|
|
|
Canada gains ground
|
|
|
Canada’s higher education providers are welcoming an increasing number of international students through their doors and many are keen to promote themselves more widely overseas. Bethan Norris talks to providers about effective marketing strategies.
|
|
|
The number of international students studying at Canadian universities grew by 10 per cent to 196,227 between 2008 and 2009, according to statistics released by Citizenship and Immigration Canada this year, marking a rapid change in the industry, which has seen student numbers grow by just 6.5 per cent in the previous four years.
Sean Coote from Niagara College in Welland, ONT, says that international enrolments grew by 24 per cent in 2009 and 31 per cent in 2010 and puts this down to increasing interest in immigration pathways from students. “If a student graduates from our one-year postgraduate programme, they are eligible to apply for a one-year Canadian work visa,” he says. “If they graduate with a two-to-four year programme, they are eligible for a three-year Canadian work visa and qualify for Canadian permanent residence.” Location, international demographic and tuition costs also factor highly in the list of students’ wants, says Coote, and the fact that the college is situated in the Greater Toronto area – it is less than an hours drive from downtown Toronto – offers overseas students a viable alternative. “It is half the price of the Canadian urban centres,” states Coote. “And it is different enough to provide an alternative that is not saturated with international students, but at the same time, close enough so they can have that experience within reach.”
Glen Jones from Okanagan College in Kelowna, BC, says that their international student numbers have increased by 15 per cent over the last few years. “We attribute this increase to efforts at diversifying our activities in emerging areas, primarily China and the Middle East which are the two largest sources of international students at the present time,” he says. “These economies have been relatively strong during the current global recession.”
China is a growing student market for Canada, as Jerry Wang from the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) in Charlottetown, PE, testifies. “Our largest international student population is from China,” he says. “Because we have put consistent efforts into the promotion of UPEI and attract quality students from China. We have also worked with various partners in either private international high schools or public universities to foster our relationships and make it easier for transfer students to come to UPEI.”
Students from Saudi Arabia have also been on the increase, according to Maki Natori at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) English Language Institute, in Vancouver, BC. “At the moment we have a larger number of Saudi Arabian students due to the government scholarship programme,” she says. “We also have a higher number of Chinese students since the boom of the Chinese economy.”
With international student numbers on the increase, Canadian universities have been working to explore all kinds of marketing activities to tap into new markets. Jacob Sweezey from St Thomas University in Fredericton, NB, says that some of their courses in criminology, fine arts and human rights are more unusual in Canada and are therefore attractive to international students. He adds that the majority of their international quota come from South America, Japan and China. “This is likely the case because our scope-specific programming and degrees tend to be appealing to students already familiar with the humanities and social sciences as a potential focus for undergraduate study,” he explains.
The university also offers a scholarship programme for first year students. “[This] is open to all of our qualifying international students, we don’t exclude those students who are academically deserving of the chance to study abroad but lack the financial wherewithal to make this a possibility,” he says.
Given its remit as an English language department, Natori reflects that programme choice is typically geared towards students who are looking to build upon their proficiency prior to degree enrolment. The institute offers electives such as English for Business Communications, Conditional Admissions – a programme specifically designed for academically outstanding students that do not currently meet UBC’s language admission standards – and Intensive English. The latter is perhaps the most popular, notes Natori, however a new course, which looks to help students transcend seamlessly into university life, offers prospective students an interesting alternative. As a six-week, full-time programme, it is suited to students with an intermediate or high level of English and content focuses on particular themes and interests associated with student life at UBC.
As other higher education destinations such as the UK suffer in the current economic climate, Canadian institutions are in a good position to spread the message abroad. Natori relates that student fairs and recruitment missions are a tried and tested means of effective marketing for UBC. “We are also increasing institutional partnerships,” she adds. Sweezey too sees benefit in vetted recruitment fairs but adds current students and alumni are another influential resource they tend to utilise.
Aside from the obligatory marketing fairs, David Oancia from Niagara College, relates that a brand revamp and a renewed approach to web technology has kept them on their marketing toes this year. He says, “I have really increased my use of key programmes that allow me to hold webinars, cross-continent training sessions, and virtual meetings with offices around the globe.” Although these methods do not substitute one-on-one meetings, the efficacy of these programmes enables them to “increase touch points with larger agencies” notes Oancia. What is clear is that providers are sensing the need to be proactive, as Jones concludes, “In recent years, the primary changes [in marketing strategies] have involved pursuing the emerging international education markets more aggressively,” and university providers would be wise to take notice. |
|
|
Education Travel Magazine
11-15 Emerald Street
WC1N 3QL
London, England
T: +44 (0)20 7440 4020
F: +44 (0)20 7440 4033
Pacific Office
T/F: +61 (0)8 9341 1820 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
