Sparsh Sharma – Canada India Education Council

Schulich School of Business to launch Hyderabad MBA program

August 16, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Canada’s Schulich School of Business, which will soon launch a new MBA program in Hyderabad in collaboration with the GMR Group, has recently been ranked by Britain’s prestigious Economist magazine as having the world’s #1 EMBA program.

The Economist, which has produced an annual ranking of the globe’s top MBA programs for more than a decade, has ranked the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program #1 in the world in its first ever survey of Executive MBA programs.

Based in Toronto, Canada, the Kellogg-Schulich EMBA program finished ahead of EMBA programs offered by a number of the world’s top business schools, including UCLA, Oxford, Chicago and IMD. Schulich offers the EMBA program in partnership with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, USA.

Schulich will open its doors in September to 40 MBA students in Hyderabad, India as part of a new twinning arrangement between the School and GMR School of Business, an educational initiative of GMR Varalakshmi Foundation of the GMR Group, India’s leading infrastructure major. Students will spend Year 1 at the Hyderabad campus and Year 2 at Schulich’s Toronto campus, and Schulich faculty will teach all of the courses in Hyderabad, as well as in Toronto. Schulich also plans to offer an Executive MBA program at the Hyderabad campus beginning as early as 2015.

According to The Economist, the Kellogg-Schulich EMBA was best in the world in a number of categories, including: program quality, facilities, program content and electives, networking and the extent to which the program has helped fulfill pre-EMBA goals.

The Economist is the only major business publication that rates business schools on criteria deemed most important to students and alumni – everything from diversity of career opportunities to earning potential and networking opportunities. The Economist EMBA survey measured two broad categories: the personal development and educational experience of students and alumni and career development. Within these categories, the Economist scored programs using 27 different criteria, including the quality and diversity of students, the quality of the faculty, the percentage of students who receive a promotion after they graduate and the average salary increase graduates can expect. The final scores are based on a mixture of student-reported salaries, student ratings and data provided by the schools.

“We’re proud to have been rated as the world’s best EMBA program,” said Dezsö J. Horváth, Dean of the Schulich School of Business. “We’ve worked very hard since the launch of the program in 2001 to make it a world-class degree that offers truly global career opportunities for executives aspiring to senior leadership roles.” Added Horváth: “We intend to offer that same level of excellence in the Schulich MBA in India program that will commence this September at the newly constructed GMR School of Business.”

Schulich’s ties to India go back more than 20 years. The School has had exchange partner agreements with a number of India’s leading management schools, including the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad. In 2005, Schulich opened an international satellite centre in Mumbai that: recruits talented students; provides career placement services to Schulich students and alumni seeking career opportunities in India; offers Executive and Leadership Development programming for Indian executives; supports Schulich’s alumni chapter in India; and manages local media relations.

Schulich previously offered the Schulich MBA in India program in partnership with the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in Mumbai. The Schulich MBA in India, which launched in January 2010, was the first MBA program to be delivered in India by a leading international business school. Three cohorts have so far graduated through the program.

About Schulich

Known as Canada’s Global Business School™, the Schulich School of Business in Toronto is ranked among the world’s leading business schools by a number of global surveys, including The Economist, Forbes, Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Expansión (a Time Warner publication based in Mexico City) and The Aspen Institute (a Washington, DC-based leadership think tank). Schulich’s MBA program is ranked #1 in Canada by The Economist, Forbes, The Aspen Institute and Expansión. The Aspen Institute survey measures which schools are doing the best job of preparing future business leaders for the environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day business. Schulich is ranked #2 in the world in the Aspen Institute’s most recent global survey, and #1 in the world in its previous survey. The Kellogg-Schulich EMBA program is ranked #1 in the world by The Economist, #5 in the world by The Wall Street Journal (as part of the Kellogg global network of EMBA partner schools) and #1 in Canada and 27th in the world by the Financial Times of London.

