18th National Education Marketing Roundtable
Minutes
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT)
Robertson Boardroom, 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa
December 1, 2010, 09:00 am – 12:30 pm
Chair: Claire Poulin
Director, International Education & Youth Division, DFAIT
Deputy Chair: Jean-Philippe Tachdjian
Deputy Director, Edu-Canada, DFAIT
Opening Comments
Claire Poulin, Director, International Education and Youth Division, DFAIT
Welcome. This has been a busy time as I join the International Education and Youth Division. Over the last few days of meetings it is clear that we are all working on how we can harmonize our approach in attracting students to Canada where students will find a high calibre of experience in any institution. I began my role with the success of the Conference of the Americas; a first of its kind for the Americas to discuss and promote education for the region as a whole.
The following presentations will summarize specific actions taken to date by DFAIT and various representatives around the table. We are working hard in developing our relationships in India, China, Mexico and Brazil to pave the way for more constructive relationships through, for example the India-Canada MOU. A special office has now been created in Haiti to further initiatives in this country. The Canadian Consortium for International Education Marketing shows a concerted approach for collaboration. Over the coming year, it’s clear that we need to move into higher gear in order to promote Canada as a destination of choice. We believe there is consensus around the table and we hope to continue working with you to achieve our mutual goals.
Review of the Agenda and of the Minutes of the May 2010 NEMR
Jean-Philippe Tachdjian (DFAIT) Languages Canada and the Canadian Consortium for International Education Marketing have requested some time to update NEMR participants in advance of the “Tour de table/Other Business” portion of the meeting later this morning provided that everyone is in agreement.
Report on Edu-Canada’s activities in 2010-11
Jean-Philippe Tachdjian, Deputy Director, Edu-Canada (DFAIT)
This has been a challenging year as we lived with previous decisions and the consequences of the CECN closure. The missions have taken up many of the activities and education has become one of the most active sectors within DFAIT. We have had the opportunity to participate in a new venture with the Conference of the Americas and would like to thank CBIE, CONAHEC and the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE) . While the pace has been gaining momentum, can we do more even as we see a 18.6% in the issuance of study permits to international students coming to Canada since 2007?
There has been the launch of the Consortium, we have heard Provincial Premiers express interest in international education through their announcement on August 5th 2010, pre budget submissions were strong in their advocacy and supportive of proposals for international education promotion.
Our present budget allotment is expected to end in 2012 with the next 12 months being a critical time for future planning. Our priorities for 2011 are NAFSA in Vancouver next May, the Middle East Partnership Tour, and the Canada-Arab Education Forum with CBIE. Two other points of importance for our activities include use of social media (with all of the required government approvals), as well as better engagement with agents through training and communications.
This meeting is an opportunity to provide you with some updates from DFAIT and I will leave this to the Edu-Canada team. At the end of the presentations, I will offer a few summarizing comments and updates Please hold questions until the end as we are conscious of time.
Branding Initiatives
Geneviève Gougeon, Trade Commissioner (DFAIT)
Rena Elbaze, Brand Manager for International Education (CMEC)
The Brand roll out is going extremely well with on-line and in person training to approximately 60 school representatives per month since 2008. Brand eligibility was established through a Brand Use Eligibility Policy that is an agreement between DFAIT and CMEC and provincial governments. See our presentation or Web (www.imagine.cmec.ca) for the Pan Canadian Baseline for brand eligibility. This recognizes provincial jurisdiction as well as the responsibility of the federal government with regards to foreign affairs. We are encouraging more institutions to use the brand through the monthly training, through provincial or NGO advertising as well as through the Imagine Bulletin. Please refer to the distributed documents outlining the number of institutions that have been trained, authorized and those that have received a sub license agreement, including most non-governmental organizations (according to their membership criteria and its accordance with the Pan Canadian Baseline). Use of the Imagine logo with NGO or institution promotional activities shows profile for the Brand where there is both internal and external recognition of what this logo represents.
Brand developments for 2010/2011 include updates to the extranet www.imagine.cmec.ca which remains the primary tool for accessing use of the brand. Missions also access the same site for graphics to be used in promotion activities. Market intelligence was a primary activity this summer focusing on research excellence by province, sector and through global rankings/positioning. Our communication strategy using these tools will follow along with accompanying images and alumni/student testimonials, volunteered (with permissions) by institutions across the country. The collection of photos and testimonials were collected through consultations with missions for appropriate market adaptation. Alumni and student profiles give specific examples that reflect our promotional campaigns, key markets of interest, job opportunities, support from faculty and quality of student experience. Trademark registration has been filed in 81 countries, with registration currently in 53 countries.
