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| CBIE saddened at loss of Dr. Lewis Perinbam CBIE is deeply saddened at the loss of Lewis Perinbam, O.C., LL.D., who died on December 12, 2007 after a brief illness. Lewis had been an Advisory Board member of CBIE for many years and had supported a range of activities, notably our Annual Conference, with inspiration, vision and practical help. Lewis was a welcome speaker, adviser and promoter to the CBIE board of directors, membership and secretariat. CBIE was proud to manage the Lewis Perinbam Award in International Development Program from 2000 to 2006. Lewis had been Chair of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth of Learning since 2003. Please see a tribute on the COL web site at www.col.org/lperinbam. A service of remembrance will be held in Vancouver on 28 December 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Helen's Anglican Church (Trimble & 8th) and in Ottawa in the New Year Canada gets a wake-up call: international graduates find post-graduation work program a catch-22 This autumn CBIE issued a major report on international students. Entitled Northern Lights: International Graduates of Canadian Institutions and the National Labour Force, the report stated that only a third of our international graduates want to work in Canada despite improvements to the government’s Post-Graduation Work Permit Program. Not surprisingly, a third plan to go home – although it is clear that powerhouse economies such as those of India and China pose particular competition for Canadian employers. However, the remaining third of graduates are targeting the United States or another country for employment or further studies. Many students and graduates told our researchers that that they do not expect a warm welcome from employers in Canada, based on their experience to date and what fellow international students report. They feel discouraged before they start when it comes to doing the paperwork to obtain a work permit – and the 90-day window to find a job and get the permit is just too narrow. Our research, conducted by Dr. Sheryl Bond and a team of graduate students at Queen’s University, with financial support from the Canadian Council on Learning, surveyed 900 students at 20 institutions across Canada. See our releases: October 30: Canada lags in competition for talented foreign graduates back to top November 16: International students - Canada slides while the US climbs; International Education Week 2007 celebrated but improvement needed back to top Wake-up call for Canadian institutions: Preparing our international graduates for job search The recent AUCC survey results reveal that Canadian universities more than ever wish to attract international students. They are a central element of the internationalization of our institutions. They bring huge academic and cultural benefits. At the same time they pay higher fees and needed revenues. However, CBIE’s report, Northern Lights: International Graduates of Canadian Institutions and the National Workforce, concludes that institutions do not provide sufficient resources to support their international students and, in particular given the focus of the study, to prepare them to obtain the two-year post-graduation work opportunity offered by the government. According to the report, best practices include provision of sample letters, mentoring programs and resources explaining the job search process. However, “not all institutions are able to offer these services and this appears due not to a lack of will and expertise but rather to a shortage of staff and resources. In fact, review of the data collected on campus strongly suggests that ISOs [International Student Offices] are currently working well over capacity, relying heavily on the professional commitment of the staff to go above and beyond in order to meet the needs of international students.” The report recommends “a full-scale review of the service requirements and current resourcing” of ISOs to provide the needed preparation for post-graduation work. At the same time, noting that the government announced a contribution of $34M in the 2007 budget for integrating graduates and temporary foreign workers into the workforce, the report urges post-secondary institutions to “seek funding from the government of Canada to increase staffing and strengthen services, programs and activities targeted to international students”. Our educational institutions need international students. In order to attract them, we are pleased to promote the Post-Graduation Work Permit program. But we cannot ignore the institutional responsibility to assist students wishing to take part in these programs to do so. While urging our governments, federal and provincial, to make improvements designed to make the PGWP effective, the institutions must also ensure that they are providing the information, guidance, networking opportunities and resources necessary to prepare interested students. Otherwise, institutions are contributing to the current Catch-22 reality lived by our international graduates. back to top Events CBIE Annual Conference 2007: Thanks to all who attended CBIE’s stellar Conference 2007 in Ottawa, November 24-28. 450 participants enjoyed the tremendous panels and sessions, and numerous networking opportunities. A highlight for many: remarks by Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder of War Child Canada. The Canada-India Education Forum, co-hosted with the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, was a major achievement and points to future collaborations in areas of special interest to our broad membership. See the Conference web site in January for presentations. CBIE 2008: Block November 1 to 5 in your agenda for our 2008 conference in magnificent St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Information coming soon. Call for proposals in March. Plan now to attend your CBIE regional meeting 2008. Click hereFebruary 17-21: The 2008 AIEA Annual Conference will take place in Washington DC. See: https://aieaworld.american-data.net/events/2008conf/index.php July 15-18, 2008: The International Association of Universities 13th General Conference at Utrecht University. 60th anniversary conference on the theme: Higher Education and Research Addressing Local and Global Needs. See: www.unesco.org/iau/conferences/Utrecht/index.html back to top Deadlines January 28, 2008: Deadline for Canadian applications to several foreign government award programs. See: http://www.scholarships.gc.ca/fga/fgap-en.html February 4, 2008 : EDC’s International Business Scholarships See: http://www.edc.ca/english/student_scholarships.htm |
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