Global, innovative and diverse, Schulich offers business programs year-round at its state-of-the-art complex at York University; at its Miles S. Nadal Management Centre located in the heart of the Toronto’s financial district; and at a new campus in Hyderabad, India. Schulich also operates a number of satellite centres in Beijing and Shanghai, China; Mumbai, India; Seoul, South Korea; Mexico City, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Schulich offers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate business degrees that lead to rewarding careers in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, and has more than 24,000 alumni working in over 90 countries. The School pioneered Canada’s first International MBA (IMBA) and International BBA (iBBA) degrees, as well as North America’s first ever cross-border executive MBA degree, the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA. In addition to Schulich’s Master of Finance and Master of Accounting degrees, the School recently launched one of the world’s first Master of Science in Business Analytics degrees. Schulich’s Executive Education Centre provides executive development programs annually to more than 12,000 executives in Canada and abroad.

TOP CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES TO TOUR INDIA

August 16, 2013August 16, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

by Sparsh Sharma

MUMBAI: Nine elite Canadian universities are coming to India from August 19th to August 31st, 2013 to meet with top Indian students and discuss Canada as a premier destination for higher education. The delegation is led by Robert Finlayson of Carleton University in Ottawa and Michelle Beaton of Ryerson University in Toronto. The tour, organized by the Canadian Higher Education Committee (CHEC), under the aegis of the Council of International Schools (CIS), is in its ninth year and will include stops in Mumbai, New Delhi, Dehradun, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

The tour is of special interest to Standard XI and Standard XII students who exhibit strong academic standing, school guidance counselors and parents. The tour schedule will include a combination of visits to select school and information fairs.

“India is a key undergraduate student market for Canadian universities,” said Robert Finlayson of Carleton University and Tour Director. “Indian students are sought for their academic strength and their rich contribution to student life on Canadian university campuses. Each year we are seeing more Indian students choosing Canada as their first choice for study – as evidenced by the success of this tour. Indian students are drawn to our universities’ common attributes of international reputation for academic excellence, state of the art resources, and safe campuses in welcoming locations,” Finlayson said.

List of participating universities in 2013:

University of British Columbia, Carleton University, Concordia University, Guelph University, McGill University, Queens University, Ryerson University, University of Toronto, York University.

Why Canada?

Canadian universities are engaged internationally as leaders in education through teaching, research and partnerships. Undergraduate education in Canada is a hybrid of US and UK styles offering breadth of program options, flexibility in choice and a degree that is ultimately recognized world-wide.

Indian students choose Canada because a strong education and a positive international experience is the foundation for their exciting and successful futures. The quality, affordability and renowned research opportunities are key factors in this decision. University campuses across Canada offer multicultural environments, beautiful spaces and friendly people. As a leader in business, political diplomacy, arts and culture and technology, Canada’s education system is at the core of its success and its graduates are players on the world stage.

Council of International Schools Backgrounder:

The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a non-profit, international educational organization that facilitates links between institutions of higher education and secondary schools to increase their visibility with school leavers and the school guidance community. The 40+ CIS Canadian higher education member universities’ interests are supported through the efforts of the eight person team of member volunteers that comprise the Canadian Higher Education Committee (CHEC). The Committee’s goal is to facilitate the exchange of information about Canadian higher education between international schools and the CIS Canadian higher education membership through various activities such as recruitment tours, like the 2013 India tour.

Anaroop Kerketta Wins Indo-Canada Student Innovation Award 2013

March 15, 2013May 18, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Sparsh Sharma

Mr. Anaroop Kerketta from the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) IIT Bombay won the third Indo-Canada Student Innovation Award for 2013. The short animation Inside My Mind was selected by the jury and the public from 15 finalists. The Consul General for Canada in Mumbai, Mr. Richard Bale presented award to Mr. Anaroop Kerketta during the Best Animation Film (BAF) Awards Ceremony at the FICCI Frames Conference 2013 in Mumbai. The winning short film can be viewed online.

The Government of Canada and Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology (Seneca) in Toronto, Canada in association with Mumbai’s Frameboxx Animation & Visual Effects are excited to have sponsored this award for the third edition of the Indo-Canada Student Innovation Award 2013 (ICSIA 2013). Seneca and Frameboxx will provide Mr. Kerketta with a one-week training session in animation and visual effects at Seneca, a return economy class ticket from Mumbai to Toronto, as well as accommodation and living expenses for the week. Each year this competition provides an opportunity to Indian students to showcase their artistic creativity, animation technique and innovation.

