international students – Page 3 – Canada India Education Council

Elections Canada should let students vote where they study

April 21, 2015April 21, 2015CIEC Author

In an op-ed for the Montreal Gazette, Vanier College professor Mark Cohen argues that Elections Canada should allow students to cast their ballots from campus. He points to an Elections Canada survey in which most students cited “access barriers” as their main reason for not voting, and says that Quebec’s Bill 13—which allows students to vote on-campus for a candidate in their home riding, even if their school is outside of that riding—provides a possible model. Cohen says that a similar move on the federal level would demonstrate to students that they have an important role to play in the electoral system and that their input is valued.

Dalhousie’s Pilot Program Helps Put International Students in NS Workplaces

July 23, 2014August 27, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Chronicle Herald via Academica | July 23, 2014

Dalhousie University has launched a pilot program to help international students establish themselves in Nova Scotia’s workplaces. “We’ve noticed that many [international students] are having to go back to their home countries to do their work terms in order to stay on track… and graduate with our [commerce] program,” said Anna Cranston, Director of Management Career Services at Dal. The new workplace experience program helps international students establish contacts and build their confidence in the Canadian workplace. Students and employers alike learn more about cultural differences as well as the challenges faced by international students looking to join the Canadian workforce. “It’s only a small way but if there’s a way that we can find to make international students feel more comfortable in the workplace and out getting jobs, then maybe there’s a chance that they’re going to stay when they graduate,” said Robert Everist, Chief Operating Officer for Cox & Palmer, a firm that hosted a student this summer. NS recently created pathways to encourage international students to stay in the province post-graduation.

Study Identifies Barriers Experienced by International Students Looking to Work in Canada

July 22, 2014August 27, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Research Findings via Academica | July 22, 2014

A recently-released research project out of the University of Guelph [CIEC Academic Member] and York University examines the experiences of international students transitioning to the Canadian labour market and identifies a number of barriers these students must overcome in order to integrate into employment. The researchers framed the study around the new International Education Strategy, which aims to double the number of international students studying in Canada, and Ontario’s focus on international students as potentially filling labour gaps. The study found that difficulties finding work in one’s field of study, prejudice against international students, and “inconsistency of information and lack of clarity on constantly changing immigration policies and processes” were some of the barriers experienced by international students. The study also found that the respondents viewed the educational experience at Ontario’s PSE institutions very highly, and often found support and employment within the PSE sector after graduation. The report makes several recommendations for PSE, policy makers, and employers to help ease the transition for international students, including creating more internships and co-op employment opportunities.

194 GTU Students Attending Classes in Foreign Universities

July 3, 2014August 27, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Gujarat Technological University Press Release | July 2, 2014

On 18^th June, 2014 GTU honored His Excellency Mr. Steward Beck, High Commissioner of Canada to India at Hotel Courtyard Marriott where a small gathering was organized as a part of his farewell visit to Ahmedabad. GTU initiated its first international experience program with University of Alberta, Canada in the year 2011. Visa Denial can restrict such program to grow. Since 2011 most of the students were granted visa to fly to Canada for IEP. GTU honored High Commissioner of Canada to India for his support and contribution towards the development of the International Experience Program of GTU.

On the occasion Dr. Akshai Aggarwal, Vice Chancellor of GTU said that His Excellency Mr. Steward Beck has always been very pro-active in contributing to the success of GTU IEP. First the Deputy High Commissioner visited GTU and interacted with the students, who wanted to go to Canada. Then H.E. Mr. Steward Beck personally visited GTU. Dr Aggarwal said that GTU was thankful to H.E. Mr. Steward Beck for his constant support in the development of GTU’s IEP.

Presently 194 students of GTU are in foreign universities for the 8 week education program. 98 Students have gone to Laurentian University in Canada, 44 students have gone to Wismar University, Germany while 52 students are studying at Kansas State University in USA. All the students went to foreign universities between 12^th to 14^th June 2014 and their classes started from Monday, 16^th June 2014 in respective campuses.

During the IEP students learn 2 of the subject and also appear in the mid-semester exams of the subjects they studied in a foreign university. GTU credit those marks to the respective students in their semester result. Students don’t only attend the classes during IEP but also go for industrial visits. Exposure to the different educational system, climate, place and culture all together provide a unique opportunity for students to learn.

Since 2011, GTU’s International Experience Program has provided an opportunity to study in foreign Universities for the GTU students. In association with German, Canadian and American Universities GTU’s IEP has turned out to be India’s largest International Experience Program. In the year 2013, GTU also signed MoU with Sias University, China for IEP.

