Education leaders from all sectors across Canada have developed a best practice guide to internationalisation which they urge education providers at all levels to implement.
The seven points call upon institutions to incorporate internationalisation in all of their operations from teaching to community service, and to ensure partnerships are mutually beneficial and financial gains do not dictate outward looking agendas.
The standards were created by the Internationalization Leadership Network organised by the Canadian Bureau for International Education.
Peter Ricketts, chair of the ILN and Provost and Vice-President at Carleton University, played a central role in drafting the statement. “Internationalisation is a high priority for Canadian institutions and we need to undertake it in ways that are connected to our core values,” he said.
“The statement gives us a constant, succinct reference point to guide our actions”
“The statement gives us a constant, succinct reference point to guide our actions.”
In addition to providing guidelines for best practices, the principles urge institutions to embed internationalisation goals into their mission statements.
However, it warns that education providers should have adequate resources before undertaking internationalisation activities to ensure that financial benefits don’t drive internationalisation objectives.
Designing activities to give access to a wide range of individuals on campus including staff, students and faculty should also be a top priority for institutions.
CBIE said the principles come at a time of unprecedented globalisation and international mobility in education and they will serve as a “guidepost in their [institutions] demanding, fast-paced, complex work”.
“The Statement crystallises the essential principles which frame and guide our work,” said Karen McBride, CBIE President and CEO.
“They were implicit in CBIE’s Code of Ethical Practice, but this presentation makes them both explicit and powerful. We urge our member institutions and school districts – all levels of education – to use the statement of principles to support their own internationalisation efforts.”
A year ago Canada released its International Education Strategy that put increasing international student numbers and their economic impact at the top of the national agenda.
One year on, CBIE says the country is well on its way to meeting the IES goal of having 450,000 foreign students by 2022.
“While our international student numbers were already on the upswing thanks to effective promotion by institutions, organisations, provincial governments and existing federal programs, the IES focused our attention on the potential for a dramatic increase and on preparing our services to ensure incoming students’ academic and social success,” McBride wrote in a blog post.
“We urge our member institutions and school districts – all levels of education – to use the statement of principles to support their own internationalisation efforts”
The IES also changed policy for study permits, allowing full-time international students at most post-secondary institutions to work part-time without having to apply for a separate work permit.
With 35% of students saying work experience is one of the top reasons for choosing Canada, McBride lauded the government’s changes.
“Work during studies also positions students for entry to the Postgraduate Work Program and possible future application for permanent residence,” she said.
“These opportunities allow international students to be catalysts for stronger economic, scientific and political linkages between Canada and their home countries in the longer term, as well as contributors to Canada’s economy and society while they gain practical work experience to launch their careers.”
However, the change in Canada’s study-work policy also included curtailing co-op programmes operated by private language providers. Many language providers have reported significant drops in student numbers. Figures for the ELT sector from 2013 alone dropped 9.3% after the government announced the popular programme would be discontinued.
