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Rutgers University Press eBooks, Jul 16, 2021

McGill-Queen's University Press eBooks, Sep 1, 2013

Historical studies in education, Sep 23, 2015

Canadian Journal of Higher Education, Apr 7, 2022

This special issue celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Society for the Study of Highe... more This special issue celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE) and of the Canadian Journal of Higher Education (CJHE). These two milestones were reached in 2020 for CSSHE and in 2021 for CJHE. We have an opportunity to reflect on their accomplishments, celebrate their contributions to the study of higher education, and consider a future in which they continue to play a leading role in Canadian higher education research and scholarship.

In this panel we will offer critical reflections on the state of internationalization research an... more In this panel we will offer critical reflections on the state of internationalization research and practice within Canadian higher education institutions. In doing so, we map existing contributions, highlight pressing yet under-theorized concerns, and sketch out possible pathways for future innovations and insights in research and practice. Because efforts to reimagine internationalization in Canada will depend on the configurations of power and policy that converge within a particular context, our intention with this session is not to prescribe a single way forward, but rather to foster ongoing conversations that do not shy away from issues of complexity, complicity, and coloniality.

Policy Reviews in Higher Education

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This paper examines how international education (IE), as an important tool of public diplomacy (P... more This paper examines how international education (IE), as an important tool of public diplomacy (PD) and soft power (SP), faces unique challenges as issues of national security (NS) become more prominent in this era of new geopolitics. It presents a model to understand the relationship between PD, SP and NS and then applies this model to a comparative study. The contrasting histories, approaches and perspectives of IE as it operates as a component of foreign policy and at the nexus of PD, SP and NS in both the U.S. and Canada are analysed. The paper concludes with three challenges faced by IE in the contemporary context: first, the diminishing role of the university as a distinct and valued non-state actor; second, the weakening of foreign policy as an outward looking, distinctly international investment; and third, the problem with choosing isolation over engagement as a strategy.

This chapter examines the experiences of one subset of labour market hires; namely, international... more This chapter examines the experiences of one subset of labour market hires; namely, international students (IS) who came to Canada to pursue their post-secondary education. It discusses data from a pilot study conducted for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in 2016. The chapter also examines the global readiness of Ontario employers by highlighting their hiring practices and their perceptions of the value proposition that IS represent. The idea of open borders, of welcoming IS and immigrants, is commonly associated with promoting national and global interests; mutual understanding; and, ultimately, global peace through the opening up of minds. Canadian government policy positions international education as a tool to build human capital for a local-becoming-global marketplace. Ontario universities align their institutional strategies and policies with federal and provincial government policies on IS. Commenting on employers’ hiring practices, university staffers contend that employers look for the best candidates who have the skills they need regardless of their citizenship status.

The purpose of this research study was to map Ontario universities’ strategies, programs and serv... more The purpose of this research study was to map Ontario universities’ strategies, programs and services for international students (IS). In mapping these programs, we aimed to understand the opportunities, challenges and gaps that exist in supporting IS. We focused on services at various levels, including from the first year of study all the way through to graduation, the job search process, entry into the labour market, and students’ transition to permanent resident status.

This chapter examines how the world-class university and global ranking discourses have been enga... more This chapter examines how the world-class university and global ranking discourses have been engaged in the context of Canadian and Ontarian higher education, paying particular attention to the policy shifts it has stimulated. In addition to engaging with academic literature on WCU and rankings, the chapter relies on Canadian print media’s coverage of these issues between 2005-2017. The chapter presents an overview of the Canadian higher Page 9270 In Pursuit of World-Class Universitieseducation; a brief history of rankings/differentiation; an outline of the global positioning of Canadian universities; a discussion of three key policy shifts; and finally observations on how this global policy discourse has produced both convergence and local versions of the WCU within the Canadian context. It ends by raising questions on Canada’s/Ontario’s future directions given its unique local context and changing global geopolitics.