Quotes from Students

Jainam Mehta has gone to Laurentian University, Canada. During the interview he said that he is the first one from his family going abroad. He said that I want to explore to have a new experience in the world so I decided to go to Canada IEP. I have decided to focus on my studies over there and also to explore places.

Another student named Ekta was all excited to go to KSU. She said that I did not sleep on the night previous to departure due to the excitement. I have heard a lot about the advance education system at KSU from the last year IEP students, which tempted me to go to the IEP at KSU. My Mom is worried as I have never travelled without her, but is happy also as this is a great opportunity.

Canada to spend $10M to woo foreign students

April 2, 2013May 3, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Ottawa Citizen

Tenfold increase in recent budget wins plaudits from cash-poor universities

The Canadian government is hoping to corner the market on foreign students by making a significant investment into Canada’s education brand.

The recently tabled federal budget directs $10 million over the next two years to the effort – a large increase from the funding it set aside for marketing education from 2007 to 2012, when it budgeted $1 million each year.

Efforts will focus on strengthening the “Imagine Education au/in Canada” brand, a program that aims to promote the high quality of a Canadian education to international students.

Foreign Affairs spokesman John Babcock said the extra funding is a “very positive signal,” and that the federal government will continue cooperating with the provinces to strengthen the international education strategy.

Canada is already a top destination for foreign students. According to the budget, some 239,000 students in 2010 contributed $8 billion to the economy, making them a rich vein for colleges and universities to tap.

The University of British Columbia, for instance, has almost 4,000 students from 120 different countries. Foreign students’ tuition is, on average, five times higher than what Canadian students pay.

“It’s a lot more than about economics,” said UBC president Stephen Toope. “They really bring a richness to the educational experience that all Canadian students benefit from.”

Jennifer Humphries, vice-president of membership, public policy and communications for the Canadian Bureau for International Education, said the Canadian education strategy to attract these students has several facets.

“The brand is all the things Canada does,” said Humphries, adding that immigration regulations, tourism campaigns, the schools themselves and even the Vancouver Winter Olympics are all a part of the marketing effort.

“I still think, and the government seems to agree with us, there needs to be more investment and more work on establishing a brand, because we aren’t where we need to be,” she said.

The budget also included $13 million for Mitacs Globalink, a Vancouver-based program that matches international research students with schools.

“We’re unique in being able to make sure that students are being put into labs that will be really interesting to them,” said Arvind Gupta, CEO of Mitacs Globalink. “They know that when they come to us that we will have a good project for them.”

The Imagine Education campaign has only been around a short time, so it remains to be seen how it affects recruitment.

Why International Students Should Befriend Professors

April 1, 2013March 11, 2015Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: US News

One Sunday in late August 2007, my college swim coach sat down with me and six of my teammates. Our American peers had been dismissed and we were left, a group of international students representing Sweden, South Africa, Croatia, and France.

“This first week of classes, you have a special assignment,” he said. “After each class you must introduce yourself to your professors. Then you must come up with a question, go to their office hours and ask it. It can be a question you already know the answer to; it doesn’t matter, just go anyway.”

It was the evening before the first day of classes. I was a 19-year-old freshman at Limestone College, a small college in rural South Carolina, and was strongly considering not completing my coach’s seemingly pointless assignment.

Later I realized it was the most important piece of advice anyone gave me during my years in college.

Most college professors share a number of attributes. They enjoy learning, which is why they chose a profession allowing them to read and research. They enjoy being around young people, which is why they chose to work in a college environment. And they, too, have been young at some point.

As an international student you bring to the table knowledge and points of view that can differ widely from those of your American peers. For a professor, usually an expert in his or her given field, this is extremely intellectually stimulating. Professors also, like any teacher, love to share their expertise.

Being able to carry an intelligent conversation with your professor on the subject he or she teaches will therefore elevate you to a level far above that of the average student. Seeking help outside of class doesn’t show that you are unintelligent, but that you are a motivated student.

So when you eventually fall behind, miss a class or fail to hand in an assignment, the relationship you have established with your professor will become invaluable. Your occasional tardiness can always slip by, because you have already proved that you are a good student, right?

U.S. colleges often have dozens of scholarship programs funded by various earmarked endowments, and more often than not professors make up most of the committees selecting the recipients. The hours you spend getting to know your professor may end up being rather lucrative.

