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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Factsheet |
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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Factsheet |
VICTORIA
– More than 85 countries around the
world are celebrating International Education Week this year, showing the
increasing awareness of the importance of this field, as well as the escalating
competition for students, Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell said today.
“B.C.
enjoys many advantages in attracting international students – our top-notch
post-secondary education system, our high standard of living, our multicultural
society and our province’s natural beauty,” Coell said. “In return, these
students enrich our lives today, and the ties they develop while they attend
school here add to the foundation for better international relations in the future.
That’s why we’re focusing on marketing British Columbia as a study destination,
while encouraging our post-secondary institutions to develop the international
dimension of their campuses.”
More
than 27,000 international students from 150 countries are registered in B.C.’s
public institutions. B.C. draws about 30 per cent of all students who come to
Canada, most of them from the Asia Pacific. It is estimated that more than
8,500 B.C. students study abroad each year.
This
year the Premier announced $10,000 Pacific Century Graduate Scholarships to
attract top scholars and researchers from around the world to B.C.’s four
research universities. International students are eligible for up to 20 per
cent of these awards.
As
well, the Province unveiled two new scholarships to help B.C. public
post-secondary students enhance their education by studying overseas. A
$10-million endowment fund to establish the One World Scholarship and another
$1 million to fund the Pacific Horizon Scholarship will allow students to take
part in post-secondary studies, co-op work experiences, internships, and other
approved formal or experiential learning activities overseas. More details are
online at www.StudentAidBC.ca under
“Scholarships.”
International
education is a key part of the Province’s Asia Pacific Gateway strategy. As
well as creating scholarships for study abroad, actions to further that
strategy include creating a network to keep in touch with B.C. alumni overseas,
and developing promotional material in seven different languages focusing on
B.C. as a study destination. More information is online at www.learnlivebc.ca.
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Communications Manager 250 952-6400 250 812-7977 (cell) |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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