Globalizing Canada s Universities An Overview Glen A Jones

Globalizing Canada’s Universities: An Overview Glen A. Jones Ontario Research Chair in Postsecondary Education Policy and Measurement

Key Questions: • Pressures and possibilities: The “Why? ” question. • Defining internationalization: The “What? ” question. • Problematic assumptions on going global: The “Why Not? ” question. • Internationalization, Public Policy, and Canadian Universities: The “Who” “Where” and “How” questions.

Pressures and Possibilities

Pressures • Globalization and global competition: capital, communication, human resources, research funding, prestige, rankings • Repositioning of the University as a key institution in an increasingly international “knowledge economy”: a national instrument of economic development within a global economy

Possibilities • Learning about the world: its peoples, geography, knowledge, and problems. • Cross-cultural understanding through new interactions (relationships, partnerships, collaboration, networks) • Improving the quality of education (curricular change, faculty development, student mobility) • Revenue generation (international students, research funding)

Why the current interest? • Ontario Government 2010: international enrolment will increase by 50%. • Changing demographics mean that the domestic demand for PSE will decrease in some areas – so there is excess capacity. • International students fulfill a government promise, fill potentially empty spaces, and pay tuition.

Defining Internationalization

Internationalization of Higher Education is the process of integrating an international, intercultural and/or global dimension into the purpose, functions (teaching, research and service) and delivery of higher education. J. Knight (2006)

Internationalization is … • A process (not a product) • Integrative • Multidimensional and complex – International/comparative/inter-cultural research approaches and initiatives – Student mobility – Faculty mobility – Curriculum (inter-cultural dimensions) – Development and other service initiatives

Problematic Assumptions on Going Global

Problems • International activities are not innately good. – Students can have terrible experiences and learn little. – International research projects can be secondrate and involve problematic power and status relationships. – International networks can be nothing more than an excuse for travel.

Five Myths of Internationalization • Foreign students as internationalization agents • International reputation as a proxy for quality • International Institutional Agreements • International Accreditation • Global Branding (J. Knight, Winter 2011, International Higher Education)

Internationalization • Can exacerbate inequities in power and economic relations: – Our brain “gain” is someone else's brain “drain” – Can challenge existing relationships, but it can also reinforce existing inequities

Internationalization and Government Policy

Internationalization and Higher Education Policy • Prominent role in EU, UK, US, Australia, China, etc. • Why have Canada’s federal and provincial governments placed so little emphasis on internationalization of Canadian higher education?

Policy Challenges • Canadianization movement • Canadian federal arrangements • Concerns of displacement

Canadianization Movement • 1967 Canada’s Centennial and Expo • “What Culture, What Heritage? ” 1970 study by A. B. Hodgetts • “The Struggle for Canadian Universities” by R. Mathews and J. Steele, 1969 • “To Know Ourselves: Report of the Commission on Canadian Studies” T. Symons, 1975

Canadianization • Problems identified: – Canadian school textbooks did not provide enough content on Canada and were largely published in the United States – Many new professors in universities were not from Canada and did not know Canadian history or culture – Limited research on Canada – Need more Canadian content (journals, music, television, film, art)

Canadianization • Assumed that Canada was becoming increasingly international and multicultural BUT there was a need for a greater emphasis on Canadian studies • Growth of nationalism, concerns of cultural imperialism • Linked to national strategies and cultural protectionism of Trudeau era

Canadianization • Expansion of Canadian graduate programs • Increased funding for research in social sciences and humanities • Canada-first hiring policies • Funding for Canadian publications (journals, books) • Development of Canadian studies programs inside Canada, and the Canadian Studies abroad initiative by the Federal Government

Canadianization • While many countries were focusing on internationalization in the 1970 -1985 period, there was a strong “Canadianization” emphasis in Canadian policies

Canada’s Federal Arrangements • A challenge for the development of internationalization policies: – Federal responsibility foreign affairs and international trade – Provincial responsibility for higher education – Until quite recently, very little federal emphasis on international initiatives (research, student and faculty mobility) but Canadian Studies Abroad viewed as key program – Some provinces have supported mobility programs

Concerns of Displacement • Until the 1980 s, most provinces did not have differential fees for international students • While Australia was emphasizing revenue generation, the Canadian policy discussion was on the level of subsidy for international students