And although you probably won’t be thinking about graduate school during your first week of classes, one day you just may, and already knowing whom you can ask for a letter of recommendation will lift a significant weight off of your shoulders.

Last but not least, most professors are genuinely nice and interesting people, which itself is enough reason to reach out to them.

As for me, I ended up doing what my coach told me. It resulted in not only an additional academic scholarship, an academic award, solid grades and a number of grad school recommendations, but also friendships that have lasted to this day.

It all began with an outstretched hand and a “hello.”

Anders Melin, from Sweden, is a former collegiate swimmer for Limestone College and the University of Missouri, where he earned an undergraduate degree in finance. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at New York University.

International students enjoy new learning experiences at local high schools

April 1, 2013March 11, 2015Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Vancouver Sun

Henry Luan came to Vancouver from China in 2011 looking for a western high school experience, and a chance to go to university in Canada.

The Grade 10 student is among thousands of international students who have arrived in the Lower Mainland during the past decade. But many face an immediate and significant challenge — they speak little or no English, which makes it a struggle for them to communicate and fit in.

Many of these students have trouble with course material and often graduate late from high school. The language barrier also makes it harder to get into university, leading to more stress and pressure.

“When I first came here, I was trying to talk to people, but they didn’t understand what I was saying. It was awkward and I felt so bad,” says Luan.

Even after two years at University Hill Secondary School, he still has difficulties today. “You know you [understand] a lot more than you can actually express, and it is frustrating,” he said.

Joanne Park is a Grade 11 student at Earl Marriott Secondary School in Surrey. But if she had remained in Korea, she would already be in Grade 12.

In order to earn enough credits and learn English, Park has had to push her graduation off a year. Still, she is uncertain if this decision will give her a better chance of getting into university. It is even more frustrating because all of her friends will be graduating this year.

There is help available to such students within the school system.

If international students’ English-language skills are inadequate for regular English courses, they are put into English as a Second Language/English Language Learners (ESL/ELL) classes.

In B.C., students need at least 80 course credits to graduate from high school. That creates a problem because students cannot earn credits from ESL classes.

On top of that, in order to graduate, students must also have credits for English 10, 11, and 12, as well as provincial exam marks for English 10 and 12.

“Everyone wants to graduate on time, so they rush through our ELL programs,” explains Gleneagle Secondary’s head counsellor Bindy Johal.

She sees many international students drop English 10 because of failing marks, but that makes graduating on time even harder.

Some try to earn these credits in other ways, such as taking online courses.

Johal doesn’t believe that is a good idea. Online courses lack the “face-to-face” element that is important when learning English, she said.

Iqbal Gill, a counselor at University Hill Secondary, said it is expensive for international students to study in Canada, and parents are unwilling to accept that their children will not graduate on time.

Gill said that students are being sent to Vancouver at younger ages to have more time to learn language skills. But this can be a double-edged sword, since it is harder for younger children to be away from parents, she says.

“There are times when I see (young international students) struggling, and it would be really nice if they could be with their families,” said Gill.

Another challenge is that international students’ proficiency in English also affects their mark in other classes. They understand the concepts behind math and science courses, but the language barrier brings their marks down. This also pulls down their admission average for universities.

Park has had to retake Biology 11 after failing last semester because she did not understand many questions.

International students who want to enter university must also meet specific English requirements. Not only do they have to complete English proficiency entrance exams, they need a minimum grade in their English classes. For example, the University of B.C. sets its admission minimum at 70 per cent for English 11 or 12 courses, while at Simon Fraser University the minimum is 60 per cent.

The ESL courses and outside tutoring that many international students sign up for also take away from time that could be spent on other subjects.

Luan, who is interested in computer sciences, could not take the electives he wanted during his first year because he was enrolled in four ESL classes.

Due to the intense focus on improving their English, many international students also miss out on extra-curricular activities, something that universities look for in admissions.

Park said that because of tutoring sessions, she no longer has time for volunteering or sports.

Faced with these pressures, counsellors say students need to accept that it is going to take extra time to learn the language.

Students should not be pressurized to rush their education, and are welcome to stay longer than usual in high school, said Johal.

Youmy Han is a Grade 12 student at Gleneagle Secondary School

Attract the best students? Canada won’t even buy a glass of water

March 27, 2013April 22, 2015Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

The Harper government boasts that foreign students brought $8-billion into the Canadian economy in 2010. When you consider what’s at stake, and the federal government’s goal to double the international student intake by 2022, it borders on the absurd to think that in promoting Canadian education abroad, the Canadian government is short of funds to serve a glass of water.

