International student enrolment at Canadian universities continues to rise

Canadian universities continue to attract large numbers of students, but now they want to diversify their sources so they don’t have to rely on a few key nations.

In 2014, the federal government set a target of more than 450,000 international students attending Canadian educational institutions by 2022, roughly doubling their numbers from 2011. That box got checked by 2017. A year later – as of December 31, 2018 – Canada had a record 572,000 international students, at all education levels, representing a 16-percent increase from the previous year, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. At the post-secondary level, the number was 435,415, an 18-percent jump.

The University of British Columbia has seen international enrolment climb nearly 60 percent in four years. It has 16,000 international students, representing a quarter of its enrolment.

The University of Windsor opened its first international recruitment office last December, in New Delhi, to better service its top international market of India (followed by China, Nigeria and Bangladesh). The university’s special focus on students interested in a master’s degree in business or STEM disciplines has more than paid off: international students make up 70 percent of the university’s graduate student enrolment of about 2,700 students, representing a six-fold increase in the last decade.

Canada’s immigration policy allows international students to work during and after their studies, and provides a pathway to permanent residency, which some 60 percent of international students planned to seek, according to a 2018 CBIE survey. A low Canadian dollar and Canada’s reputation for quality and safety, have also contributed to Canada’s popularity, said observers.

The good news story could be a double-edged sword if planners aren’t careful, though. When Canada got into a spat with China – by far the top source country for international university students – over the arrest of Chinese senior telecommunications executive Meng Wanzhou, Moody’s credit agency warned that if political tensions between the two countries worsened, this could pose credit risks for Canadian universities.

A significant rejection would leave universities exposed. In its budget report for 2018-2019, the University of Toronto noted that international student fees at 30 percent of revenue accounted for more than provincial grants at 25 percent.

That has made “diversification” a hot issue among Canadian international education administrators. There’s much applause for the federal government’s 2019 budget earmarking 148 million Canadian dollars (HK$868 million) over the next five years for a new international education strategy, part of which is intended to promote Canada to “top-tier foreign students,” so that they choose it as their “education destination of choice.”

For more details, visit the www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/international-student-enrolment-continues-to-soar-in-canada/

Cambridge English Qualifications: Explaining results for A2 Key to C2 Proficiency

After sitting a Cambridge English exam, getting your result is an exciting time. It is worth understanding what your results represent when you receive the statement and certificate.

All Cambridge English qualifications are aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference, an international standard that describes English ability on a six-point scale. It ranges from A1 for those that have started a language, to C2 for those who have mastered a language. The CEFR describes the things a language learner can do at each of the six levels at each of these four skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. All of the qualifications are aligned to the Cambridge English scale which gives more detail so that learners know how they are progressing from one level to the next. Some Cambridge exams have a standard version suitable for adults, and a full-schools version which is suitable for school age learners. Both versions are reported at the same level, but the way content is presented for each of the exams is different. From A2 to C2, a candidate will receive the same statement of results, and if you are successful in any of the exams you will also receive a certificate.

You will receive a separate score for each of the four skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, and this will give you a clear understanding of your performance. Use of English is an additional score for B2 up to C2. These scores are averaged to give you an overall result of the exam. You will also receive a grade and the CEFR level achieved.

Your statement of results is released online about four to six weeks after the paper-based exams, and two to three weeks after the computer-based exams. The fastest way to get your results is to sign up for the free online results service. Your certificate will be sent to you a few weeks after your results are available online.

For more details, visit the website www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ4wpfojKcA

The UK government launches new international education strategy

The United Kingdom's Department for Education, and Department for International Trade have jointly launched a new International Education Strategy with the twin targets of increasing the value of education exports to £35 billion (US$46 billion) per year and raising the total number of international students to 600,000, both by 2030.

This would amount to a near doubling in the value of education exports from £20 billion in 2016 and a rise of more than a third in the number of international students, from 442,000 in 2016.

One of the strategies includes a commitment to extend the post-study work period for international students, and to consider changes to visa processing in order to strengthen the UK’s visa attractiveness for students.

The government’s Export Strategy has set the scene for how government will support UK exporters following the UK’s departure from the European Union (which has been delayed beyond the 29 March 2019 deadline) and this strategy “builds on that ethos for the education sector”.

The strategy includes:

• Appoint an ‘international education champion’ to spearhead activities overseas, open international opportunities, develop strong international partnerships in new and established markets and help tackle challenges and barriers.

• Ensure the ‘Education is GREAT’ government campaign promoting international study at British institutions, more fully promotes the breadth and diversity of UK education to international audiences. This includes encouraging education bids to the £5 million GREAT Challenge Fund for 2019, which supports export activity for the sector. The campaign is currently concentrated in China, Turkey, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India.

• Continue to provide a welcoming environment for international students and develop an increasingly competitive position. This includes extending the post-study leave period; considering where the visa process could be improved; supporting employment; and ensuring existing and prospective students feel welcome.

• Establish a whole-of-government approach by implementing a framework for ministerial engagement with the sector and formalised structures for co-ordination between government departments domestically and overseas.

The report claims that leaving the EU “gives the UK the freedom to pursue an independent trade policy that reflects its unique strengths”. But in reality this very much depends on the terms of whatever future relationship is negotiated with the EU and it is hard to predict what that outcome will be, given the current political uncertainty.

The report nevertheless identifies four “high-value” geographical areas in which to focus education export campaigns. These are China and Hong Kong; the Middle East and North Africa; Latin America; and the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) group of nations.

For more details, visit the website www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20190318201709793