Canadian university students are more likely to have studied abroad than their American counterparts, and more than a quarter say they are seriously considering overseas study, according to a national survey.
Of the nearly 3,000 respondents, 9 percent have studied abroad during the past three years or so. That level of interest appears substantially higher than in the United States, where the percentage of students who go abroad has hovered around 1 percent for several years.
In addition, the new report, by Higher Education Strategy Associates, a research-and-consulting company in Toronto, says 26 percent of students said they might go overseas to study, with Britain and Australia topping their list of destinations. Most said they wanted to travel to an English-speaking country unless they were studying a foreign language. Only 2 percent considered China, and even fewer India or South Africa. (The United States was not considered a foreign-study destination for Canadian students unless it was for a specific education purpose, like gaining teaching qualifications.)
Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, said the survey's findings suggest that international offices may need to rethink how they work with students. "The results have raised questions about how we promote study abroad on our campuses," he said.
While American and some Canadian educators push study abroad as a way to experience foreign travel for the first time, that may be the wrong approach in Canada. The survey found that 78 percent of the students had already traveled or lived in countries other than the United States or Canada. The survey didn't ask about those trips, some of which could have been for vacations in the Caribbean or Latin America, frequent wintertime destinations for Canadian families.
Another big factor may be that students have family in other countries, Mr. Usher said. "If you look at Toronto-area high schools, more than half those kids either were born outside the country or have parents who were born outside the country, and it's a good bet that most of them would have gone back at some point."
In all, the survey found that Canadian students have a favorable view of non-Canadian students and of internationalization efforts on their campuses.
"By a margin of roughly 2.5 to 1, students agree with the statement that international students enhance the in-class experience," the report says.
Most of the respondents, 93 percent, also said they believed the ability to work in diverse cultural settings was important in getting a job.
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Comments
1. studentroads - January 09, 2011 at 12:47 am
Recessions tend to bring nationalistic sentiments, and the topic of international student visas and subsequent job visas is a hot topic in multiple countries right now. It is good to hear that Canadian students see the bigger picture and continue to embrace international students on their campuses.
2. seejay - January 10, 2011 at 07:02 am
I'm surprised that nothing is said of the Francophone students in Canada and their likelihood of studying abroad or of the countries where they might choose to study.
3. mfgreen - January 10, 2011 at 07:55 am
I hope this study is correct that good intentions will translate into study abroad. But a study by the American Council on Education and Arts&Science showed that nearly half of college-bound high school senior said that they planned to study abroad! Clearly, not all good intentions turn into real plans.
Madeleine F Green
4. shawrobert - January 12, 2011 at 04:41 pm
I live in New Zealand and have noticed a disproportionate number of Canadian flags on backpacks carried by young travellers. I thought Canadians were more likely to advertise their homeland than other nationalities, but perhaps there are more of them.
Robert Shaw