1. Factors Impacting International Students’ Choice in Selecting Canadian graduate Programs April 4, 2003 Presented by Liang Chen

2. Agenda zIntroduction zBackground yAcademic/Cultural Domain yEconomic Domain zIssue Statement yChallenges y“What Don’t We Know?” zResearch Questions zMethodology yScope yMethod zLimitations of the Research zContribution to Knowledge

3. Introduction zInternational students are one of the important aspects of the internationalization of education. zThey are important for Canadian higher education. zThey are a unique group of people. zWe know very little about their perspectives on our internationalization. zThis research will provide valuable information and insights into the study of internationalization.

4. Background zNational Efforts in Internationalization: yMany higher education institutions have articulated their commitment to internationalization in their mission statements. yThree national groups, CBIE, AUCC, and ACCC, are involved in advocacy for internationalization. zHow does Canada compare among other industrialized countries in the international student recruitment? yIn 6th place - U.S., U.K., Australia, Germany, Japan, and Canada.

5. Background (con’t) zInternational students are important in two ways: yAcademic/Cultural Domain: xThey ensure a stronger international and intercultural dimension in learning, teaching and research xThey provide an opportunity for Canadians to understand international issues, and therefore, we can better help build a safer, freer, and more prosperous world. yEconomic Domain: xThey bring economic benefits to Canada: they contribute some $3.5 billion to the Canadian economy (the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, 2000) xFour types of benefits: (1) tuition revenue, (2) value of unpaid research, (3) contributions to aggregate demand, and (4) the value of embodied capital in non-returnees (Mehrabi, 1986).

6. Issue Statement zChallenges: yGlobal demand for international education is on the rise, the demand for graduate level study in Canada remains flat. yDespite marketing efforts in Asia, enrolment is down by 6,000 students from that region. yThe Canadian government is considering strategies for having international students choose to study in Canada (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oct. 2002.) z“What Don’t We Know?” yWho are they? What inspires them? yWhy do they choose to leave their countries? Why do they choose Canada? yWhat is the process when they choose to study abroad? yWhat factors determine their final decision? zWe know very little about them.

7. The Purpose of the Research zThree Main Purposes: yTo examine the international students’ decision- making process on the choice of country, city, institution, and program. yTo identify factors influencing their choice. yTo explore factors influencing their decision whether to stay or return home after completing their studies.

8. The Research Questions zWhat is the international students’ decision-making process in selecting a graduate program? zWhat are the main decision-making factors related to economics, politics, location, institution, or other? zWhat are the factors leading to international students choosing Canada as a destination for higher education? zWhat are the characteristics differentiating Canada from other English speaking countries in respect to the culture, people, geography, history, and ideology? zWhat are the strengths of Canadian higher education? What are the unique features that Canadian higher education offers? zWhat factors are important in international students’ decision to seek employment in Canada or return home after completing their studies?

9. Methodology zScope yLimited to the significance of the representation of the international student groups in Canada. yInternational students from East-Asian countries, enroll in the first year graduate program in the GTA universities. yDefining “Graduate Program”

10. Methodology zScope yRationale: xEast-Asian international students: 42% of international students in Canada in 1999-2000. xChina, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan represent almost one-fifth of the graduate level enrolment. xGraduate level: international students represent 30% of total graduate enrolment (12% at master’s level and 18.1% at the doctoral level). Approximately one quarter of the total doctoral degrees (4,100 annually) are granted to international students. xGraduate students bring all four types of economic benefits. xOntario: Ontario hosts the highest number of international students (33,769) representing 32% of the total international student population; it hosts the second highest number of international graduate students (4,025) representing 28% of the total international graduate student population. xGTA: Two universities - University of Toronto and York University - are ranked in the top 10 for international graduate enrolment in Canada.

11. Methodology zMethod yQualitative research approach to gain an in-depth knowledge of international student’s choice factors. yIt will involve focus groups, interviews, and surveys. yThe interviews will be semi-structured to allow for all possible factors that may be discovered during the research process.

12. Methodology zMethod yLiterature Review: Refining the Questions xThis research will explore relevant student choice factors from five perspectives: (1) economics, (2) politics, (3) location, (4) institution, and (5) other. xDomain of Literature Review: Internationalization of Education International Education (curriculum) College Choice Economics of Education - Costs and Benefits Creativity - Economic and Social Aspects Student Mobility

13. International Student Choice Factors Politics Immigration policy (student visa policy, process and procedures) International education policies of host country International education policies of home country Other Factors Family, Friends, Employers, Educational Agencies… Location Diversity and creativity of a city Employment prospects Ease of integration into the community. Economic Factor Costs and Benefits of foreign graduate studies International Students’ Choice of a Canadian Graduate Program Institution Reputation of the institution Program of interest Faculty Strength of the network Level of financial aid available Institutional marketing efforts

14. Methodology zMethod yStudent Focus Group yInstitutional Focus Group ySurvey Design yConducting Survey yTabulating Results yConducting In-depth Interviews yAnalysis of Results yConclusion and Recommendation

15. Limitations of the Research zIt does not reflect the reality of graduate programs outside of GTA. zInstitutional and City level factors may not be applicable to other cities across Canada. zStudy on East-Asian international students might not be applicable to students from other regions of the world. zIt will not examine the factors that influence the influencers such as family, friends, employers, and educational agencies. zHowever, much of the research will provide a reference point to other groups of students and to other cities and institutions within Canada.

16. Contribution to Knowledge zTo add to the knowledge of internationalization of education from the international students’ perspective. zThe findings will provide insights to institutions or governments that would like to address the following issues: yWhat strategy and recruiting activities have successfully impacted on the international students’ choice? yWhat factors can be manipulated to enhance the objectives of internationalization of education at the institutional and governmental levels? yWhat activities should be modified and resources be redirected to realize the desired outcomes?