Concerns of Displacement • View that international initiatives mean: – That international students will take the place of domestic students – That great Canadian students will leave the country through student mobility programs – That international research projects will mean less money for increasing domestic capacity – That expenditures on scholarships for international students is taking money away from domestic students (Ontario, 2010)

So … • Federal government policies have not emphasized internationalization – Little support for international research initiatives – Most scholarship programs emphasize Canadian students and Canadian universities – No special support to internationalize curriculum, facilitate faculty mobility, etc. – Internationalization is seldom seen as a domestic policy issue

But some signs of change … • Modest new federal investments in: – International research initiatives – Graduate student mobility • Some provinces have been running modest programs for some time, and there has been a growth in new initiatives (mobility, scholarships, etc. )

Internationalization and Canadian Universities

Internationalization and Universities • What we know… – Common component of institutional mission statements – Many institutions have international strategies – Most institutions report that it is an area of strategic importance (IAU surveys) – Some institutions are devoting tremendous attention – but the level of activity and approach varies by institution

Internationalization and Institutions • What we don’t know … – Little research on internationalization and Canadian universities – Few case studies – Expenditures on internationalization initiatives? – Comparative data on institutional experiences

Internationalization and Faculty

Internationalization and Faculty • Graduate Education – Individuals holding doctorates born outside their country of current residence: • • Germany 12% (2004 data) United States 26% (2003 data) Australia 46% (2001 data) Canada 54% (2001 data) (L. Auriol, OECD STI Working Paper 2007/2)

Internationalization and Faculty • 34% of full-time faculty respondents earned their doctorate outside Canada (Changing Academic Professions Survey 2007) • Of 56, 115 total university professors: – 33, 220 were Canadian born (59%) – 20, 620 immigrated/non-permanent res (41%) (2006 Statscan data via CAUT Almanac 2010/11)

Internationalization and Faculty • Research Activities – 84% of Canadian full-time faculty respondents have collaborators on research projects – 64% collaborate with international colleagues – 37% collaborate with U. S. colleagues (Changing Academic Professions Survey 2007)

Internationalization and Faculty Teaching: In a national survey, full-time faculty responded to the statement …In your courses you emphasize international perspectives or content: • Strongly Agreed/Agreed 62% • Neutral 22% • Strongly Disagreed/Disagreed 16% (Changing Academic Professions Survey 2007)

Internationalization and Students

Destinations for International Students (Atlas of Student Mobility)

Internationalization and Students • Complex intersections between “internationalization” and addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse domestic student population • Challenges of categories (today's international student can be tomorrow’s Canadian citizen)

International Students • Total count: – 1, 670, 772 all higher education students in Canada – 161, 679 international students in Canada (10%) (Atlas of Student Mobility – 2008/09 data)

International Students • University Enrolment – 873, 557 total FTE (2007/08) – 78, 445 FTE International students (2007/08) • 43, 353 Full-time undergraduates • 11, 265 Full-time master’s degree students • 8, 034 Full-time doctoral degree students (Statistics Canada via CAUT Almanac)

International Students • Top sending places of origin: – China 49, 905 (25%) – South Korea 25, 871 (13%) – United States 11, 275 (6%) – India 9, 570 (5%) (Atlas of Student Mobility from Citizenship Immigration Canada)

Outbound Student Mobility • Between 2 -3% of students study abroad (roughly the international average) • Leading destinations: – United States (28, 905) – United Kingdom (5, 010) – Australia (4, 039) – France (1302) (Atlas of Student Mobility – 2007 UNESCO)

So … Where are we?

1. Our universities are quite international in orientation • They were built by a nation of immigrants. • Most faculty engage in international collaboration and report that they consider international issues in their teaching. • Canadian universities attract large numbers of international students. • Many of our domestic students bring considerable international experience.

2. Universities Determine Policy • No comprehensive government strategy, so institutions determine strategy and approach • Healthy skepticism of internationization. • Variations in the level of emphasis, support and approach by institution across the country.

3. Disconnected Conversations • New conversation on recruitment (senior administrators and government) seems disconnected from conversations on: – International curricula – International research and development – International student support – Domestic student mobility • Need for more research and a holistic, strategic approach.

4. Government Policy • Internationalization of higher education is an important area of domestic policy. • While important steps have been taken, there is little policy coherence and initiatives are fragmented and uncoordinated. • Universities need government support to build partnerships, international research networks, and further domestic student mobility.

Thank you! gjones@oise. utoronto. ca