CANADA BC COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION A NON-PROFIT SOCIETY FUNDED BY PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT AT ARMS LENGTH FROM GOVERNMENT BCCIE is committed to advancing the international education interests of the province of British Columbia. BCCIE supports and strengthens the internationalization efforts of British Columbia s education districts and institutions for the benefit of the students and communities of the province and of the world in which we live, learn and trade. 1
10/21/2009 BC COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION BCCIE was established in 1990 as a non-profit society responsible for strengthening international education within BC Re-created and re-purposed in January 2009 Now mandated with developing and implementing a coherent International Education Strategy for all sectors in BC BCCIE represents : o All 25 public post-secondary institutions o All 60 K-12 districts o Accredited private K-12, career college and training institutions and universities o Under discussion with language school sector CANADA S PACIFIC GATEWAY 2
BC WELCOMES THE WORLD Almost half of Greater Vancouver born outside Canada Fewer than 50% of Vancouver households speak English at home Vancouver ranked second best city in North America in which to eat, after New York (Food and Wine magazine, 2009) Mandarin, Punjabi, Hindi, Cantonese, Korean all common languages Diverse work force, political and culture industries Canada known for tolerance, peace, multiculturalism, multilateralism WHY WE CALL IT THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH Vancouver ranked by The Economist as World's Most Liveable City Canada regularly tops UN Quality of Life Index BC is safe, clean, with exceptionally high standard of living Our cities and towns are diverse and welcoming Smaller towns and cities also provide excellent recreation and cultural opportunities Clean, multicultural cities Pristine beaches, incredible mountains and parks Over 12 per cent of province is protected parkland BC plays host to the world for 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games 3
BC DEMOGRAPHICS Average age of BC resident today is 40.7 years (2009) Average will continue rise as population ages and birth rates decline By 2011 more people exiting the workforce than entering it 1 million more jobs in BC than people to fill them Declining birth rates affect enrolment, falling by 50,000 students (2001-2007) in BC s public schools (from a population of close to 500,000). K-12 set to lose over 7000 students this year. THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH TO STUDY Extremely high quality of education Great diversity of institutions, districts and regions International reputation Seamless system of transfer at all levels Excellent career training/work options Low relative cost High quality of life Safety and diversity Dynamic and cosmopolitan 4
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION TODAY Already 5 TH largest sector in BC Sector creates $2.5 billion direct economic benefit annually BC number one destination for international students coming to Canada, surpassing Ontario last year BC a leader in framing national brand OVERVIEW OF BC EDUCATION SYSTEM Accredited, regulated K-12 public/private system Over 1900 programs in BC's post-secondary system Seamless transfer from high school to college/university 5
EXCELLENCE IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION UBC among world's top 35 universities, according to Times of London ranking Simon Fraser and University of Victoria tied for number 1 comprehensive university in Canada (according to MacLean's national survey) Six new universities in BC in 2008 Larger, research based universities OR regional teaching universities Network of leading community colleges/specialized institutes throughout province NEW UNIVERSITIES Malaspina University-College Vancouver Island University Kwantlen University-College Kwantlen Polytechnic University University College of the Fraser Valley University of the Fraser Valley Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design Emily Carr University of Art + Design Capilano College Capilano University 6
EDUCATION QUALITY ASSURANCE: A GUARANTEE All public and private K-12 schools accredited by Ministry of Education Universities/colleges accredited by Ministry of Advanced Education, DQAB Overseas BC curriculum schools inspected by Ministry of Education Private career colleges/language schools may be accredited by either PCTIA or Languages Canada Provincial EQA designation to be administered beginning Fall 2009 BC Offshore Schools Accredited and Inspected by Provincial Ministry of Education British Columbia Canadian International School British Columbia International School, Bangkok Canadian Secondary Wenzhou No.22 Middle School Dalian Maple Leaf Foreign Nationals School Dalian Maple Leaf International School Jiaxing Grand Canadian Academy Nanjing Grand Canadian Academy Shenyang Maple Leaf International School Sino Bright No. 8 School Sino-Bright School No. 25 School Sino-Canada High School Wuhan Maple Leaf Foreign Nationals School Shanghai Nanying Model High School Tianjin TEDA Maple Lead International School Cairo, Egypt Bangkok, Thailand Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China Dalian, Liaoning Province, China Dalian, Liaoning Province, China Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province, China Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China Beijing, China Beijing, China Wujiang City, Jiangsu Province, China Wuhan, Hubei Province, China Xuhui District, Shanghai, China Tianjin, China 7
STUDY AND WORK IN Full-time post-secondary students can work after 6 months of study University/college students can work up to 20 hours per week Full-time students can work in BC during summer Post-graduate work permit allows work in Canada for up to 3 years following graduation Co-op programs allow students to earn credit while you work in your field Paid internships are available with large companies in many fields Focus on "hands-on" learning in vocational and technical programs BC universities are leaders in research and collaboration with industry GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE WHILE STUDYING STAY ON FOR A CAREER Co-op programs allow students to earn credit while working in their discipline Paid internships are available with large companies in many fields Focus on "hands-on" learning in vocational and technical programs BC universities are leaders in research and collaboration with industry BC facing projected skills and labour shortage Provincial Nominee Program streamlines application for residency Science and technology, health sciences, tourism and hospitality, film, gaming and media, and environmental science all sectors targeted for growth 8
AN AFFORDABLE INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION Canada an affordable option compared to US, Australia or UK Relatively lower value of Canadian dollar makes BC attractive BC Government offers One World Scholarship Other Scholarships offered by institutions and provinces WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU Match-make and support creation of new linkages and partnerships Administer fellowship programs Support pursuit of joint research and development Create strategic linkages Supply information on BC education to governments, institutions, individuals Randall Martin, PhD martin@bccie.bc.ca BC COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION www.bccie.bc.ca 9