I guess we need a plan!The Contextual Factors Leading to the Government of Canada’s Decision to Create its first International Education Strategy … in 2012

Roopa Desai Trilokekar, York University &Glen Jones, University of Toronto, Canada

Monday, April 23Panel: Policy and Politics in North American Education

CIES , Puerto Rico 2012

Oh Canada!

“We still may not have a strategy!” Policy is about politics

Outline of Presentation

1. Our interest in the topic

2. Internationalization and Canadian higher education policy in Canada

3. Drivers for an international strategy

4. The Advisory panel & consultation Process

5. Issues and concerns

6. Where to from here?

Our interest in the topic

• Roopa is a Professor, Faculty of Education, York University specializing in internationalization and higher education.

• Glen is the Ontario Research Chair in Postsecondary Education Policy and Measurement with interests in higher education policy.

• Co-edited Canada’s Universities Go Global (with Adrian Shubert) in 2009.

Higher Education in Canada

• Education is a provincial responsibility.

• Government of Canada has no direct rolein HE policy, but very important in researchpolicy, student financial assistance, culture,immigration, foreign relations.

• Canada is the only OECD country NOT tohave a Ministry of Education.

• International Education as a policy area is contentious as it is neither completely underthe federal (international) jurisdiction nor provincial (education) .

Higher Education in Canada

10 provinces & 3 territories.

Provinces have quite different policies, HEstructures. Some consultation through theCouncil of Ministers of Education Canada.

Provinces are extremely protective of theirjurisdictional authority over education and there is a long history of resistance to anyFederal attempts to ‘nationalize’ or centralizeHigher education policy.

Key points

Federal role: • Decentralized and uncoordinated• Ambiguous-although a growing interest in foreign

student recruitment & marketing of education (from aid to trade). A new marketing unit within DFAIT

• Very limited financial commitment• Attempts but challenges with coordination and

communication – tug of war between feds and provinces

• No ‘flagship’ programs• No investment in programs or offices such as the

British, US, Australia, France models• Repeated pleas from educational community for a

national coordinated strategy and nationally funded flagship program

Drivers for an international strategyTwo key DFAIT reports; 1. Economic Impact of International Education in Canada (2009) &2. Best Practices on Managing the Delivery of Canadian Education Marketing.

International students bring in $6.5 million to theCanadian economy, greater than the value of the export ofcoal and coniferous lumber, the no. 1 export to China andsecond largest to S. Korea. The presence of internationalstudents provides employment for 83,000 Canadians andmore than $291 million in government revenue.Conclusion: This is ‘big’ business/trade.

Canada’s need to claim its “right full” share of theinternational student mobility market. Canada’s share is only 4%While Australia’s is 7% and over time we have been losing out onthis “market”; other countries “have their act together”;international students make decisions based on country ofchoice. Conclusion: We need a national brand.

Drivers for an international strategyDomestic labor market & an urgent need forimmigrants

• Canada population growth is negative, even with current immigration levels• There are labor shortages in specific regions/professions • Canada needs immigrants and its policy is to

attract (highly) qualified immigrants• Immigrants find it difficult to get foreign credentials recognized in Canada and as a result there is a tremendous loss of human capital

Conclusion: International students make “ideal”future immigrants!

Drivers for an international strategy

The ‘race’ in the global knowledge economy

• The world is our stage – we need to compete with the best. Importance of global strategic positioning. • Competition for Global Talent- need to attract best

international researchers and provide best research facilities

• Innovation Agenda- funding for research and innovation, focus on knowledge mobilization.• Preparing Canadians /graduates for a global world, a global knowledge economy. Conclusion: We need a competitive strategy;funding & programs to attract and keep talent inCanada and develop international/globalcompetencies in Canadians .

Higher Education in CanadaAre the stars finally in alignment?

2004/5 Edu-Canada Initiative2006 Government launched the Off-campus work program 2007 Global Commerce Strategy allocated annual C $1 million to EduCanada 2008 Government introduced Canadian Experience Class2009 IMAGINE: Education in/au Canada was launched

as the official Canadian brand Government launches post graduate work experience program

2011 Budget 2011: $10M announced over 2 years for

development & launch of an international

education strategy

Expert International Advisory Panel

• The mandate of the Advisory Panel on Canada’s International Education Strategy is to make recommendations on a strategy that will maximise economic opportunities for Canada in the field of international education, including strengthening our engagement with emerging key markets, focusing on attracting the best/brightest international students, encouraging Canadians to study abroad, expanding the delivery of Canadian education services abroad, and building, expanding and ensuring greater partnerships between Canadian and foreign institutions.

Panel Members:

• Advisory Panel was named on October 13, 2011• Regional , institutional & sectoral representation• Composition:

• Amit Chakma (Chair) President, Western U.• Andre Bisson, Corporate Director • Jacynthe Cote, President of Rio Tinto Alcan• Collin Dodds, President, Saint Mary’s U.• Lorna Smith, Director, International, Mount

Royal U.• Don Wright, President, BCIT

Consultation Process

Three pronged approach:

1. On-line Consultation with broader community

2. Engagement through roundtables through

invitation only

3. Co-laboratory workshop with select invited

individuals

Feedback on the process:

Simple things turn out to be VERY complexwithin our Canadian context

The file is a difficult one. There are multistakeholders, each with different motivationsand interests. The K-12 sector is equally crucial.

But there is a lot of goodwill and most recognize

the benefit of working together

Gaps in information and knowledge across keyactors

One message that is loud and clear:internationalization is NOT a one way street

Issues and concerns• Canada’s federal structure: Provinces: jurisdictional authority, established international educationalstrategies, resistance to coordinated approaches, competition

• No Federal Ministry of Education:Coordination–(piecemeal) even within the federal government

• A Common quality framework: Maintaining standards across the board, supporting CIC with processing andmonitoring

• Maximizing resources: Across governments, provinces, universities and other organizations andinstitutions

• Internationalization Why ? What is our destination? It is about a BROAD approach; we need toALSO send Canadian students abroad.

Where to from here? • The final report is in progress. It will be submitted in June

2012. • Advice at the highest levels- provide a vision • KEY: Engagement & Coordination; Focus;

Setting direction • The mandate for the panel is upto 2013 so the

government can have them pursue specific aspects of the report further

• Will the government accept the recommendations? Will it implement any of the recommendations?

Canada’s strategy- What will it look like? What will it achieve? Only time will tell!?

What is Canada’s positioning in a global context and how will it engage in its position taking strategy/ies?

Will it recognize the multiplicity of possible strategies and capitalize on its economic, political, and cultural capital?

In what way will it differentiate itself from all the other competitor countries?

Will it position itself on academic rationales, content, and approaches?

Will the strategy offer Canadian universities opportunities to strengthen their global positioning in qualitative terms?

Ultimately it is the interplay between position and positioning and in the interface between the provincial, national and

global that will seal the fate of Canada’s politics and policy in (international) education

Marginson, Simon . (2007, Spring). Global Position and Position Taking: The Case of Australia. Journal of Studies in International Education, vol. 11 (1), 5-32.

Thank You!

• Roopa Desai Trilokekar• roopat@edu.yorku.ca• http://edu.yorku.ca/faculty/

• Glen A. Jones:• gjones@oise.utoronto.ca • www.glenjones.ca