We have also updated our promotional brochures and translations in 8 languages and integrated photos that best resonate in key markets. In the promotional ladder, country still remains the most influential factor in a student’s choice. Despite promotional efforts and the new scholarship campaigns we are still lagging in market share. Timing is crucial for us to be more active as the global pool of students is increasing and some countries are stumbling (despite greater resources). A reference map for graduate study is being developed showing innovation and research clusters to promote key centres of excellence in universities across Canada.
In 2011/2012 we will be focusing on the following: featuring Canada (over Imagine taglines) for brand recognition, a champion speaker program, leveraging industry, and the Canadian Studies Program. We are also looking at doing some Brand resonance testing with prospective students.
Mission Activities
Nancy Hector & Fiona Rutherford, Trade Commissioners (DFAIT)
As mission liaison officers, we’re the direct link to the missions when it comes to education promotion. We are their first and main point of contact. Our role is to help missions plan and organize their activities whether it’s an education fair, outreach visit, or ppt presentation on study opportunities in Canada. We have a number of tools available to support their work, such as the brand extranet site and the new Guide to Education Promotion.
Edu-Canada funds are used to support the activities of our missions abroad. Each year, missions submit a mission business plan which describes their planned education activities for the coming year. It also provides a detailed breakdown of the funds they are requesting for each initiative. We review these with Jean-Philippe and allocate funds based on the quality of the proposals. The majority of the funding is provided to priority countries but all missions are invited to submit proposals.
We work extensively with the brand manager to ensure the consistent use of the brand, provide training on best practices, and propose promotional concepts and strategies which will help missions to raise the profile of their activities.
Our biggest challenge ------ there’s only two of us to handle the increased interest and demand by missions who want to promote Canada as a study destination. Our limited funding makes it difficult to wholly support their activities.
Highlights include 150 activities in 70 countries with a growing level of activity in smaller missions as well as sharing of best practices through virtual teams in key regions. The launch of the Guide to Education Marketing has assisted in better synergies, greater training and resource sharing as well as cross-promotion with Scholarships and International Experience Canada. MEEI is the longest trade mission organized by DFAIT (across all sectors) running from Sept-Nov 2010. A summary and reports of events are available through Edu-Canada for those who are interested in post event details. Photos collected of the events showed engagement by students, consistency of brand use materials, profiling of Canada in event products and support by Ambassadors at key events. In many instances we sought opportunities for market briefings and school visits for participants as well as information sessions for students.
The US and the Americas as a whole have been extremely active this year with increased events throughout September-November. In Europe events are typically organized by third party providers, making trade missions difficult to coordinate in terms of travel logistics and timing. Events are ongoing with many fairs taking place from January to March 2011.
Upcoming tours include Africa (EN and FR markets), Iran, Saudi Arabia (IECHE) as well as additional events in India, ASEAN, Mexico, Latin America, USA, Europe. Please see our online calendar of events at www.edu.canadapro.gc.ca for regular updates.
Website Renewal
Georgina Galloway, Trade Commissioner (DFAIT)
Before providing a Web update, I wanted to provide a quick update from our May meeting where we discussed Agent Training. We are continuing to research best options and partners for an online platform to provide training which would cover all sectors and would also identify who participated in training or successful examinations. In the meantime, we participated in a number of ICEF conferences in various countries to better engage and provide accurate information to them.
In other areas of Web resources, Edu-CanadaPRO remains a main resource where you will now find reports, events listed by country with contact information and NEMR minutes posted. We have also worked with our missions through a central office in DFAIT to develop a Study in Canada template which will ensure that our web messaging around the world conforms to the Brand guidelines and offers accurate and consistent information with the option of customizing the template to reflect key market information. This will also provide greater opportunity for local language content and referral to key resources.
A significant project has been the review of the Education au-in Canada website. We are working with the appropriate tools to keep the government websites accessible. Our site meets accessibility standards with a few exemptions due to the Brand agreements. While we identified priorities in Information Architecture, a user profile, search engine optimization, design renewal and content editing, the challenge has been budget and what must be done within a limited timeframe. This fall we are migrating all content into a new content management system (CMS) that will allow for easy and quick updates. The website remains one of DFAIT’s top three most visited websites by the public with a 38% increase in direct visits. A presentation of sites in development follows with an explanation that design is in development and content will be released for consultation where appropriate. Existing content will be migrated and better organized or written for enhanced findability (search words) to best compete with those of other countries. Examples of refreshed content include sections on Quality Assurance, Work in Canada, Culture, Study Options and How to Prepare for Coming to Canada (Student Guide) as well as sections dedicated to student testimonials and options upon graduation.