Such is the way Canada frequently presents itself as an international student recruiter.

This was on display recently when the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade held a major Canadian education promotion event in Lagos, Nigeria, in January.

In a venue where the air conditioning is hit and miss, it not only wouldn’t provide any food for the university and college representatives who paid thousands of dollars and came all the way from Canada – it said it couldn’t even provide water. It was deemed to be “not in the budget” by DFAIT officials in Nigeria to offer to the parched representatives.

“Put it in the feedback form,” was the best advice and the closest thing offered as relief by junior staffers in Lagos, according to one of my colleagues who attended.

Is a glass of water really a big deal?

It is a canary-in the-coal-mine example of how far Canada has to go to achieve the kind of brand consistency and recognition that befits the magnitude of the opportunity Canada has before it.

When the British Council blows through town promoting Education UK, you know it – advertisements, aggressive school outreach programs, and first-class event venues proclaiming ‘brand Britannia.’

The U.S. State Department regularly sponsors significant cultural and other outreach programs to raise the profile of American culture and education in countries around the globe – often bringing in top artistic and academic talent to work with local high school students.

Juxtapose the February 2013 DFAIT press release trumpeting the success of International Trade Minister Edward Fast’s trade mission to Africa. The minister crossed paths with the Canadian education events on at least one occasion in Nigeria, yet made absolutely no mention of the education outreach events at all. This is the norm for how poorly Canada coordinates its efforts. When we consider that Canada spends a tiny fraction of what its competitors do on promotions, making the most out of a little is critical.

Canada has an excellent global brand, but fails to take advantage of this by attracting enough quality students to its world-class public universities (most of Canada’s recent self-proclaimed foreign-student recruitment success is a result of mediocre students filling classrooms in colleges or in foundation pre-university programs).

Canada’s international student recruitment is akin to Apple computers circa 1990 – a superior product but inferior marketing and hence a miniscule market share (if only Canada had a Steve Jobs to market the Maple Leaf abroad!)

Some relief could be in sight: Last week’s federal budget did pledge additional funds to recruiting international students. Yet the 2011 budget made a similar pledge – of $10-million spread over two years – and there was little evidence of this spending visible abroad. And these funds are miniscule compared to those being spent by our competitors, especially Britain and the United States.

If the doubling of international student numbers is achieved in Canada by 2022, it means an estimated $18-billion contribution to the Canadian economy in that year alone. That’s a big-picture, big-ideas scenario, not one allowing room for the sort of execution that does not provide a glass of water to its participants.

Yet that moment was not an exception. One weekend this winter, when Canada was holding another such no-frills education fair in Nairobi, Kenya, the U.S. State Department flew in top Broadway performers hold a glamorous concert, featuring Academy and Grammy award winners spending the better part of a week working with local high-school musical talents and spreading word about their EducationUSA brand.

Americans have been hugely successful in international student recruitment for generations – and, no doubt, they had plenty of water available during their performance.

Mel Broitman is managing director of the Canadian University Application Centre and the editor of Overseas, Overwhelmed, where this article first appeared

EU courts foreign students with new visa rules

March 27, 2013May 13, 2015Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Deutsche Welle

EU countries make it too difficult for foreign students and scientists to come to European universities. The EU Commission wants to change visa processes and entry requirements – yet deeper problems remain.

José Manuel Barroso, President of the EU Commission, had just informed journalists about a Cyprus bailout plan when a young student from Benin, a small country in western Africa, walked up to the microphone.

Bellarminus Kakpovi is currently studying political communications in Belgium’s capital. His path to a European university was not an easy one.

“I had to wait for my Belgian visa for more than three months,” he said. “Students who wanted to go to France had their visas after two weeks. I don’t understand [why] there are such different rules in the EU.”

The student is in fact the invited guest of Cecilia Malmström, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs. Befor Malmström spoke, she allowed the student from Africa to take the floor and talk about his experience with European bureaucracy. Malmström is now introducing a program for improved conditions for students from non-EU countries.

Member state difficulties

Every year, more than 200,000 students and researchers from non-EU countries come to Europe to study. But the visa application process differs from one EU-member state to the next. Each country has its own rules about allowing foreign students and scientists to come to that nation’s universities. Transferring from one member-state to another can be difficult as well.

The EU Commission wants to make the European Union even more desirable as a center for higher education, on par with the US and Australia. To that end, the Commission aims to standardize entry requirements and improve conditions for young academics. In the future, member states should handle visa applications in no more than 60 days, the Commission says. Transfers between universities in different member-states should be easier, and students should be allowed to work at least 20 hours a week.

