS-NS says that these efforts do not address the issues of “differential fees” paid by international students, and access to medical services insurance coverage. “What we really need is broader action that will help international students studying in Nova Scotia across the board,” said CFS-NS Chairperson Charlotte Kiddell.
Source: Globe & Mail
Source: Hindustan Times
Assessment and accreditation of higher education institutions in India will soon be based on global standards and practices. For the first time ever, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council and key quality networks and agencies from Asia, Europe, America, Australia, UK, Africa and other countries have joined hands to develop a common agenda for international quality assurance of Indian universities.
For the complete article, visit the Hindustan Times.
Source: Hindustan Times
In recent months, Nemkumar Banthia, professor in the department of civil engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has had his eyes fixed on a road. That road, though, happens to be more than 12,500 km from Vancouver, where he is based. It’s a demonstration project in a village about 90 km from Bengaluru and uses advanced materials and technology that could help with enhancing rural road connectivity. The project is the result of research that marries materials science and structural engineering to create self-repairing roads that are cost effective, have greater longevity and are sustainable.
For the full article, please visit the Hindustan Times.
By Ms. Roohi Ahmed, President, India Canada Friendship Circle
The India Canada Friendship Circle (ICFC) launched its 2016-2017 lecture series this fall with a presentation by Mr. Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group. Mr. Arya spoke about the role of MPs in fostering closer ties between the Parliaments of Canada and other countries as a means of promoting bilateral and multilateral relations. Parliamentary friendship groups do not have budgets or administrative support and are formed on a cross-party basis as well as a member’s interest in a specific country. Parliamentary friendship associations, on the other hand, have formal budgets and administrative support from the Parliament of Canada and are actively engaged with their international counterparts. Mr. Arya and his fellow MPs who have an interest in India hope to elevate the status of the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group to an association, and they also wish to help move forward talks on the Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in order to increase trade between the two countries. Mr. Arya also noted that MPs who happen to have a large concentration of Indo-Canadians in their constituencies had joined the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group to learn more about India.
ICFC members suggested that the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group study the issue of immigration and integration, as some members felt not all Indo-Canadians were socially integrated. Some found it fascinating that we had Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi, and that Asian television programs seem to have become a favourite pastime while Asian language print media cover local news. While these reflect the hallmarks of Canadian multiculturalism, Mr. Arya felt that this was also an inter-generational issue, pointing out that first-generation migrants in some communities may not be so integrated, but their children are.
Mr. Arya also agreed with his audience on the importance of finding the right balance between cultural diversity and integration. He highlighted the added value of leveraging Indian diaspora strengths and shared his own personal experience as testimony to the openness of Canadian society towards giving immigrants a chance to become positive, contributing members to the economy and community. He brought to Canada his skills as an engineer and business executive, and in turn learned new ways which he felt enriched his life. For example, Mr. Arya appreciated the culture of “volunteerism” in Canada, which influenced his path to politics. The audience concluded that the Canadian experiment with immigration and multiculturalism is not yet complete and still evolving, and that the Canadian model of socio-economic integration is on the right track relative to the US and Europe.
The next ICFC lecture will be held in collaboration with The College of the Humanities, Carleton University featuring the articulate speaker Dr. Geeti Sen, Cultural Historian, Professor, Author and Art Critic who is travelling to Canada from New Delhi. She will demonstrate through visual images and text how 20th century Indian nationalism was driven as much by politicians as it was by painters, poets and patriots.
More details are available at the following website: http://www.icfc.ws
Source: La Presse via Academica
Quebec has provided $1.6M to Montreal International to implement a program encouraging more international students to stay in the province after graduation, reports La Presse. The program will specifically target graduates trained for work in in-demand sectors, although it will still be open to students from all programs. Montreal International CEO Hubert Bolduc hopes that the program will increase the number of students remaining in the province after graduation from 3,000 to 9,000. Bolduc notes that of the 30,000 international students who currently study in Montreal, many do not stay due largely to language barriers, difficulty finding a job, and the burden of the immigration process.
Source: Simon Fraser University via Academica
Simon Fraser University [CIEC Academic Member] has opened the Charles Chang Innovation Centre, a new graduate student residence and innovation facility located in downtown Vancouver. The building is named after alumnus Charles Chang, who donated $10M to establish the Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship earlier this year. The new facility boasts 52 furnished rooms and can house 68 graduate students. It also features a social innovation and technology hub designed to connect students and community members who are looking to collaborate on new solutions to social challenges. “This exciting new building expands SFU’s presence in downtown Vancouver, and strengthens our commitment to be Canada’s engaged university,” said SFU President Andrew Petter.
Source: Edmonton Journal via Academica
MacEwan University is considering an increase to its tuition fees for international students in order to better support domestic students studying abroad, reports CBC. A draft proposal reportedly suggests that the school should implement a 10% increase in international student fees for fall 2017-18 and an additional 5% increase for fall of 2018-19. The Edmonton Journal adds that the proposed changes could result in the creation of $2.5K entrance bursaries or scholarships for as many as 230 students, and the same amount for up to 120 MacEwan students studying abroad. “Tuition is not a small dollar item anymore and so when you look at these models for tuition, you don’t want to be too high; we want to be accessible to students (and) at the same time, you don’t want to be too low,” said MacEwan Provost John Corlett.
Source: Fanshawe College via Academica
Fanshawe College has officially opened its new English Language Institute, a centre that will gather together the college’s various English as a Second Language initiatives and become home to the college’s new flagship program, English for Academic Purposes. The college reports that this full-time, intensive program will help international and domestic students prepare for further academic study, and will also be recognized by Western University and its affiliated colleges. “Through the English Language Institute, Fanshawe will continue to offer enhanced English language training and support that empowers International students, newcomers to Canada, and non-English fluent students to succeed in post-secondary studies,” said Gary Lima, Senior Vice-President, Academic Services at Fanshawe.
Source: The Globe & Mail via Academica
British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has announced that her government will soon make “big investments” in the province’s postsecondary system to address a talent shortage in the tech sector. “There will be some announcements coming in the next little while with respect to investing in computer science in particular in universities … it will be a significant amount,” Clark added in an interview with the Globe and Mail. In July 2016, 18 BC tech executives sent a letter to Clark asking for the province to address the talent shortage. Clark did not specify, however, whether the final amount invested in PSE tech training would match the $100M requested by the executives.
Our Canada West Chapter’s signature event takes place on Sept. 30 in Vancouver, BC at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel.
Source: Inside Higher Ed via Academica
“Lofty (yet unsubstantiated) claims of ‘high-quality teaching’ or graduates who ‘go on to start amazing careers in a variety of well-known companies’ don’t cut it for international prospects,” writes Megan Brenn-White for Inside Higher Ed. To this end, the author suggests that institutions with positive international rankings should focus on promoting awareness of their rankings or awards. For those with a less compelling ranking or awards record, the emphasis should be on testimonials from students and alumni. Finally, the author argues that institutions can be more concrete about their commitment to quality by promoting awareness of initiatives they are undertaking to enhance specific aspects of their institution.