The existing project to increase the number of foreign students from the current 50,000 to a possible 70,000 underscores the intensifying competition in the global education market for programs offered in English. As Parta.org notes, this primarily concerns the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
It is no secret that almost all UK universities depend heavily on financial revenues from foreign students, especially from China and India. British educational institutions therefore constantly warn the government that stricter visa procedures and higher visa costs for the UK could adversely affect the admission of foreign students. Last year, the number of foreign students at British universities rose by 9% (from 275,270 to 300,055). However, in this academic year, university administrations report a certain decline in this trend.
At the same time, Canada, which is interested not only in increasing the number of foreign students but also in attracting graduates to live and work in the country, is developing two pilot projects. Over the past five years, the government has spent about 10 million Canadian dollars on these initiatives.
Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Joe Volpe, said that, first, foreign students at public colleges and universities will be able to work off-campus during their studies. In this case, students can familiarize themselves with the Canadian labor market and gain a broader understanding of Canadian society. According to a report by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (an organization representing both educational institutions and corporations), most foreign students would like to work during their studies.
The second initiative will allow foreign students to work in Canada for two years after graduating from university if they wish to find employment outside major centers such as Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Under this policy, the Canadian government is also taking other measures designed to ease the lives of foreign students. For example, to transfer from one program to another, as well as to different universities, they will not need to apply for a change of status and student visa.
The Canadian government is confident that such measures will help enhance Canada's attractiveness in the global education market amid intense competition. And foreign students who decide to stay in Canada after completing their studies will make a huge contribution to the country's labor market, so it is very important that students have the opportunity to work during their studies. Moreover, this will certainly enrich each student's personal experience.
It is worth noting that at present, most foreign students come to Canada from South Korea, China, Japan, the USA, and France.