On presenting the award, Richard Bale said “Canada is home to leading animation firms and technology and has a lot to offer through its innovative training institutions. Anaroop Kerketta will now have the exciting opportunity to work with leading technology and an exceptional talent pool in Canada.”

The jury consisted of Mark Jones from Toronto’s Seneca College, Steve Kahwati from Toronto’s 728 Digital Pictures, Munjal Shroff from Mumbai’s Graphiti Multimedia, Kireet Khurana from Mumbai’s Climb Media, and Richard Bale Consul General for Canada in Mumbai. The winner was selected based on a combination of technical marks from the jury and votes from the general public at the online poll portal.

‘This experience is something that no classroom can teach you…’

February 15, 2013May 18, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Sparsh Sharma

A group of 19 MBA students from Université Laval – located in Québec City in Canada, a city recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site – were on a study tour to India. This is the fourth time in five years that a team from the university came to India. Given their success in the previous years, the university decided to come back again this year.

The students travelled to different cities in India mainly to meet companies and promote their products and services and perfect their knowledge of India. The Canadian students represented 19 different companies in varied sectors like education, foods, manufacturing, IT, entertainment, beverages, etc.

Geneviève Marcotte, coordinator of the tour and a participant, answers some questions about the group’s visit:

How would the knowledge be useful to the group and the companies they represent?
GM: This experience is something that no classroom can teach you; after doing in-depth research before coming here and then meeting with your contacts on the field makes us realise the fruit of our labour, which is most certainly rewarding.

I believe that all students should take part in a trade mission like ours, as the experience shows you how small the world really is, and how accessible international markets are. International trade is important to both Canada and India. All the resources offered, in Canada and on the field here in India, were extremely useful for my future career of working in international business development as they were for all students involved in the study tour.

What was the methodology behind the study tour?
GM: Université Laval acts as a non-profit organisation that offers Canadian companies the opportunity to develop their international market. Our team is young, dynamic and benefits from accumulated knowledge of our 16 years of existence. Over 400 companies such as Bombardier, Maison Simons, Philips Lumec, etc. have already used our services. Our agents not only receive training from field experts but also work year-long to perfect their knowledge about the country abroad, its culture, economy, politics and language(s). Before getting into a trade mission like this, they do a market study to be sure about the best way to penetrate that particular market. It is a good opportunity for companies that desire to penetrate new markets and obtain professional, personalised service at an exceptionally competitive price. The University of Laval Commercial Missions is here to facilitate a period of transition to these new markets. From market potential evaluation to importation and exportation logistics, possible entry modes, technical representation as well as searching for distributors and clients, development agents, or the MBA students this time, worked three weeks in India to reach all goals of Canadian enterprise. Companies wanting to participate in our trade missions pay an amount which covers only cost for mission such as hotel, per diem and transport.

Would the products be marketed focusing on the Indian market?
GM: I think the business opportunity in India is immense but foreign companies must be very careful while entering this market. Though marketing is an important process in selling most products, the cultural challenges and political barriers are numerous. Obtaining permits can take long, finding the right distributor can be difficult and finding the right logistic strategy to make it all work is the key. Marketing will come once you have everything else in place, and if you have done all other things correctly, the publicity and advertisement will find results by itself with minimal effort.

Did your group’s impression about India change?
GM: It’s my second time in India and every time I discover a wonderful country with people wanting to learn more about us and teach a lot about their culture. It’s amazing. We thought India is a misinterpreted country: the advances that have been made, the technology available is impressive and the stereotype of ‘poor India’ is misleading. Businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) all across the country, offer a wide range of high-quality products and services, and I think many people confuse lower production prices to lower quality. When you look at a giant like Tata, and all of the industries they are able to thrive in, it gives you a great example of the wide range of available knowledge, and its influence on the global scale.

