Ep. 131: Canadian Education Value for International Students

Guest: Diana MacKay, Carleton University

Canada has a lot to offer to students and educators around the world.

That is according to Diana MacKay, the Executive Director of Carleton University's Global Academy.

In recent years, there have been about 245,000 international students studying in Canada at any given point in time, and the goal is to increase the number to 450,000 by 2020.

While it's important to continue to attract international students, MacKay asks, "What happens if we expand our offering, if we were to package up the expertise of our universities and colleges and start selling it to audiences around the world in the business sector for one?"

According to MacKay, the benefits of expanding the education menu are far reaching. Pathways to a Canadian education include "online, satellite campuses and programs that have them live here to name a few. They'll contribute to our economy by being part of the Canadian system. They'll get a professional program or a chance to practice their skills, apply their skills using their deep knowledge and conducting their business in English. There's untold demand around the world for people to come and gain their fluency in English through an experience here."

Canada has an education system that is extremely marketable through a wide range of venues and MacKay says we can do so much more than we're currently offering.