Federal minister talks international education strategy

A group of Thompson Rivers University students had the rare opportunity of speaking with a federal government minister about the value of their international education experience.

Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification, was in Kamloops Wednesday, Sept. 4, to visit business leaders. He also took time for a stop at TRU to discuss the Government of Canada’s newly announced International Education Strategy.   

In welcoming Carr to TRU, President Brett Fairbairn mentioned the university’s history and status as a frontrunner in international education.

“I’m proud of TRU. We are regarded as leaders in international education and we embrace internationalization,” he said. While TRU has been successful in attracting students from other countries to study in Canada, the university is also interested in how it can encourage more Canadian students to study abroad, Fairbairn added.

Among the students attending the meeting with Carr was Taylor Carmichael, a biology student who spent part of 2018 in Perth, Australia, where she took a course in pathogen biology. Not only did the course fascinate her, the experience motivated Carmichael to become a study abroad ambassador at TRU, encouraging others to consider education overseas.

The government’s international education strategy, announced August 22, includes financial assistance to support more Canadian students to study abroad. It also promotes diversification of the countries from which international students come to Canada, their fields and levels of study, and the locations where they study within this country.

Carr noted that of the $147 million being invested over five years, $95 million is targeted for outbound mobility – to send more Canadian students abroad so they can study and gain skills needed to compete in a global marketplace.