Canada India Education Information & Networking Opportunities
This discussion will be a unique way to engage each other as we share best practices, reflect on the past year and prepare for the future. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts as we collaboratively work our way out of this pandemic. Topics open for discussion include:
Smaller cities across Canada are witnessing an greater rise in the number of new Canadians moving in than traditional cultural hubs.
A recent article on Canada Campus Visits looked at many of the benefits and drawbacks of the study abroad experience. For some, traveling to a new country can be something they have looked forward to for years. Others though might be hesitant to leave their friends and family before going to a part of the world they barely know.
A new survey of 2,700 international students names Canada as the best country for studying abroad for the second consecutive year. While other countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, and the USA are typically thought of as leading places to earn an international education, overseas learners chose Canada once again.
The provincial government hopes to improve the reputation of Manitoba as a top-tier study abroad destination in Canada as well as among the prairie provinces. It is currently the fifth most popular Canadian province for overseas education.
The federal government has released a guide for international students who are coming to Canada, and navigating travel restrictions. It’s called “COVID-19: Guide for International Students in Canada Arriving from Abroad.”
A four-week academic program offered by various Faculties at the University of British Columbia, in Canada, for students from cooperating universities.
Source: The PIE News
Industry experts believe that the Canadian international education industry is starting to the global recognition it deserves.
Source: ICEF Monitor
A series of recent surveys and interviews highlights the importance of career goals in the decision making of Indian students.
Source: Study International
The results of a recent survey suggest that more than 60% of students who come to Canada to complete their post-secondary education hope to become permanent residents of ‘The Great White North’ after they graduate.
While pathways to citizenship currently exist for international students, both the government and various institutions feel more can be done. In the coming years, an increased number of employment opportunities, international programs and scholarships will be made available to help make these students feel more at home while they study abroad in Canada.
For further details on the study, visit Study International.
Pack your bags & get ready! Take #TheCanadaChallenge quiz and you could win a free tour of Canada!
Source: The Economic Times
Students from India are increasingly travelling overseas in order to pursue Master’s degrees in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The number of applications for prospective Indian students has doubled in the last year alone.
The AI industry currently faces a talent in shortage and specialists are in high demand. Furthermore, 20-30% of students have been said to desire a master’s specialization over a MBA. Students see AI as a field that is not only trending upward in terms of popularity but one that will lead to employability.
Source: Study International
A recent survey suggests Canada is increasing in popularity as a study abroad destination among students around the world. Scholarship opportunities and the chance to work in the country upon graduating are among the top reasons students are now considering Canada more than the United States or United Kingdom. If this rise in popularity can be sustained, it is believed that Canada will host more international students than the UK in the years ahead.
Source: Lindsay Advocate
“I struggled here, but got a good life as a reward.”
Source: Toronto Star
36% of the children of immigrants held university degrees in Canada.
Source: Times Higher Education
If you’re interested in studying in Canada, one of the most important things to consider is how much everything is going to cost.
Source: Little India
Why are Indian students increasingly choosing to study in Canada? “I chose Canada for more practical reasons,” says Meera Patel.
Source: The PIE
IRCC reported there were 414,946 study visa holders in the country as of December 2016, up from just over 351,000 students the year before.
Source: Hindustan Times
Right from picking the right course to visa procedures, it is best to research well and prepare a strong application.
Source: BBC News
Canada has joined the top ranks of the world’s best education system – and its secret weapon has been fairness.
Source: The PIE
Many students who have access to international experiences during higher education don’t realise their value until after they have graduated, according to a recent survey. It found that study abroad, overseas internships, language courses and intercultural exchanges are all overlooked by students as they studied. However, in the survey of more than 1,000 graduates, three-quarters said they felt it was the responsibility of their institutions to offer access to international opportunities.
For the full article, visit The PIE.
By Adrien Mutton
India, the second largest source market poses immense challenges to institutions wanting to recruit the best and brightest from this market. Numbers are never an issue, however if you are an institution wanting to be a quality recruiter, it will be a long and tough battle.
Unlike most other countries where students don’t link their education to a job as an end result, Indian students are extremely value and return on investment oriented. They are also migration focused and this is across the entire spectrum of student population leaving Indian shores. So if the students perceive that the destination is not offering a quantifiable end result in the form of potential salary they can earn, they will not consider the country while assessing their study abroad options.
With International offices coming under immense pressure to recruit more students from India, quality more often than not is the first one to be sacrificed. And in the long run this results in creating damage for the brand reputation. Institutions need to have a nuanced understanding of the heterogeneity of India, of the various state and central government boards of examinations alongside the standing of central, state and private universities. For example there are state board examinations where the marking of answer sheets is extremely stringent and on the other end of the spectrum you would have state boards that are very generous in awarding marks to students. The same goes for university examinations as well. So a 55% student from these contrasting boards would have to be judged very differently. These are some of the complexities that are brought on by the heterogeneity in the market in terms of systems, preferences, attitude towards expenditure on education etc.
With a gross enrolment ratio of approximately 12%, India has added 20,000 colleges in a decade with the number of degree granting universities doubling as well in the same period. There has been an explosion in the number of private universities. The number of private universities has grown from 10 in 2006 to 145 in 2012. There is a huge issue of quality here. Substandard private universities are common. A survey conducted by PurpleLeap, a joint venture between Pearson and Educomp Solutions, says only 12 per cent of the surveyed undergraduate engineering students were employment ready. While 52 per cent of the students were trainable, 36 per cent were untrainable. The survey was conducted among 34,000 final-year students with more than 60 per cent marks across 198 engineering colleges in 13 states. I have raised the issue of private universities and engineering college here as they churn out a large number of graduates with below par qualifications. This should bring home the huge number of students who are seeking higher education in India.
As recruiters, institutions make a choice about the kind of students they want to attract. Some institutions use channels like agency networks or decide to recruit directly from the market. The agency model obviously is not as applicable to American institutions, majority of whom are recipients of Indian students, without making an effort to be active seekers of students from here, however this pattern is also slowly changing owing to the economic pressures of running institutions which are these days operated like any business unit. If an institution uses agencies, there also needs to be active engagement with agents with the institution setting the agenda for the kind of students you want to attract and being accepting of the reality of training and retraining of agents on your product offering.