Nader Daher: “India is a very sense-awakening place. Doing business here is a full human experience.”

Jonathan Bouvrette: “India brings a model of cooperation through open-mindedness”

Simon Lemay-Roux: “India is an incredible experience – business-wise as well as personally.”

Marie-Pier Michaud: “Canada and India are so different that every aspect of India becomes so impressive.”

SNDT signs MoU with UQAM

February 15, 2013May 18, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Sparsh Sharma

Christiane Piche, the deputy minister of education, Quebéc province, Canada, was in Mumbai recently, leading a delegation to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women’s University and Université du Québec a Montréal (UQAM), Canada.

The former professor and pro-vice chancellor for research and academic affairs at Université Laval talked about the MoU and future tie-ups between Quebéc and Indian universities.

Tell us more about the SNDT MoU.
CP: While UQAM has a strong department for women studies with a 100 staff, SNDT too is a very strong institution and both have many things in common. So we decided to sign a MoU for large scale programmes on women’s studies as also student and scholar exchanges. The initial process had begun in the year 2008 and finally reached the MoU stage this year. The tie-up signifies a start in cooperation between the two entities, an exchange of professors is what is foreseen at present, after which, student exchanges, joint study programmes are likely to emerge in the course of time. Women’s studies and distance education are the two largest areas of study between the UQAM and SNDT. Given Québec and Canada’s large requirement for trained nurses, the nursing school of SNDT is likely to have more specific courses on nursing for training their students to be employable in the Canadian market.

Can Indian students expect some initiatives from Quebéc?
CP: We plan to encourage more Indian students to come, study and work in Quebéc. The tuition fee in our institutions is lesser compared to rest of North America. We offer 29 annual scholarships to Indian students that are worth CAD250,000. The selected students have to pay the same tuition fee as Quebéc students. More than 100 students apply each year for these scholarships through the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute in Pondicherry. We are also in the process of announcing 9-12 new scholarships for Indian students.

“This is my first trip to India. I am proud of what leading academic institutions in India are doing. There are many common things, good infrastructure and the future looks promising for Quebéc-India university tie-ups.”

TIMELINE:

20th January 2006: Signing of the first cooperation agreement between Maharashtra and Québec, signed by Vilasrao Deshmukh (then chief minister) and Jean Charest, premier of Québec
31st January 2010: Creation of the first steering committee on cooperation between Québec and Maharashtra
30th January 2012: Creation of the second steering committee on cooperation and signing of the letter of intention on cooperation in health between Québec and Maharashtra, where companies from Québec will have access to the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of the government of Maharashtra.

On the art front, Quebéc has created the first artists’ residence in Mumbai, where artists from Québec will be able to come over for a period of three-six months to work here. Selected Indian artists will go to Québec and work for short periods.

From 600 Indian students in Quebéc in 2010, there are approximately 800 students this year, with 53% doing their masters.

York University has over 300 corporate and internship partners

February 15, 2013May 18, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Sparsh Sharma

Charmaine Courtis, executive director, student services and international relations, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada, was in India. HT Education caught up with her for an exclusive interview. Some excerpts:

Tell us about Schulich.
CC: It is the largest graduate school in Canada with 650 full-time and 450 part-time students. We offer 19 different specialisations. We are very flexible and students can opt for a bouquet of subjects. They can take classes for different subjects during the day or evening or the weekends. It is a program that suits your goal. The syllabus is same for the first year while in the second year, students can take up to two specialisations, for e.g. finance along with financial engineering or financial services or arts and media administration. The course can be completed in 16 months going straight through or in two years (latter includes a break for a three-month internship). The average age of our students is 28-29 years and their average work experience is five-six years. The acceptable range of GMAT scores is from 600 to 700+ but the average is 670. The female students’ population is 39% currently but we are working on increasing it.

We are very innovative and have a number of firsts like – specialised programs in entrepreneurial studies, MBA/JD (Juris Doctor) for lawyers, arts and media administration, nonprofit management, business sustainability, business ethics, real estate and infrastructure, health industry and public sector management. We launched a global mining management program in November 2011. We will officially open the school’s new Centre for Global Enterprise focused on the globalisation of small-to-medium-sized enterprises, soon. We have 75 partnerships with leading business management schools globally and more than 23,000 alumni living and working in over 90 countries.