Questions and Answers
Q: Gonzalo Peralta (LC) Who can use brand promotional tools such as posters and materials? What are the next steps in order to provide agents or other key influencers with the tools or materials we have developed to promote education?
A: Jean-Philippe Tachdjian (DFAIT) There are discussions underway with CIC and DFAIT on this very question.
Genevieve Gougeon (DFAIT) Agents may distribute material however, the challenge is we don't have the funds to print and distribute materials. Currently our missions print materials through their own budgets and for limited activities.
Q: Karen McBride (CBIE) Has there been intergovernmental discussions regarding how we can work together in this area to develop training or collateral?
A: Jean-Philippe Tachdjian (DFAIT) CIC and DFAIT are currently discussing resources with the challenge being how we can monitor agent activities, ie. who may be trained or who may use our brand materials.
Q: Gary Dyck (Manitoba) Current meetings in Manitoba generated much discussion on the same topic. Are we talking about policy or practice?
A: Jean-Philippe Tachdjian (DFAIT) Both.
Canada pavilions at Signature Events and Plans for NAFSA 2011
John Manning, Senior Policy Advisor, MTCU Ontario
Stéphanie Mercure, Trade Commissioner (DFAIT)
Lise Pedersen, Wilfrid Laurier University, Co-Chair, NAFSA Canada SIG
We will review past and upcoming events with you today beginning with NAFSA; a flagship fed-prov cooperative event where we have found much success. This past event in Kansas was smaller although participants indicated better quality engagement. The booth is an economical, flexible and attractive design making this a feature at the event and attracting attention of many other NAFSA participants. The same collateral was used on a smaller scale at NACAC which was very effective. EAIE and ICEF are also key opportunities for signature events where we have participated to engage in partnership or agent training.
The Conference of the Americas on International Education attracted over 650 participants from 44 countries creating an important event for Canada in its engagement with the Americas but also as an important regional forum for inter-institutional collaboration. Upcoming events include the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in February, the Asia-Pacific Association for the International Education (APAIE) in March and the Middle East Partnerships Tour in April. MAPLE is a new Middle East regional event similar to APAIE and hosted for the first time in 2011. Also, in May 2011, NAFSA will feature seven provinces and DFAIT with 3500 sq feet of space to allow for traffic, meetings and collateral profiling Canada. There are extensive activities being planned on the margins of NAFSA such as fam tours and receptions, a half day DFAIT promotional event for partners on the Monday preceding NAFSA and a BCCIE leadership summit.
The Canada reception will be coordinated once again by the Canada MIG to be hosted on June 1, 5:30-7:30 with expected attendance of 1000 at the Woodward's Building. An open party for the remainder of the evening will increase the presence of partners or potential partners. Tickets are on sale in blocks of 12 for $700 to be made available in February 2011. The location is extremely versatile and allows for promotional regional rooms along with open or divided space for strong networking opportunities. If you are not already on the Canada MIG listserv, please identify yourself and we can certainly add you for future communications.
Questions and Answers
C: Jean-Philippe (DFAIT) There is an international consultation occurring in the UK this December 3rd with Australia, the US, the UK and Canada. We are attending as is a representative from CMEC, and we will provide an update to participants on NAFSA and will propose that the third meeting of this group be hosted in Canada on the margins of NAFSA and in coordination with CMEC.
Q: Tam Mathews (SEAL) What age group is reflected at NAFSA?
A: Stéphanie Mercure (DFAIT) All age groups.
C: Randall Martin (BCCIE)This is no longer a post secondary conference and we encourage all sectors to consider attendance.
10:30 – 10:45
Health Break
Update on DFAIT Scholarships Programs
Claude Bibeau, Deputy Director, Policy and Planning (DFAIT)
It has been a busy year with the International Scholarship Program, a component of the Policy arm of the Education and Youth Division. I wish to provide a review as well as an indication of how we are moving forward. While this is an existing program, we reconfigured our scholarships to focus more on short-term scholarships to encourage brain circulation rather than longer scholarships that encourage scholars to remain in Canada. Since 2007, the PM has announced three key scholarships; Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships; Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarships and the Emerging Leaders in the America's Program. We are also responsible for the promotion of all Government of Canada scholarships including the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships and the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships. CBIE is currently the administrator for the scholarships programs but there will be a competition for the new contract which will be announced shortly.
