News and commentary

This op-ed was published in the Embassy newspaper on November 11, 2009

The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade, released an important study last week that demonstrates how international students contribute significantly to Canada’s economy.

The report, The Economic Impact of International Education in Canada, contains some remarkable numbers, beginning with $6.5 billion – the total amount spent by the 178,000 international students in Canada last year. This figure is greater than the values of the export of coal and coniferous lumber – two of our traditionally largest export sectors. According to the report, education services are Canada’s number one export to China and the second largest export to South Korea. The presence of international students at Canadian institutions provided employment for over 83,000 Canadians and generated more than $291 million in government revenue.

The magnitude of these figures provides additional evidence to support our call for a new investment to assist our member institutions in attracting this global talent to pursue their education and research here in Canada.

These economic outcomes are only the most recent indication of the benefits associated with international students, while they are here studying and after graduation, whether they choose to return home or put their expertise and knowledge to work in Canada.

While studying here, students from abroad bring diverse perspectives, expertise and skills to Canadian classrooms and labs and contribute to creating global, 21st-century institutions of education and research across Canada. This positive effect is not restricted to just the largest urban centres. The presence of international students at our institutions in smaller communities brings together many cultures from around the world which in turn, infuses the broader community with diversity.

When they graduate from our schools and return to their countries of origin, many become business, governmental and academic leaders, creating international networks that strengthen Canada’s economic and diplomatic ties abroad.

When they choose to stay here, foreign graduates bring significant economic and social benefits to Canada as an ideal source of highly qualified people for the skilled labour market – already integrated into our communities and without any of the barriers related to foreign credential recognition. A forthcoming report from the Canadian Bureau for International Education indicates that 52 percent of university students and 71 percent of college students intend to stay to work in Canada for up to three years after they graduate. Given that international students largely graduate in business and engineering, they represent a top talent pool matched to our labour market needs.

Now added to the list of benefits is this fresh evidence of the immediate economic impact of international students to Canada. As we begin to emerge from the current economic downturn, the potential of this significant sector of our economy needs to be realized.

The Government of Canada recognizes the linkages between international students and our economic competitiveness and we welcome the Minister’s commitment to work with us to market Canada as the destination of choice for students. Progress has been made through recent government measures such as the development of a new education brand, improvements to immigration policies and processes, and the creation of the new Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships. Still, the efforts of other countries continue to eclipse those of Canada through major government-funded branding and marketing initiatives.

Now is the time to maximize the many benefits of bringing Canadian education to the world. On behalf of the key national educational associations representing the spectrum of institutions across the country – universities, colleges, public school boards and language schools, we are calling for a significant new government investment in an international student recruitment strategy that promotes the excellence of Canada’s education system to the many talented students abroad.

Paul Davidson
President and CEO
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)

James Knight
President and CEO
Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)

Karen McBride
President
Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)

Geoff Best
President
Canadian Association of Public Schools – International (CAPS-I)

Calum MacKechnie
President
Languages Canada

View The Economic Impact of International Education in Canada report (pdf) (399 KB)

Ottawa, October 29, 2009 — The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada is pleased to announce that Mount Royal University has become its 95th member institution.

The Calgary institution was established in 1910. Mount Royal University provides postsecondary instruction for more than 13,000 students in education, business, health care and music.

Its application for membership to AUCC was approved by the members at AUCC’s membership meeting in Ottawa this week.

“We are very pleased to welcome Mount Royal University as a 95th member to our national association,” said Paul Davidson, President and CEO of AUCC. “We look forward to working with its president, Dr. David Marshall, to promote university education nationally and internationally.”

In order to become a member of AUCC, institutions must meet a number of criteria in areas including academic freedom, governance and curriculum, and must have a proven track record in teaching, research and scholarship. AUCC represents the executive heads of public and private not-for-profit universities and university degree-level colleges.

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For more information please contact:

Leslie Cole
Assistant Director Communications
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
Or
Mount Royal website

Ottawa, October 28, 2009 — J.-L. Michel Belley, rector of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, began a two-year term as chair of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada’s board of directors today at AUCC’s membership meeting in Ottawa.