More measures are necessary

Ulrich Grothus at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also believes that Europe still has to become more attractive for students from non-EU countries. He sees other issues besides entry requirements and visas, though.

“The demand for English-language graduate programs is much higher than the supply in Germany,” he told DW.

Furthermore, foreign diplomas allowing students to apply for university need to be looked at individually, and not by country, he says, to see whether they should be recognized by EU-countries. “With a high school diploma, an American can apply to some of the best universities in the world in her home country. But it doesn’t qualify her to study in Germany,” Grothus said.

He’s in favor of an exam to individually test foreign university applicants. But different educational systems in EU member states, it will be hard to find an EU-wide testing standard.

Step in the right direction

Sandra Haseloff, head of the division for scientific cooperation at the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation, sees the EU’s new suggestions as an important step. “I think and hope that things will be easier. That goes for the handling time of visa applications as well as for the inner-European mobility for students – for example, when they’re in an international PhD program.”

Haseloff thinks that working 20 hours a week while being a full-time student is quite a lot. German law allows foreign students to work 120 full days – or 240 half-days – a year. That includes internships, even unpaid ones. At the EU level, however, there are no such laws.

The European Parliament and the European Council will now discuss the propositions put forth by Commissioner Malmström. The Commission hopes the new laws will come into effect as early as 2016.

And while that may not help Bellarminus Kakpovi from Benin, who will most likely have graduated and received his Belgian diploma by then, it may help students like him.

GMAT Mobility Patterns Reveal Global Talent Flows, Program Diversity

March 6, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

RESTON, Virginia (February 27, 2013)—Graduate management education is becoming more global and more diverse, as a broader range of global applicants are sending their GMAT scores to different types of programs in different parts of the world, according to a trio of student mobility trend reports out today from the Graduate Management Admission Council.

“Test takers today have an increasing number of study opportunities with quality schools emerging all across the world, and more types of graduate level programs to consider,” said Alex Chisholm, GMAC director of statistical analysis. “Test takers sent scores to a record 5,281 programs in 2012, up 21 percent from 2008, reflecting growing interest in a variety of programs and study destinations.”

A record 286,529 GMAT exams were administered in testing year 2012 (ending June 30, 2012), with 831,337 score reports sent to MBA and other types of graduate management programs, according to the GMAC World Geographic Trend Report, which is being released along with the European Geographic Trend Report and the Asian Geographic Trend Report.

The record volume partially reflects increased interest in the GMAT exam with the addition of the Integrated Reasoning section on June 5, 2012. Historically, test volume rises just before changes are made to a standardized exam as test takers opt for a familiar format at the transition. GMAC administers the Graduate Management Admission Test, used in graduate business and management programs worldwide.

Within the latest numbers are signs of increasing diversity. Key trends:

GMAT testing outside of the United States continues to grow quickly, with tests taken by non-US citizens rising 19 percent from 2011 to 2012 and representing 59 percent of global GMAT volume.
More test takers are sending their GMAT scores to specialized master’s degrees in business, such as master of accountancy, finance and management. In 2012, 29 percent of all scores were sent to specialized masters programs, up from 17 percent in 2008.
The percentage of exams taken by women hit 43 percent in 2012—a record for the third straight year. Women made up the majority of test takers for citizen groups in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Russia.
More younger people are taking the exam, as the percentage of tests taken by those younger than 25 was 47 percent in 2012, up from 38 percent in 2008. More than half the Asian and European citizens taking the GMAT exam were under 25.
GMAT testing in the United States picked up slightly in 2012 after falling from recessionary highs recorded in 2009. The percentage of US test takers sending their scores to US schools remains a world-leading 98 percent. The US remains the top score-sending destination, with 76 percent of score reports sent to the US.

With 58,196 exams taken in 2012, Chinese test takers are the second-largest citizenship group after the US and represent 20 percent of global testing. The proportion of scores Chinese citizens sent to the US was up slightly (78 percent in 2012, compared with 77 percent in 2008) as their interest in specialized master’s programs has increased — from 43 percent of scores sent in 2008 to 64 percent in 2012.

Indian citizens, the third-largest citizenship group, took 30,213 GMAT exams in 2012, and test takers are sending a higher percentage of scores to programs in India, the United Kingdom, Singapore, France and Canada.

