Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to speak to the committee. My name is Chris Greenshields. I am the director for international education and youth at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
I am joined by my colleague, Jean-Philippe Tachdjian, who is the deputy director for education marketing, leading our Edu-Canada unit.
I will make a brief overview of our work in regard to education marketing and official language communities, and then Mr. Tachdjian and I would be pleased to respond to your questions and comments.
Let me also add that we work very closely with CIC in all our work, and we are also participating in the steering committee.
In 2006, DFAIT created a unit called Edu-Canada to coordinate the work of Canadian missions in the promotion of Canadian education abroad; to create a promotional campaign and the development of a new brand, now known as “Education au/in Canada”; to facilitate relations between provinces and non-governmental organizations and our missions abroad; and to develop a strategy to support student recruitment in priority countries.
The Edu-Canada initiative was included in the global commerce strategy and is closely aligned with other DFAIT programs—for example, scholarships and Canadian studies. The federal budget in 2007-08 provided $1 million each year through 2011-12 for this initiative.
Following consultations with the provinces and stakeholders in international education, the department identified nine countries and four priority regions for targeted marketing activities where 75% of the total budget is allocated to missions, that is to say our overseas embassies. The remaining resources are allocated to other markets. Our priority markets are China, India, the United States, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Germany, France and Brazil, the Persian Gulf—including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait—North Africa—including Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya—the Caribbean and the countries of South East Asia. France, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt are priority markets of interest for francophone institutions in minority language communities. Other markets of interest for francophone institutions in minority language communities where we support marketing and promotion initiatives are Switzerland, Lebanon, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast and Cameroon.
A recent report commissioned by the department found that international students contribute $6.5 million annually to the Canadian economy. The study also demonstrated that international students generate $291 million in government revenue, as well as economic activity that generates employment for 83,000 Canadians.
International students constitute a desirable source of potential immigrants, and the CIC has developed programs aimed at retaining these students as permanent residents after graduation, such as the post-graduate work program and the new Canadian experience class.
The OECD estimates that the number of international students in the world will increase from 2 million in 1994 to 7.2 million in 2025, with the majority coming from Asia. Growth in the middle class in many developing countries is also a factor in the increasing number of international students.
DFAIT works with provincial governments and other federal departments through the Federal-Provincial Consultative Committee on Education-Related International Affairs regarding governance and development of the Imagine Education au/in Canada brand. The committee was created by an agreement between DFAIT and the Council of Ministers of Education and meets at least twice annually. Collaborative efforts also include the establishment of a calendar of signature events for education promotion and partnership.
The department also regularly consults with regional and national associations involved in international education, notably the Association des universités francophones du Canada and the Réseau des cégeps et des collèges francophones du Canada, with the goal of creating awareness and making our services and activities available to meet their needs and interests. Representing 13 universities outside of Quebec, AUFC's mandate is to promote opportunities for studying in French throughout Canada's minority language communities. The Réseau des cégeps et des collèges francophones du Canada is a network aiming to develop college training in Canada through cooperation, promotion, and exchanges. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade also regularly consults with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges.
Twice annually the department organizes the national education marketing round table on the subject of education promotion. At this round table, the department presents reports on its activities in education marketing and offers participants the opportunity to present reports and to discuss issues of collective interest in the education marketing sector.
In 2009-2010, more than 35 Canadian missions organized education marketing events. Many of these events are fairs which offer substantial or moderate opportunities for education institutions located within francophone minority communities. In many countries, the immigration sections of the missions equally contribute to the event's success by providing information on procedures to obtain visas and study permits.
In the Maghreb, for example, some promotional activities have great potential to attract students to institutions located in minority francophone communities, including Study in Canada fairs organized by Canadian missions in Tunisia and Morocco. These fairs lasted two or three days and attracted 1,500 and 2,500 visitors. In francophone Africa, in January 2010, Canadian missions in Senegal, Mali, Cameroon and Ivory Coast also held Study in Canada Recruitment fairs, attracting between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors each. In October 2010, there will be Study in Canada fairs in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon as part of a greater tour of the Middle East and North Africa. In February 2011, there will also be a Study in Canada tour in Senegal, Mali, Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.
In France, a full-time employee at the embassy in Paris dedicated to academic relations provides advice and support to education institutions interested in recruiting French students and establishing inter-institutional agreements with French institutions. The Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne worked in close collaboration with the Canadian mission in France delivering promotional activities in January 2010. The Canadian Cultural Centre also offers bimonthly information sessions on studying in Canada. In October 2010, the Canadian mission in France will be organizing a Canadian Pavilion at an international student recruitment fair in which Canada will be the country of honour. As for Switzerland, the Canadian mission in Zurich organized a booth at three fairs aimed at the recruitment of students.
It is worth noting that primarily English-speaking markets also offer important opportunities for Francophone institutions including Mexico, Brazil and China. For example, China offers a certain potential for Francophone institutions and the missions in China organize Canadian Pavilions at international recruitment fairs as well as information workshops on recruiting doctoral students.
In 2010-2011, promotional activities will also take place in Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Turkey and the Czech Republic, countries where there is modest but real demand for study in French-language programs in Canada.
I'll skip over the list of institutions we are working with, the minority francophone institutions in a minority situation.
I would like to wrap up by noting that in terms of our other signature events each year, the Department of Foreign Affairs organizes a Canadian pavilion at the European Association for International Education, which will take place in Nantes this September 2010.
The European Association for International Education attracts post-secondary representatives with an interest in developing institutional partnerships of exchange or collaboration. On the margins of the next conference in Nantes, the department plans to organize a Canada-France round table on the mobility of international students, which will bring together institutions from both countries.
We are also planning to organize a familiarization tour on education in Canada for French journalists who will visit educational institutions in key provinces and particularly those located in minority francophone communities.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.