Scholarships are a great way to showcase Canadian expertise to international students, create linkages between institutions, and promote Canadian values. Scholarships are an important tool to profile Canada and provide opportunities for using the Brand and raising awareness of academic or political leaders in Canada. An allocation of scholarships by provinces was presented with the caveat that while we wish to see distribution across Canada, there is discretion on the part of the institutions which nominate or select candidates.
In terms of Policy and Planning activities conducted in cooperation with Federal/Provincial/Territorial partners, you will have heard of recent developments in the Canada-India MOU signed in June 2010 that provides a framework for collaboration. An established working group will move this forward as we formalize collaborations. For India, the MoU was necessary for them to earmark funding. The AUCC delegation in India this November was in fact the largest delegation of university presidents to visit India with a strong commitment made by institutions in terms of funding and proposals. The challenge for Canada will be meeting the pace of India as well as budget. Institutions will largely drive partnership activities while the working group may coordinate funding of initiatives.
The Canada-Brazil MOU signed in August 2010 in the area of academic mobility and scientific cooperation focuses on five projects annually funded at $500,000/year. We are also pleased with enhanced cooperation with China by hosting and partially funding events in Alberta, hosting an information exchange breakfast with the Deputy Minister of Education who was visiting with CMEC representatives so we could profile the importance Canada attaches to China. It is important that we demonstrate formally our interest in China as well as attempt to explain the complex Canadian sector.
New projects include the Canada-Brazil Awards and Canada-Mexico Awards that will also facilitate opportunities for Canadian students to go and study there. The Canada-Haiti Initiative includes a student exchange program, virtual university and joint projects pilot initiative. Moving forward we will focus on branding and promotion and the Inter Departmental Scholarships Committee that includes the tricouncils (IDRC, HRSDC, CIDA).
Questions and Answers
Q: Tom Tunney (WUSC) You said that there were 900 scholarships awarded every year, but do we have a sense of what is the demand as well as the implication this has on the verification process?
A: Claude Bibeau (DFAIT) Every scholarship is specific and statistics are very hard to gather, I would have to get back to you on that. I will ensure to report back regarding statistics on applications and awards for countries other than India and China. We need to work with all of you to better leverage the opportunity scholarships provide to promote study options in Canada.
Update from Cégep international
Evelyne Foy, Director General
Created 15 years ago, we are an organization of 48 CEGEPs and institutes in Québec that support international activities and foster the international influence of the college network, working closely with partner associations such as ACCC, CBIE. We are a recognised partner of the Québec government. We offer our services to coordinate as well as to help promote CEGEPs internationally. CEGEP serves as a first level of higher education or a pre-university program with 130 technical programs which prepare students for the labour force or assist them in advancing to technical university programs. CEGEPs were created about 40 years ago to ensure accessibility to a first-level of higher learning as well as to provide regional development. There are different missions and sizes of each institution to reflect the regional specificity. CEGEP is also intended to provide students with the flexibility of student interests and this is a key attraction for international students. Areas of international activity include: internationalization of training; student and instructor mobility; welcome of foreign students; and, international cooperation/knowledge exports.
Student mobility is the main priority with student recruitment coming in second. The role of CI is to manage PIEQ – Section II to promote international partnerships, student bursaries, college instructor mobility support programs, merit programs for international students, tuition exemptions for international students, and a support program for international exchange in the cultural arts (as defined by the provincial government). All programs were created three years ago (excluding PIEQ) through allocation by federal transfers. This was the first time that there was real recognition by Québec of the role CEGEPs can play at an international level.
In terms of recruiting international students, we started our efforts much later than the other provinces and the effort we have to make is much larger because we are mainly French speaking institutions. We are developing our niche with francophone but also francophile countries, such as Mexico and Brazil, where the government of Québec has already agreements in place. French territories provide opportunities for agreements where we can leverage opportunities where students would otherwise go to France. This provides a positive impact on the mobility of our students who wish to go abroad as well as the cultural sharing that occurs in large or small communities where international students attend CEGEP. The challenge is how we sell our services and how we prove our programs as a segue to a job. Reunion Island provides scholarships to train and fit labour market needs. New Caledonia is seeking expertise in the field of mining and scholarships are therefore dedicated to these niche programs. The government of Québec has a joint initiative for recruiting students in francophone markets where we establish links, by offering tuition exemption or merit scholarships. We have an interesting approach with support from the province and with interesting niche opportunities for international or Québec students. We follow closely the developments in the federal marketing strategy.