Through a historical and comparative analysis of international education policy development in Ca... more Through a historical and comparative analysis of international education policy development in Canada and the U.S., this paper will map the similarities and differences in the two countries. It will highlight the contributions and challenges of the government’s involvement in international education (IE) in the two federal states and in particular, explore the implications of the changing contexts, rationales and approaches for international education to the federal role in higher education. It will conclude with observations on the differential impact of the federal government’s role in international/higher education on the higher education systems of the two countries and thus contribute to our understanding of how national specificities and characteristics outweigh the commonly stated policy rationales, approaches and outcomes for international education.

Outward and Upward Mobilities

International students (IS) have been targeted by Canadian federal and provincial policies as “id... more International students (IS) have been targeted by Canadian federal and provincial policies as “ideal” immigrants given that they “are well positioned to immigrate to Canada as they have typically obtained Canadian credentials, are proficient in at least one official language and often have relevant Canadian work experience” (DFATD, 2014, p.12). However, the few studies that have been conducted examining international student experiences in the Canadian job market report that IS share many of the challenges that other skilled immigrants face. In fact, little is known about employers’ hiring practices and preferences when it comes to IS. It is crucial to gain insights into the role employers play in IS capacity to realize a return on their education and to transition into the Ontario labour market as new immigrants. The study aimed to answer the following questions: 1. How knowledgeable are employers about immigration policies pertaining to IS and how do they expect these policies to influence their human resource policies and practices related to IS (e.g. selection, retention and promotion)? 2. What is the “value proposition” for hiring IS from employers’ perspectives? What are their expectations and experiences of hiring IS compared to experienced immigrants and non-immigrants? 3. What would motivate employers to play a more strategic role in the social and economic integration of IS as permanent residents? What tools, resources and best practices do they identify? 4. What collaborative partnerships do employers envision with the government and university sector in preparing IS for employment and permanent residency? This research aimed to examine and develop a nuanced understanding of employer motives, perceptions and practices and their interface and interactions with universities in facilitating or impeding the conversion of IS educational credentials into secure employment and access to Canadian citizenship. Hence, we employed a qualitative research design with multiple data collection methods including interviews and focus groups with 10 employers and 17 staff members (from career, cooperative education and international education offices) at 3 Ontario universities as well as observation of workshops and a job fair.

Current policy initiatives aim to address a national shortage of skilled workers by encouraging s... more Current policy initiatives aim to address a national shortage of skilled workers by encouraging skilled foreigners to settle in Canada. International Students (IS) are particularly encouraged to find employment in Canada upon graduating because they are seen as being better integrated into Canadian society, having already undergone Canadian education and training. We examined this assumption through a pilot study at two Ontario universities that are especially popular among IS. A qualitative research method was employed through focus groups with IS. Our results speak to several themes that highlight the extent to which assumed outcomes often do not align with the lived experiences of IS as they transition into the Canadian labour market. It was found that the experience of IS in Ontario is largely positive, particularly with respect to their perceptions of the quality of education received. However, our study clearly reveals that more support and coordination is needed at both the institutional- and provincial-level to ensure IS are better-prepared to work in Ontario after graduation. A Report to the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities- Ontario-Canada. 2014

This paper examines the pattern of decision-making, lobbying, and influence that led to the landm... more This paper examines the pattern of decision-making, lobbying, and influence that led to the landmark series of federal student assistance policies introduced by Jean Chrétien’s Liberal government in the late 1990s. The package of new initiatives—dubbed the Canada Opportunities Strategy—not only partially re-versed an earlier period of fiscal restraint but also brought a new emphasis on direct forms of student assistance such as grants, bursaries, and tax credits. However, programs such as the Canada Millennium Bursaries and the Cana-da Education Savings Grants, despite their focused approach and innovative structure, came to be regarded as weak policy tools when measured against their ostensible goals of widening access to post-secondary education and effi-ciently targeting student assistance on the basis of need. The new policy regime also failed to fulfil nearly two decades of previous efforts by policy-makers to transform Canada’s student debt program into a systematic income-con...

International Education as Public Policy in Canada