What are the programs and specializations offered?
CC: Bachelor of business administration (BBA), international BBA(iBBA), master of business administration (MBA), international MBA, executive MBA, MBA/JD, master of fine arts, master of arts (MFA/MBA), MBA in India, master of public administration, master of finance (MF), and the PhD. Specialisations include the standard functional areas as well as many corporate sector areas accounting, economics, finance, marketing, operations management and information systems, organisation studies, strategic management. There is post-MBA diploma in advanced management, financial engineering diploma designed for those MBA grads who want to return for additional specializations and executive programs.

Are international tie-ups the new buzz word for universities in the West?
CC: Our school has a global orientation. Dean Dezso Horvath, a visionary, has led the school for 23 years and has always felt this was the direction to take the school. This global ethos is apparent in our programming and planning. We have several satellite centres internationally besides the main $100million facility in Toronto. We are running our India program with twinning partner SP Jain institute of management research in Mumbai and the third batch has started this January. It is good to see the program grow from an idea to reality. The students study in India for six months and in Toronto for the remaining duration. Seven years ago, we started hunting for places abroad and when it came to opening a campus in Asia, we chose India due to the growing middle-class population here, the limited availability and the high demand of top-level business schools, English being the language of instruction in most educational institutes and its use in official communication. GMR has offered to build us a campus near Hyderabad airport and will finish constructing it by 2013. We are hopeful that the government allows foreign universities to operate as standalone institutions by then. We will take our first class there for September 2013. The long term goal is to have as diverse a campus with students from several countries and tuition fees would be on the lines of that in the Toronto campus.

What are the part-time and full-time job opportunities for international students?
CC: There are several part-time jobs available on campus and in Canada. Students have to work on-campus for six months and can work off-campus after that for 20 hours per week. They can work as research or library assistant, parking attendant etc. on campus. There are internship opportunities for three-months during the program between first and second year, when they work full-time off campus. The average salary, post-MBA from Schulich, is CAD85,000 per annum in 2011. We have over 300 corporate and internship partners. Toronto, being the financial capital of Canada, salaries are higher there.

Moreover, we make students work on a mandatory strategy field study in their second year. They have to thoroughly study real companies, what areas they need to focus on to improve efficiency and net profits. Students give evidence for every conclusion they derive. Companies have been implementing those suggestions. This gives our students an edge and confidence to enter the corporate world. Canada is very open to educated people and gives work permits up to three-years, after which, students can apply for permanent residency, if they wish to continue living in the country.

Tell us more about the different rankings.
CC: We are among the top B-schools in the world. We have been ranked No. 2 in the Apen Institutes Grey Pinstripes for corporate social responsibility and business and sustainability, No. 9 globally in The Economist ranking and No. 11 globally in the Financial Times of London Executive MBA ranking. Schulich is second among Canadian schools in the 2011 global MBA ranking of Financial Times (FT). The FT MBA ranking pulls down all Canadian b-schools because of the importance they give to the salary of students at graduation.

What are the financial aids, scholarships and grants available to the students applying to study at Schulich?
CC: The tuition fee is CAD30,000 per annum. There are several entrance scholarships ranging from CAD5,000-CAD20,000. Only the top 20% of the class get them. Students have to meet the eligibility criteria and give interviews before getting the scholarships. There are many bursaries available too.

How is the student life and diversity at your campus?
CC: We are Canada’s global B-school with 55% international students coming from around the globe and with work experience in all sectors. A class comprises lawyers, doctors, business graduates, engineers and even those with an arts background. There are 52 clubs on the Schulich campus apart from several more at York University. York is the third largest university in Canada with 55,000 students. Our faculty is one of the best in the world and come from different countries. In student services and international relations, there are many professionals on teams working under me to help students with different needs – from admissions through to graduation. Likewise, we have a very large career development centre with programming that starts at the beginning of the program and carries through till placement.

