Educational Products and Services Offered Abroad by Canadian Universities: An AUCC Survey

1
Educational Products and Services Offered Abroad
by Canadian Universities An AUCC Survey

• Robert White
• International Relations
• AUCC

2
The Knowledge Exports Survey Why Engage
Canadian Universities

• AUCCs 2006-07 survey on internationalization at
  Canadian universities showed that Canadian
  university engagement in this sector is a growing
  activity.
• Limited statistical and anecdotal information is
  available regarding Canadian university
  engagement in delivering educational programs and
  services abroad.
• Direct competition from Australia, New Zealand,
  United Kingdom and the United States requires a
  concerted internationalization strategy
• To further support efforts to market Canadian
  post-secondary education, DFAIT engaged AUCC and
  ACCC to gather information from their member
  institutions on educational programs and services
  offered abroad to students living outside of
  Canada during the 2007-08 academic year.

3
AUCC Knowledge Exports Survey Methodology

• AUCC/ACCC/DFAIT Methodology
• Work with the ACCC and DFAIT to launch the survey
  and compile the inventory.
• Convene an ad-hoc advisory committee of AUCC and
  ACCC reps members to guide/test questionnaire.
• Finalize launch questionnaires to AUCC members.
• Compile a database of categories and types of
  programs offered abroad, supporting institutional
  infrastructure and partnership arrangements.
• Undertake a review and summary of Canadian and
  non-Canadian directories of post secondary
  offshore programs delivery to inform survey
  development.

4
Survey - Issues and Challenges

• Results represent only a portion of activities
  and can serve as the beginning of an inventory
• Information regarding education programs
  services delivered abroad is typically not
  centrally located at Canadian universities
• It is critical to establish a easy-use mechanism
  to regularly update information.
• Further data collection and analysis through a
  second phase of analysis is necessary

5
Knowledge Exports by the Numbers Institutional
Responses

• 2008 Knowledge Exports Survey  
• 54 AUCC member institutions (58) responded to
  the survey
• 39 AUCC member institutions (72) indicated
  offering some form of educational programs and
  services abroad  
• Just over two-thirds of respondents (68)
  indicated having a high to medium level of
  interest in designing and delivering education
  courses and training programs for non-Canadian
  markets
• A higher proportion of respondents (81) expect
  that future interest will be high or medium
• 2006 2007 Internationalization Survey
  Knowledge Exports
• AUCCs 2006-07 survey supports a similar finding
  with 75 of respondents confirming delivery of
  education and training programs outside of Canada
  

6
AUCC Survey - Key Trends and Observations

• Findings from the 2008 survey indicate that
  Canadian universities are actively delivering
  educational programs and services overseas and
  employing rigorous quality assurance policies
  abroad.
• Canadian university engagement in providing
  educational programs and services abroad is not
  confined to particular sizes or types of
  universities.
• The delivery of educational programs abroad is
  largely facilitated through institutional
  partnerships.
• Participants reported education programs
  services in 41 countries
• China remains Canadian universities largest
  market for the provision of educational programs
  and services overseas. India ranks 2nd

7
Knowledge Exports by the Numbers Top Fields of
Study

• Participants reported the top fields of study for
  overseas
• education program delivery as follows
• Business
• Management Computer Science/Information
  Technology
• Agriculture/Food Sciences
• Engineering
• Education

8
Knowledge Exports by the Numbers Economic Impact

• Total Professional Staff Dedicated to Delivery of
  
• Education Abroad
• Of the participating Canadian universities, 42
  institutions reported an
• average of 3 professional staff at each
  institution dedicated to delivery of
• education abroad
• Total Tuition Generated from Students Abroad
• A total of 16 institutions reported student
  numbers and tuition for 32 programs generated
  29.72 million in tuition in 2007-08
• A total of 9 institutions indicated that students
  numbers and tuition for 14 services generated
  1.62 million in tuition revenue
• Total tuition revenue reported (excluding
  distance education) is 31.34 million

9
Knowledge Exports by the Numbers Institutions
Infrastructure

• Institutional Arrangements and Partnerships
• Canadian universities reported institutional
  arrangements to deliver programs
• Double award 27 institutional arrangements
• Twinning/articulation 26 institutional
  arrangements
• Franchise/accreditation 21 institutional
  arrangements
• Joint award 3 institutional arrangements
• Method of Delivery
• Participants noted that of delivery options
  available, on-site program delivery in the host
  institution is preferred. The results are as
  follows
• On-site in host (foreign) institution - (83.5)
• Distance - (2)
• Combination of distance on site - (11)
• At Canadian institution branch campus - (3.5)

10
Quality Assurance

• Assuring the quality of educational programs
• offered abroad by Canadian universities
• 100 follow requirements of the home (Canadian)
  institutions general policies
• and practices
• In addition, 65 have specific mechanisms or
  procedures guiding the provision of
• education abroad
• In addition, 37 follow specific mechanisms or
  procedures of relevant professional
• bodies (ex Canadian Engineering Accredition
  Board)