The “Open Ontario” Strategy for Internationalizing Postsecondary Education was developed by COU and its member institutions in response to an Ontario Government Throne Speech commitment in 2010 to double the recruitment of international students. The COU proposal was founded on the principle that International students enrich the learning experience for domestic students and provide them with a global perspective that can be useful in the working world. Internationalization of our campuses also helps to build relationships for Ontarians with people in foreign countries that can be leveraged for future collaboration on research, trade and cultural exchange. In November 2010, the government responded to COU’s proposal by announcing the introduction of the Trillium Scholarships for International PhD students, which was one feature of the submission.
Some quick facts about international students at our universities:
- Close to 30,000 international students, with two-thirds of them undergraduates
- Represent 7.1 per cent of total enrolment
- Major source countries are China, Korea, USA, France and India
- Fastest growing source countries are India, Iran, Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Cambodia
Click here for an overview of COU's proposed international strategy.
Video: Bonnie Patterson speaks about Ontario's international students on Ontario News Watch, July 7, 2011
Internationalization Success Stories
Bloomberg nursing professor leads study in Ghana aimed at preventing AIDS transmission
Laurier students travel to Ecuador and Peru to connect to local communities and pursue social justice>
Singers from the Faculty of Music at Western learn from opera masters in Italy>
Transatlantic exchange program 'surfaces' for computer students at Queen's University>
McMaster University researcher uses geophysics to bring water to African students>
Ryerson University partners with world-renowned Italian film school>
Laurier students travel to China to teach business and entrepreneurship>
Community leadership program awards first international fellowships to two Queen's students>
University of Windsor grad harnesses the power of wind in remote Nicaraguan village>
University of Guelph ‘AIMS’ to help African students >
Queen's contributes to the internationalizing of Ontario universities >
Two Ontario students head to Oxford as Rhodes Scholars >
Queen's signs agreement to offer courses internationally >
UOIT's contributes to the internationalizing of Ontario universities >
York University contributes to the internationalizing of Ontario universities >
The Rhode less travelled – University of Toronto student bags prestigious scholarship >