Study Abroad

February 15, 2013May 18, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Sparsh Sharma

B-schools abroad are realising the importance of their students learning additional languages besides English, as businesses become more globalised and new markets emerge

In most parts of the world, English is the standard language of business but it is not the only one in an increasingly global business environment, as more B-schools abroad are recognising. MBA programmes abroad have realised the importance of not just traditionally popular languages like French or Spanish but also newer ones like Arabic, Hindi, and Mandarin.

Key to success
Dr Jack McGourty, director of community and global entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School and faculty member teaching graduate courses in entrepreneurship, venture creation and technology management at Columbia University, USA, says, “No matter what your chosen career path is, today, being facile in more than one language will enhance a manager’s ability to navigate complex global business and cultural environments. Graduate business programmes should offer students alternative vehicles, integrated with curricular programmes, to increase proficiency in languages of choice.”

Columbia Business School’s Chazen Institute offers several programmes to enhance students’ language proficiency including MBA exchange, global immersion programme and the Chazen language programme, offering courses in Arabic, business English, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

Charmaine Courtis, executive director, student services and international relations, Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada, says, “The international MBA (IMBA) programme at Schulich recently celebrated its 20^th anniversary. This programme, right from the original format, has required students to develop a second language and an expertise in the region of the world where that language is the language of business. We recognised, two decades ago, that this was the only way to establish oneself in a global context. Having just recently attended an IMBA alumni-connect event, I was amazed to see how this has set our graduates apart. They are making a difference around the globe.”

At Cambridge Judge Business School in UK, one of the electives/ projects in the MBA requires students to learn Mandarin.

Dr. Jochen Runde, director of the MBA at the prestigious B-school, says, “This is a beginners’ course that is offered at the end of the academic year to our MBA students. For most of the attending students, successful completion of the course is a requisite for completing their studies. The course focuses on three language skills: listening, speaking and reading. Due to the complex nature of the Chinese writing system (characters rather than an alphabet), writing is not one of the main aims of this course. We are offering this course as a summer activity option because of the ever-growing importance of China in the world economy. The aim is to give our non-Mandarin speaking students an opportunity to develop some of the language skills they will need to make them more effective in this arena.”

At the leading Aarhus University (AU) of Denmark, the average student arrives already proficient in two or three languages. Lene Pederson, the MBA programme manager at AU’s School of Business and Social Sciences, says, “It’s amazing to find that some students are proficient in more than three languages too. A growing number of students from Asian countries already know English in addition to their native languages. Most of them then learn Danish language also, once they are here.”

Exchange programmes play a part
According to Laura Wood, director of international programmes and services, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada, exchange programmes play an important part in learning different languages and cultures.

“With an already global student body from 32 countries speaking 37 languages, Rotman encourages all students to further internationalise their degree through international exchange programmes, study tours, a module on doing business internationally and consulting projects or internships. Participation in these programmes certainly provides students with the opportunity to practice foreign language skills, contributing to both their personal and professional development as well as the B-school’s linguistic and cultural diversity,” says Wood.

Understanding culture also important
According to Narayanan Ramaswamy, partner of management consulting, KPMG India, it’s not only an issue of learning languages. “It’s not a language issue alone. Understanding the culture and being culturally-sensitive is as important as communication skills. A good manager is required to develop additional language skills. It is a major differentiator in a competitive global market. Knowledge of more languages is always welcome.”

Canada beckons

February 15, 2013May 18, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Sparsh Sharma

With post-degree job opportunities on the decline in much of the developed world, several visa restrictions in the UK, comparatively higher cost of education in the USA, and racist attacks in Australia, Canada is fast emerging as an upcoming destination for many Indian students wanting to study abroad. In several United Nations’ surveys, Canada has been found to be one of the best places to live in the world with low crime rates, high life expectancy, and better access to education.

