Big country, small world

In this global age, Canadians are losing touch with the international community, according to George Cooper, managing trustee of the Killam Trust.

Cooper was on the University of Alberta campus earlier this month accepting an honorary degree. In his convocation address, he warned that Canada is falling behind European nations when it comes to encouraging international study for post-secondary students, and bringing foreign scholars into our schools.

"Curiously, where 40 years ago, 40 per cent of Killam scholars were foreign, by the 21st century this had dropped to only 15 per cent," said Cooper. "There is, I fear, a pattern here. We in Canada are not doing enough to internationalize the education of our young people."

It's a trend that puzzles a lot of people.

"I often tell Canadians that they have absolutely no idea of the value of their passports," said Lekan Oladokun, who came to Edmonton from Nigeria to study business. While a student at the U of A, he also spent a year in Singapore as part of a study abroad program.

"I have a Nigerian passport, and just to cross the border to visit Malaysia, I'd have to apply for a visa and go through all this hassle. Canadians have this passport that can take them anywhere, any time they want."

Cooper's own two children have spent part of their education in Japan and Scotland. "These experiences transformed them," Cooper said. "Yet, while one in 12 European undergraduate students spends time abroad, and one in 25 U.S. students do, the figure for Canadian students was just one in 100 in our 2003 figures."

The statistics have improved since then, says Britta Baron, U of A vice-provost and associate vice-president International at the U of A.

"The numbers have improved quite considerably," she said. "From one per cent, we're up to 2.2 per cent. This is still very low compared to Europe, and even the United States, but it is encouraging evidence of growth."

Cooper says the U of A is leading the charge when it comes to reversing the trend. And, although Baron's only been on campus for a year, she too says the university is gathering momentum.

"There is an awareness here that is probably unparalleled in most other major institutions - an awareness and commitment to internationalization," she said. "The U of A has changed very dramatically in recent years, and that's evidence of how people are thinking on campus."

U of A President Indira Samarasekera is a strong supporter of internationalization.

"University of Alberta students should have a strong desire for a globally engaged education. We welcome students from over 120 countries are welcomed onto campus each year, and run a dynamic global education program," she said. "The goal of this program is to ensure that all U of A students, Canadian and international, have a chance to become responsible global citizens who respect each other and the world we live in, and who work to make our planet a better, more ethical place to live."

One major difference between Canada and Europe and the United States is federal support for internationalization.

"We're very lucky in that our provincial government offers really phenomenal support. They are really with it and really, really engaged, both in education abroad and international recruitment," said Baron. "But there is very little going on at the national level."

While the European Union has been throwing financial support behind international education for three decades, and the Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship in the U.S. has committed to sending one million students abroad every year, the Canadian government hasn't moved forward, she said.

"I think maybe it's because of the idea that education is under provincial jurisdiction, but there's no political awareness of how important these issues are."

Candians will lose if that doesn't change, said Cooper. "The biggest danger for Canada, intellectually, politically, socially, in every facet of our national life is insularity."

While in Singapore, Oladokun knew of only a handful of Canadian students taking part in exchange programs there. "Everyone else was from Europe," he said. "But, I'm seeing more and more U of A students take advantage of the opportunities that are here, and I'd say in three or four years, you'll see a lot more Canadian students abroad - well, U of A students, anyway."

While the U of A is actively stepping up efforts to encourage Canadian students to take advantage of study abroad programs, the current focus is on recruiting international students and faculty, said Baron.

"We can't dramatically push ahead in all aspects, so we had to look at what is more likely to generate impact right away," she said. "We have a huge need for new manpower and human resources, new inspiration and new, quality students and professors. The Faculty of Engineering is hiring 100 new professors - where on Earth are they going to come from?"

"The key here is the quality of the education and the quality of the research - what universities are all about. You will not be able to ensure top-notch quality if you are operating out of a vacuum."

For Oladokun, the key is the quality of his future.

"I'm just open to anything right now," he said. "If you've worked in Canada and you've worked in Singapore, you can work anywhere. I've opened my scope of what I can actually do. Travelling around has made me realise that there's a lot more that's available for me. There's so much out there."