EQA // BC’s quality of excellence in Education
Randall Martin, Executive Director and CEO, BCCIE
BCCIE is now two years old under its new direction and approaching the final year of its three year funding commitment. We are now in a position to establish long term funding through current government changes and with confidence shown by this past government. The next few years will see us offer strategic support to stakeholders in promotion and EQA services. The Council is engaged in marketing activities, supporting the Brand, promotional events abroad or attracting events to Canada/BC, professional development, advocacy for labour market development in consultation with the province, capacity-building and managing quality assurance of BC institutions.
EQA is not a replication of provincial accreditation but rather provides a standard trademark as a voluntary designation and assurance or quality for instruction and consumer protection for post-secondary institutions (public, private or language schools). There are four governing provincial regulatory bodies/accreditation processes. EQA is Canada's first and only provincial brand of quality for post-secondary education that is continuously monitored for integrity. Government establishes standards and BC administers through a service contract based on established eligibility requirements of the province. All public institutions eligible are now approved with a large component of private institutions currently being integrated. This is considered fundamental to the brand of BC. There are institutional advantages and also online tools for promotion as well as a password-protected inventory of professional resources. We welcome the opportunity to discuss with other provinces the possibility of cooperation on a national front. Please refer to key events included in our presentation with BC missions, boutique events and also the application process for institutions seeking EQA (chart included).
Questions and Answers
Q: Jean-Philippe Tachdjian (DFAIT) Can an institution outside of BC apply for EQA?
A: Susan Brown (BC) Only BC institutions are eligible. Although K-12 opportunities abroad are developing, it has been decided that off-shore schools will not be eligible at this time.
Standards in Excellence and Learning (SEA+L)
Anna Galanter, Director, e-Marketing & Research
Provided an overview of SEAL, accreditation (all members must be accredited by meeting a 12 standard criteria). Each school must be accredited every seven years through a peer review process and must participate in collaborative professional development. The new organization is a merger of CAIS and CESI (currently 95 independent schools including three international schools) with a governance structure that has an established majority of independent representatives on the Council, with a total of 17 members from across Canada. Key strategic priority areas include: professional development, accreditation, student activities, marketing and research. SEAL is responsible for ensuring high international standards with a comprehensive accreditation process.
The collaborative boarding project is unique in its focus on internationalization. Currently 2078 international students are spending above $8.3 million in tuition here in Canada. The project is intended to work with all schools as there has been a decline in student enrolment and we recognize challenges of economic realities but with an awareness that, if we work collaboratively, we are better positioned. Canada is seen as the fourth boarding school destination of choice and with changing demographics international students are critical. The Canadian demographic trend has already caused two of our schools to close. We are currently in decline of 660 international students which has an impact on our schools as well as the mobility of students to post secondary in Canada. It should also be noted that marketing efforts will also be directed at Canadian students seeking boarding opportunities in Canada. The new national strategy will be launched through research and marketing in March 2011 for direct recruitment of students such as the upcoming Africa tour. Our new website has attracted 19,000 hits this month alone.
Tour de table/Other business
Consortium of International Education Marketing (Karen McBride) representing five national associations is pleased to provide an update regarding our activities and the broad rationale to leverage capacities of national associations (rather than duplicate efforts). The initiative has been well-received by institutions and government at both levels. Advocacy has been a strong component at the association level as well as through the Consortium. Specific collaborative activities include research by Daniel Guhr on Pathways for International Students (available by e-mail through Karen). Research of pathways reveals little difference between competitor countries however we could do much more to clarify and better communicate pathways for students who are moving between K-12, language and post secondary options. This presentation and discussion was one of the top sessions hosted on the margins of the Conference of the Americas. The second specific initiative taken by the Consortium was international promotion via Languages Canada’s relationship with ICEF in Berlin to present on education pathways and also to host an agent reception in collaboration with the Consortium and DFAIT mission in Berlin. In future we plan to host webinars or podcasts to better inform DFAIT missions and other key influencers on each education sector (post secondary, K-12 and language). We invite your comments and participation as we review market trends and information-sharing for best practices in more effectively positioning Canada. Our intention is to go forward with this consultation in the new year.
C: Jean-Philippe (DFAIT) welcomes the collaboration of the Consortium and wanted to highlight the GOA funding made available to Languages Canada for its Berlin activities as well as many other NGO activities abroad. Discussions are currently underway to transfer this funding program to Edu-Canada in the New Year.
