Evidence of meeting #15 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was immigrants.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:35 a.m.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
All right, that's what I wanted to know.
I'll hand over to Mr. Généreux.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Mr. Greenshields, my sister is responsible for the International Office at the Université Laval, in Quebec City. You may have had occasion to work with her since she worked for EduCanada last year, replacing someone, to develop the brand image—
10:40 a.m.
Director, International Education and Youth Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Yes, I very much liked her.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
It's good to hear that. I'll tell her.
To sum up, I believe she helped to develop the brand image and to sell that image around the world last year. She just got back from Australia a few days ago, where she went, once again, to promote Canadian universities, particularly the Université Laval, across the country.
The presentation states that we would like to achieve 4.4% francophone immigration outside Quebec by 2023 and that Asia is a market, if I can use that term, where there is high potential. In view of the phenomenal growth of these emerging countries, they are probably countries with very high potential. You are probably right.
Have you already started to make an effort, particularly in those regions of the world, to recruit students? I think it's quite clear, in view of what we've heard today and previously, that education is a very good attraction and retention method, particularly in Canada, since we have an extremely well developed educational network across the country.
Have you started making efforts in those specific regions?
10:40 a.m.
Deputy Director and Trade Commissioner, Edu-Canada, International Education Promotion, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Yes. Thank you for your question.
Asia definitely consists mainly of anglophone markets, but we think there is nevertheless potential on the francophone side as well. We see Quebec educational institutions making major efforts and we would like to try to see whether we can attract—as I said, the potential is modest but nevertheless real—people from Asian countries to the francophone minority communities.
That said, we're making efforts. As you know, there is the network of French lycées around the world. A few days ago, I received a message from our colleague in Hong Kong asking me to send him more promotional material in French. He had a little, but he wanted a lot more because he was going to attend a promotional fair at the French lycée in Hong Kong to encourage people to enrol at Canadian universities, anglophone and francophone.
Consequently, I believe there's nevertheless a certain amount of interest. We must develop that, but the fact remains that the majority of francophone students who come to study in Canada don't come from Asia. There are a number, as I was saying, who come from China, a number from Vietnam, but most always come from Europe and North Africa.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
That's fine, thank you.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Thank you very much, Mr. Généreux.
That concludes the first part of our meeting. Consequently, we will suspend the sitting for a few minutes to enable our witnesses to leave. We will then resume to discuss current business, which, if I'm not mistaken, will be done in camera.
Thanks to the witnesses. It was very interesting.
[Proceedings continue in camera]