AUCC is the national association of executive heads of public and private not-for-profit universities and university degree-level colleges.

“I will strive to provide continuity during my mandate,” said Dr. Belley. “I hope to share with Canadians my conviction of the increasingly essential role that universities play in the economic, social and cultural development of the country. For Canada to maintain its position as one of the best economies in the world,” he said, “it must invest in the knowledge economy.”

Dr. Belley is the seventh rector of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and graduated from UQAC himself in 1973 with a bachelor in finance administration. He earned a master’s degree from the Université de Sherbrooke and a PhD from the Université de Rennes, France. He has been a professor in economic and administrative sciences at UQAC since 1978. Dr. Belley is also the secretary-treasurer of the executive council of the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities (CREPUQ), the provincial association of executive heads of universities.

As UQAC rector since 2001, Dr. Belley has been instrumental in expanding the institution’s role in research tied to the regional economy and intensifying international connections. He has served as vice-chair for the past year.

“Dr. Belley has an enviable record of improving the educational experience for students at his institution and making university research relevant for Canada and the world,” said AUCC president Paul Davidson. “We look forward to working with him to continue to provide an authoritative and constructive voice for Canada’s universities nationally and internationally.”

Dr. Belley succeeds Tom Traves, president of Dalhousie University, who has been chair since 2007. Dr. Traves will remain on the board as past chair. Other board members are:

• Stephen Toope, president of the University of British Columbia
• Max Blouw, president of Wilfrid Laurier University
• David Naylor, president of the University of Toronto
• Robert Campbell, president of Mount Allison University
• David Turpin, president of the University of Victoria
• Judith Woodsworth, president of Concordia University
• J. Colin Dodds, president of Saint Mary’s University
• Heather Munroe-Blum, principal of McGill University
• Sheldon Levy, president of Ryerson University
• Michael Stevenson, president of Simon Fraser University
• Paul Davidson, president and CEO of AUCC

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View J.-L. Michel Belley’s bio and photo.

For more information please contact:

Leslie Cole
Assistant Director of Communications
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

OTTAWA, October 22, 2009 — This year there are an additional 38,000 full-time students enrolled in universities across Canada compared to last fall.

“Students recognize the value of higher education and Canada’s universities are responding by creating more opportunities for students to start or continue their studies,” said Paul Davidson, AUCC president. As a result, there are about 870,000 full-time students enrolled in universities — 733,500 in undergraduate programs and 136,500 in graduate programs – an increase of 29,000 and 9,000 students respectively.

“Students and their parents know higher education leads to better job prospects. In fact, in the last 12 months there have been more than 60,000 new jobs for university graduates, while there were 390,000 fewer jobs for those without higher education,” added Paul Davidson. Moreover, jobs for university graduates continue to provide strong premiums. According to the 2006 Census, full-time workers who earned their bachelor’s degrees from Canadian universities earned 62 percent more annually than workers who had not completed university.

The economic downturn is one of the key factors driving a 4.1 percent growth in undergraduates programs and a 7.2 percent increase in graduate programs. By continuing to enhance their skills and talents in bachelors, professional and graduate degree programs, these students will be well prepared when the economy begins to recover and they will be able to put their creative and innovative talents to use, both for personal benefit and to help drive economic growth across Canada.

In addition to the recent economic downturn, Canada’s shifting demography could soon constrain our longer-term growth prospects. Over the next 20 years, there will be very little growth in the number of people in the traditional working ages of 25 to 64. At the same time, the number of people older than 64 will double. Hence the need to help drive productivity gains by investing in the skills and talents of our graduates.

Immigration will also play an important role in addressing our demographic challenges. Canadian universities are helping by stepping up their recruitment efforts to attract more of the world’s best and brightest students. This fall, Canadian universities attracted an additional 7,000 full-time international students to their campuses. Many of these students will remain in Canada after they complete their studies and those that return home will be entrepreneurs, trading partners and ambassadors for Canada throughout their careers abroad.

The enrolment figures were collected in preliminary fall enrolment surveys by the Association of Atlantic Universities, the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities, the Council of Ontario Universities and AUCC.

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University Affairs article on enrolment online now.

For more information:

Leslie Cole
Assistant Director, Communications

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