Languages Canada (Gonzalo Peralta): Recognize and thank DFAIT for funding support on a number of initiatives. Languages Canada organized fam tours for agents on the margins of ICEF Toronto to better inform these key influencers. Brazil and Berlin were opportunities for further agent engagement, ALPHE UK was a first time Canada activity. Languages Canada was also represented at GAELA and FELCA which are key events for Canada and language institutes. Languages Canada strategically seeks markets of interest, polls members and then combines resources in order to participate.
We have collaborated with BCCIE regarding accreditation and recently signed an agreement with ICEF to ensure that only accredited LC members can participate in ICEF. Languages Canada now has a wait list for membership and accreditation given the access they are providing to markets. Upcoming activities include tours, new publications, use of social media, and a mission to Europe. Also of importance is establishing and better communicating pathways for international students; one member alone sends 400 students for further education in Canada. A recent study commissioned by Languages Canada indicated that although there may be some decline in the number of students, we have actually increased the number of study weeks with a contribution to the Canadian economy of C $1.5 billion.
WUSC (Tom Tunney): WUSC’s role is in promoting global understanding and development with more than 50 university and college members and with a strong role between Canadian schools and those abroad (specifically in the south or developing countries). We offer a focus on exchange and mobility of students in developing countries. For example a significant number of students from Botswana are currently in Canada on exchange and more than 65 refugee students are being supported by Canadian students in universities and colleges across Canada and through CIC. Through our presence in countries abroad, such as Vietnam and the role we played with BCCIE’s recent mission, we are able to support missions in regions where we have a presence and invite you to contact us for logistical support or programming.
AUCC (Robert White): I wanted to highlight a specific AUCC initiative in India most recently that meets our member interests in collaboration and exchange. We had the largest delegation of university presidents to India this November with a great deal of momentum, funding from the government and also with $4 million in university funding to support initiatives in this region. Following this initiative, we will be developing a strategy for Brazil under the new MOU and of course with advocacy in earnest to advocate for education marketing.
ACCC: (Rudy Sabas): Submitted in writing the following update for members.
The Student Partners Program (SPP) was expanded to include students applying from China and was launched in September 14, 2010 in Beijing by Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and ACCC President James Knight. There are 42 participating colleges in the China SPP. SPP started in April 2009 as a pilot project in India by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and ACCC. It was aimed at increasing the visa approval rates for students from Indiawhilee at the same time ensuring program integrity and minimizing an increase in immigration violations. It initially involved 20 colleges selected by CIC based on the volume of applications in 2008. The approval rate increased from 42% to 79% and resulted in an increased issuance of study permits from 1,503 in 2008to 4,243 in 2009. For 2010, participating colleges have increased to 38 and CIC estimates a 300% plus increase of about 14,000 study permits to be issued.
Thanks to GOA/DFAIT funding, ACCC participated in the 2nd Canada Education Week in Vietnam last Oct 23- 30, 2010. There were 28 ACCC member institutions out of a total 66 Canadian institutions. ACCC and 25 colleges met with CIC Vietnam Manager Keith Taylor and discussed the possibility of expanding SPP to include students from Vietnam. Vietnam SPP is expected to be launched in April 2011.
ACCC was able to meet the SEAMEO Regional Training Center and Vietnam Association of Community College (VACC) and discussed the possibility of co-hosting their planned Regional Workshop on Community Colleges in early March 2011 to be held in Ho Chi Minh City. The purpose of the workshop is to share the experiences of selected countries in Southeast Asia in establishing community colleges and try to develop a network of institutions that would serve as a forum.
ACCC and 13 colleges participated in the China Education Expo held in Beijing, Shanghai and other key cities from Oct 14-23, 2010. ACCC and Centennial College were presented at the International Forum on Technical and Vocational Education on Oct 15 -16, 2010 in Beijing hosted by the China Education Association for International Education. ACCC and some colleges were able to visit selected Chinese colleges seeking to develop institutional linkages for possible joint-programs in China and Canada; administration, faculty and student exchanges and joint applied research.
ACCC was contracted by the China Education Association for International Education to design and deliver customized 4-week Vocational Education Leadership Training (VELT) in September 2010. There were 20 Chinese College Presidents/Vice Presidents from across China who participated in the VELT. The participants were given an in-depth appreciation on the importance of quality institutional leadership in shaping the mandates, roles, and achievement of Canadian colleges, cégeps, polytechnics and university colleges. They were also exposed to how the colleges collaborate and work with the private sector, business community and local government, particularly in developing curriculum and applied research.
Next meeting: May XX 2011.
