CANADA-INDIA%20CROSS-BORDER%20EDUCATION%20AND%20BILL%2057:%20BACKGROUND%20AND%20DIRECTIONS

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CANADA-INDIA CROSS-BORDER EDUCATION AND BILL
57BACKGROUND AND DIRECTIONS

• Balbir S. Sahni
• Professor Emeritus of Economics
• Concordia University

Presented at Synergy 2010 Education
Conference Canada India Education Council (CIEC)
Toronto, September 23, 2010
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Outline

• 1. Present Status
• Ample Unrealized Potential
• 2. Country-Specific Strategy Critical
• Judicious Choice from Internationalization
  Continuum
• 3. Bill 57 and Winning Conditions
• Towards Effective Partnership

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Statistical Evidence

• Worldwide distribution of international student
  mobility at post-secondary level
• - Distribution Hosts and Countries of Origin
• Top 10 countries of origin of foreign students in
  Canada
• - Flow (2009) and Stock (Dec 1st, 2009)
• Foreign students in Canada by level of study (Dec
  1st, 2009)
• Canada-India Student Mobility
• - Annual Flow of Indian Students to Canada
  (1980-2009)
• - Stocks and Flows (1999-2009)

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Preamble

• Cross-Border education in policy making
  everywhere
• Human resource and commercial dimensions (WTO
  guidelines) engaging education sectors (inclusive
  of science and technology)
• IIE and UNESCO sustaining statistical monitoring,
  exhibiting changes and potentials
• Canadian and Indian educational institutions and
  policy makers proactive, cumulating in the Higher
  Education MOU (June 2010)
• Foreign Educational Institutions Bill to be
  debated in the Parliament in India (Nov. 2010)

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Present Status Ample Unrealized Potential

• Indias ongoing attempts Kothari Commission
  (1966), National Education Policies (1986, 2009),
  Right to Education Act (2009), current Eleventh
  Five Years Plan (2007-2012), and Bill 57
• Of the present commitment at 5 of GDP for
  education, India spent merely 0.37 on higher
  education domestically and students going aboard
  13 billion annually. Hence, major targets to
  strengthen educational infrastructure
  domestically, with efforts to welcome foreign
  educational institutions role in attaining
  enhanced accessibility to quality post-secondary
  education
• Canadian stakeholders forthcoming to explore and
  participate

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Worldwide Distribution of International Student
Mobility at Post secondary Level 3 million
students
Figure 1
(b) Distribution Countries of Origin

• (a) Distribution Host Countries

Morocco, Turkey, Poland, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong
SAR of China
(IIE Open Doors Report 2009) (UNESCO Global
Education Digest 2009)
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1.1 Global Cross-Border Student Mobility

• Important to view Canada-India cross-border
  mobility, initially in the global context (in
  terms of distribution by hosts and countries of
  origin, Figure 1).

1.2 Bill 57 and Canada-India Partnership

• Well-known push and pull factors are at work in
  cross-border education flows internationally and
  obviously influencing Canada-India flows
  displayed in next three pages

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Top 10 Countries of Origin of Foreign Students
in Canada
Figure 2
Flow
Stock
Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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Foreign Students Present in Canada on Dec 1st,
2009 by Level of Study
Table 1
Level of Study 2009 Percentage
Secondary or less 34,445 17.55
Trade 19,239 9.80
University 106,816 54.43
Other post-secondary 27,809 14.17
Other 7,467 3.81
Level of Study not stated 451 0.23
Total 196,227 100.00
Source Citizenship and Immigration
Canada Preliminary 2009 Data
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Annual Flow of Indian Students to Canada
(1980-2009)
Figure 3
Source Entries of students with Indian
Citizenship Secured from CIC communication dated
Sept. 17, 2010
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Canada-India Student MobilityStock and Flows
(1999-2009)
Figure 4
Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada Facts
and Figures 2008 and Preliminary 2009 Data
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2. Country-Specific Strategy Critical Judicious
Choice from Internationalization Continuum

• The statistical evidence (Figure 2, 3, 4 and
  Table 1) yields the following inferences
• - By the end of 2009 there have been
  encouraging developments, in that India ranks 3rd
  (after China and South Korea) in terms of annual
  flow and 4th (after China, Korea and U.S.A) in
  terms of the stock
• - When viewed the distribution of all
  international students in Canada by level of
  study, there are potentials to be realized for
  students from India at all levels of study,
  perhaps with increased efforts aimed at
  attracting entry into the universities and other
  post-secondary levels, besides recent attempts at
  other levels
• - The levels of entry since 1999 and more so
  since 2005 have been sustained with further
  potentials to be explored and attained through a
  judicious choice of avenues within the
  internationalization continuum, and not
  necessarily exclusively relying on opening branch
  campuses

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• Among others, the following could form elements
  of strategic Canada-India engagement
• - Enhanced Interactions in Graduate Studies
  with Joint/ Cotutelle Option
• - Bilateral-Twinning of Canadian and Indian
  Institutions
• - Broader-Twinning Consortium to Impart
  Canadian Type Education
• - Academia-Industry Linkages
• - Explore Collaboration in Vocational
  Education and Training
• - Relevance of Two PPPs (Public-Private-Partner
  ship and Purchasing Power Parity)

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3. Bill 57 and Winning Conditions Towards
Effective Partnership

• Succinctly stated, Bill 57 is a welcome
  development aimed at fostering cross-border
  education with the following goals
• (i) targeting minimization of gaps in the
  present education infrastructure in India
• (ii) realizing effective quality based
  educational partnership within an open and
  liberalized regime
• (iii) weeding out inappropriate and largely
  commercial endeavors by foreign educational
  providers.

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• To facilitate accomplishment of mutually
  reinforcing targets, both Canada and India should
  welcome, among others, the following winning
  conditions
• - Two-way Flow of Students/Scholars Ultimate
  Objective
• - Effective Harmonization of National Strategy
• - Bilateral Funding of a Canada-India
  Knowledge Initiative

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Conclusion

• Expected developments towards the enactment of
  the Bill, (perhaps with some modifications)
  should be viewed as a necessary process.
• The major stakeholders in Canada should continue
  to strive, as the policy makers and institutions
  of higher education in India are exhibiting
  openness and welcome to foreign education
  providers.
• It is imperative to utilize the opportunity and
  sustain the momentum, during the time gap evident
  in the passage of the legislation and effective
  implementation of partnerships
• I remain optimistic that mutually rewarding
  partnerships will forge ahead!
• Thank You!