Advisory Panel: Double the Number of International Students in Canada
These days, everybody seems to be concerned about the state of Canadian education, especially higher education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, the sweeping need to attract the best and brightest from around the world to attend Canadian programs, and retaining budding scientists and technologists with offers of life and work in Canada.
The recent task force report “International Education: A Key Driver of Canada’s Future Prosperity” compiled for DFAIT addresses these themes, putting forward no less than 14 recommendations. Most striking is its call for Canada to double the number of full-time international students from kindergarten through post-secondary and post-graduate programs from the nearly 240,000 at present to more than 450,000 by 2022.
To help achieve this ambitious goal, the task force proposes the formation of a Council on International Education and Research (CIER) headed by deputy ministers for international trade, citizenship and immigration, and industry to coordinate the activities of various stakeholders. Management of Canada’s International Education Strategy would reside with DFAIT working closely with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC).
Canada should adopt a comprehensive strategy to market the Canadian brand abroad, particularly in target markets, including e-marketing in the form of a national portal for international applicants wishing to study in Canada. Interestingly, the report cites the example of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing making use of Weibo (the Chinese Twitter) in gradually replacing the “bricks and mortar” approach to communicating Canada’s educational advantages. Markets deemed to have the most growth potential are the biggest BRIC countries China and India, but also Brazil, the Middle East, Turkey, Vietnam and Mexico. A re-evaluation of priority markets is to be carried out every three years.
Canadian scholarships and grants should be regrouped under one label/brand such as “Canada Scholarships”, with a focus on R & D in key S & T sectors. A realignment of the objectives and operations of Canada’s granting councils would also help. There should be stable federal funding for 2000 graduate scholarships and grants and 1000 post-doctoral fellowships per year under one label. As well, the Canadian government should provide co-funding for 8000 new undergraduate scholarships.
To process the rising volume of applications, CIC would need to hire much more staff and develop a coherent and well-supported visa system to ensure processing times and client service. Taking a page out of Germany’s book, the report further supports the idea of a co-funded International Mobility Program for Canadians to study abroad and participate in cultural exchanges, reaching 50,000 students a year by 2022. At present, 90% of students stay in their home provinces for university, let alone go abroad.
The panel did not put a dollar figure on its proposals and DFAIT will review the recommendations for incorporation into its overall global commerce strategy slated to come out next year.
The Globe and Mail opined that the challenge is largely of marketing: “Those who work in university recruitment attest that in China, India, and other emerging economies most heavily targeted, Canada is barely on the radar…(The government) must do more to market Canada’s brand…There are roles the federal government is uniquely able to play, because it is seen elsewhere to have more credibility than provinces or post-secondary institutions.”
But the global battle for S & T talent is already fast afoot. In a bold bid to reverse the brain drain, last year, China launched a program to transform the country into a major destination for international students with similar numerical targets – increasing the international student population in China from the current 260,000 (including those attending short term programs) to 350,000 by 2015 and 500, 000 by 2020. Most international students come from Korea, US, and Japan but China is heavily targeting the EU, ASEAN, parts of Africa, Latin America, and the Arab World.
Credit transfer agreements and mutual recognition of academic credentials with other countries are an integral part of the plan, with China already signing agreements with 34 countries. More courses are to be taught in English and more scholarships available through the China Scholarship Program.