Jugnu Dutta, an international education consultant from Navi Mumbai, agrees with the trend. “A degree/diploma from a Canadian institution is globally recognised. Canadian immigration process has been relaxed for international students, giving the students an opportunity to look for jobs and eventually apply for Permanent Residency (PR). International students in Canada are permitted to work part time for 20 hours/week (first six months in campus and off campus thereafter). During vacations, international students can work up to 40 hours. Average pay for part time job is C$8 – C$11 per hour. All these factors have made the country a much-preferred destination for Indian students,” says Dutta.

Also, since Canada is one of the most multicultural and diverse countries in the world and accepts people from different backgrounds, international students acclimatise better in Canada than in other countries, according to Imran Kanga, associate director, student services and international relations, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto. “Traditionally, the UK, USA and Australia were prime destinations for students. At the moment, the US economy is not doing very well and so international students are having trouble finding jobs, especially because in the US, companies have to sponsor visas for students. The UK has put breaks on immigration altogether and students have to leave the country once they are done with their studies. Canada on the other hand welcomes international students from all over the world, as is evident by the work permit incentive that is automatically given to students post their graduation, which allows them to stay in Canada for up to three years after completing their studies. The Canadian economy is very stable, and our financial system is sound. This means that students are not struggling to find work after they graduate, as the market is receptive. This helps because students are able to work and pay back their student loans faster,” he says.

The students get a chance to mix and learn from a diverse peer groups consisting of students from all over the world and from varying work and educational backgrounds. Canada is a very safe place, the people are extremely warm, friendly and students, who go to Canada, have very enriching experiences.

Sharath Janakiraman, current MBA student at Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, says, “Despite the rigour, it is not ‘all work and no play’. Social events, exhilarating post-exam celebration parties and various sports activities have been able to add enough fun to my MBA experience. Although this was the first time I am living outside India for such a long time, the warmth of people in Toronto always makes me feel at home.”

The number of international students has increased over the years, in Canada. A trend confirmed by counselors and universities. “Along with the Canadian students, our complement of international students has also grown, from 22 countries represented six years ago, to more than 600 students and 75 countries on campus today,” tells Paul Marck, media relations coordinator, University of British Columbia, Okanagan. Even at universities like Thompson Rivers University, situated in Kamloops (an interior area of British Columbia province), there are international students from more than 80 countries.

Besides many part time jobs available for students, many colleges and universities offer paid or unpaid internships for a few months during the length of the program, especially in post-graduate programs like MBA.

Sheldon Dookeran, assistant director, full time MBA admissions, Rotman School of Management, says, “Students who complete a full time program of study longer than eight months and less than two years can receive a work permit lasting just as long as the program lasted. Better yet, students who complete a program of two years or more in length, such as an undergraduate degree or an MBA, can receive a three-year work permit, within which time they can then apply for PR, if they choose to stay longer. Canada is known for its quality education, cultural comfort and job opportunities. There are 31 student groups and clubs on our campus. Rotman’s strategic location in Toronto and recruiter reputation contributes to its 88% internship rate and 85% employment rate within three months of graduation.”

Many universities and community colleges accept applications on a rolling basis. This means that the admissions committee continues to make offers of admission to qualified applicants until a particular intake reaches its enrolment capacity. However, international students are advised to apply early as admission and scholarships grow more competitive around the second or third deadlines. The application deadline for many programs starting in September (fall) intake starts from the first week of February. At Thompson Rivers University, it starts from mid-May for the September intake. Schulich offers an India MBA program, too, which starts in January and the application deadline for which is November 1.

“All Canadian universities/community colleges have intakes in August/September. Some also provide January/February or May intakes. Few community colleges have three to four intakes in a year. The certificates are usually categorised into certificates, diploma, advanced diploma, bachelor’s degree, post graduate diploma, post graduate certificates, master’s degree and Ph.D. Some of the prominent courses at the graduate level are MBA, PGD in management, MS and LLB while at the undergraduate level; it is the Bachelor of Administrative Studies or Bachelor of Engineering,” adds Dutta.

Unlike India, Canada doesn’t have a central education system and hence is under the jurisdiction of each province. All major universities in Canada are publicly funded whereas the private universities are relatively new and usually offer undergraduate courses. There are approximately 92 universities and 175 community colleges in Canada.