European citizens sat for 24,847 GMAT exams in 2012, up 26 percent from 2008, and they sent more than 60 percent of their scores to programs in Europe, the highest level ever. Citizens of Germany, France, Russia, Italy and the UK together sat for more than half the region’s exams in 2012.

The World, Asian, and European Geographic Trend Reports are available at gmac.com/geographictrends.

New regulations proposed for student visas in Canada

February 18, 2013May 3, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: ICEF Monitor

As Canada rises up the ranks of leading destination countries for international students, its federal government is planning some important changes to the Canadian student visa system, with the goals of establishing improved protection for students, greater accountability in the visa system, and prevention of fraud.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has just announced that in January 2014, the following changes will take effect for student visas (also known within Canada as “Study Permits”):

All Study Permit holders will be required to be enrolled and actively pursuing a course or programme of study at a designated education institution after arrival in Canada, in order to maintain legal status;
Provincial/territorial governments will designate institutions that are eligible to receive international students, and only students admitted to those institutions will be able to secure a Study Permit;
Designated institutions will have to report to provinces/territories and CIC on international student enrolment and good standing status;
Only those students attending designated education institutions will be granted access to Work Permit programmes;
Work Permit programmes will also only be accessible by full-time students who are enrolled in and actively pursuing an academic, professional or vocational programme leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate;
Full-time international students with valid Study Permits will be allowed to work off-campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week without a Work Permit (that is, Off-Campus Work Permits would no longer be required for such students).

Those institutions that do wish to be designated as eligible to host international students will have to minimally comply with a set of common standards:

Be recognised by the provincial/territorial government as being in good standing;
Have adopted policies and put procedures in place that protect international students including a transparent tuition-fee refund policy made available to all incoming students;
Have clear and well-communicated policies re: language proficiency and credential assessment and recognition for international students;
Have sufficient administrative capacity to provide services that meet the unique needs of international students;
Undertake promotional activities authorised by the province/territory and in line with the Education Canada brand;
Publish a policy that outlines what it takes to be a student in good standing (and this must be consistent with provincial/territorial requirements);
Maintain enrolment-reporting requirements and have a designated individual responsible for confirming the initial enrolment of a student with a Study Permit and reporting on the ongoing enrolment status of all international students with Study Permits at the institution.

Who is eligible?

There are a number of questions arising from the proposed CIC changes but a key one is which institutions will be designated as eligible to receive international students.

If provinces are designating eligible institutions, it seems likely that most will emphasise institutions that are directly under their jurisdiction — that is, those that are regulated in one way or another by provincial or territorial governments in Canada.

This tendency is reflected in the official CIC release that anticipates eligibility for the following categories of institution:

Public post-secondary learning institutions recognised by the province (as well as private post-secondary learning institutions in Quebec that operate under the same rules as public ones there);
Private post-secondary learning institutions recognised by the province but only when students are enrolled in a study programme that leads to a degree as authorised by the province;
Learning institutions within a public school board or district that are funded by and accountable to the province;
Independent or private learning institutions that deliver provincial curricula.

Canadian language institutes, which are not commonly regulated at the provincial level, do not appear on this list. This raises the question of how such programmes would be recognised under the new regulations and what the implications may be for students engaged in longer-term studies, or any language programme requiring a Work Permit, in 2014.

Gonzalo Peralta is the executive director of Languages Canada, the Canadian accrediting association for language institutes. In a recent discussion with ICEF Monitor, he noted:

“If all the stakeholders work together — governments, institutions, associations — we should see an outstanding environment for international students in Canada.

At the same time, we don’t want this new policy to have a negative impact on our sector. Language education is not recognised in the proposed regulations — the provinces have been asked to designate eligible institutions but they do not regulate language instruction — and our top priority is to have this recognition established before the regulations are implemented in January 2014.”

To that end, we have established cooperative agreements between Languages Canada and the federal government and also with provincial governments across the country. We are also participating fully in CIC’s consultative process for the new regulations.”

Consultation before implementation

CIC is now entering into a consultation process with all stakeholders who will be affected by the changes, including provincial/territorial governments and education associations. The intent of the consultations will be to fully communicate the extent and intended interpretation of the changes as well as to refine the regulations further as required.

While questions around the implementation of the proposed changes remain, CIC’s goal of increasing the integrity and accountability of Canada’s International Student Program is being supported by most stakeholders.

Languages Canada is entirely supportive of [the proposed changes] as they pertain to issues of quality assurance, protection of students, and prevention of fraud,” says Peralta. “The devil, as they say, is in the details.”