CBIE Assesses Progress of Canada’s International Education Strategy

Source: CBIE News via Academica | January 27, 2015

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has issued a progress report on last year’s International Education Strategy (IES), which proposed to double the number of international students studying in Canada by 2022. CBIE reports that there are now nearly 300,000 international students studying in Canada, suggesting that the goal is attainable. CBIE notes that although numbers were already on the rise thanks to institutional and provincial efforts, the federal strategy provided a coordinated approach and allowed organizations to prepare for the necessary student services and supports. Changes to student visa regulations now allow international students to work part-time off campus without obtaining further documentation, making Canada more attractive to those seeking work experience as well as education. CBIE hopes to see an increase in the number of Canadian students studying abroad, in order to strengthen the internationalization of education in general. On this note, CBIE suggests the creation of 15,000 study grants by 2017 to commemorate Canada’s 150th anniversary and to encourage global engagement.