Some popular universities among international students:

University of Toronto
York University
McGill University
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
Queen’s University

Some popular community colleges among international students:

Centennial
Sheridan
Seneca
Humber
Durham
George Brown

Cost of education – The fees ranges from CAD6,000 to CAD30,000 per year. Usually the universities are more expensive than community colleges. Getting admission in a university is comparatively more difficult than community colleges. Also, most universities accept a minimum of 16 years of education while most community colleges accept 15 years of education.

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Indian students receive four-month long fellowship in Canada

February 15, 2013May 18, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Sparsh Sharma

Ryerson University’s innovative Digital Media Zone is going to help them transform their business concepts

Sheldon Levy, president of Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, recently introduced four vibrant Indian students selected for fellowships at the university’s dynamic Digital Media Zone (DMZ) – a hub for collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship. The fellows will have a four-month term to transform their digital ideas into innovative businesses and business solutions.

“I have always believed that great things come from innovation and the sharing of ideas. These fellowships are a wonderful opportunity to bring some of the best, brightest and most entrepreneurial students from India together with Canadian entrepreneurs and innovators to learn, innovate and explore new digital business opportunities together,” said Levy.

Three of the fellows – Sharanya Aiyahna Haridas, Siddharth Kumar Thakur and Celestine Preetham – are from IIT-Madras and G Visweswaran is from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Three more fellows have been shortlisted from IIT-Delhi and their names would be announced formally soon (see box 3). The university worked with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to reach out to students at these three top institutes.

Haridas is founder-CEO of Young Folks Media and That’s So Gloss; Thakur is founder of ScanBox, Preetham is founder of TravelNet App and Visweswaran is co-founder and vice president of My IndiEye (see box 2). The fellowships are valued at approximately Rs5,95,000 each (CAD12,500).

“This international fellowship programme is about bringing together global talent to create the innovations of the future, to share and grow the success of the DMZ working model. At Ryerson, we are very excited to offer these opportunities and we cannot wait to see the results,” added Levy.

How were these students selected?
SL: We were looking for students who had a unique, innovative business idea, enabled by digital media that brings commercial or social value. The candidates who met these criteria were then assessed on how unique or innovative their idea was; how feasible it is to develop; is it marketable; and if it will fit in with the collaborative nature of the DMZ.

How are the fellows going to be mentored?
SL: The DMZ will set up space for them; connect them to our internal networks and systems and support them by giving them access to a range of industry experts, who will provide information and advice on business planning, presentations, funding, accounting, patents, intellectual property rights, marketing and more.

Tell us about the DMZ.
SL: Opened in April 2010, Ryerson University’s DMZ is a multi-disciplinary workspace for young start-up companies infused with the energy and resources of downtown Toronto. It’s a place for innovating, collaborating and marketing new products and services, and it’s where commercial enterprises can turn to, for progressive and creative digital solutions. Till date, the DMZ has helped more than 166 innovators to incubate and accelerate 36 start-ups and to launch 61 projects. Fellowships with students from China are going to be announced shortly.

Where did this unique idea of having a DMZ come from?
SL: We know that students and young people are major contributors to the innovation agenda, and their ideas and energy are incredible. At Ryerson, our goal is to keep that talent and energy in Canada, rather than training our young people to work in USA’s Silicon Valley. We created the zone with this idea in mind, to encourage and showcase our emerging talent and to connect students and young alumni with the private and public sector.

About the start-ups:

That’s So Gloss: India’s first web-zine and online community for teen girls and young women
TravelNet: Mobile app and internet-based service that uses GPS and telecom technology to connect ride-seekers, vehicles and traffic control
ScanBox: Web-based service company with a clear focus on simplicity, value creation and great user experience
My IndiEye: Mobile sightseeing platform for travelers

IIT-Delhi’s fellows:
Alok Nikhil Jha – MyMovie: Online movie selection, ticketing, and more
Avnish Gaur – AskMePrice: Product search website based on price, location and other variables
Abhishek Gupta and Saurabh Kumar – Zumbl: Avatar-based, anonymous chat website.