Universities Canada recently submitted its consultation to Global Affairs Canada for the renewal of the International Education Strategy (IES). The IES, a collaboration between Global Affairs Canada; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; and Employment and Social Development Canada, is a framework for the government to diversify the education sector, support-two-way student mobility and address ongoing labour market gaps.
Our recommendations call on the government to support the EduCanada brand through market diversification activities, research collaboration, in-country trade commissioner support, commitments to funding mobility programs and addressing issues with study permit processing.
The objective of the renewed IES is to prioritize investing in diversification, research collaboration and student mobility through the Global Skills Opportunity program.
The current strategy's objectives include:
- Encouraging Canadian students to gain new skills through study and work abroad opportunities in key global markets, especially Asia;
- Diversifying the countries from which international students come to Canada, as well as their fields, levels of study, and location of study within Canada; and
- Increasing support for Canadian education sector institutions to help grow their export services and explore new opportunities abroad.
"Canada's universities continue to work hard to keep Canada competitive in the global marketplace," said Philip Landon, interim president and CEO of Universities Canada. "They have built strong international partnerships through two-way student mobility, student and faculty recruitment and research collaboration. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Global Affairs Canada to align Canada's research agenda with international education and ensure Canada remains among the world's top destinations for international students, faculty and researchers."
