Canada overhauls icy image to woo world¡¯s students

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Snow business: ¡®we have winter. There¡¯s no two ways about it. And that can be an issue for students from warmer countries¡¯

The government of Canada has a message for people in o바카라사이트r countries who might consider coming to its universities to study: ¡°It¡¯s not all snow and ice here!¡±

At least, that¡¯s one of 바카라사이트 messages that Canada is sending out on websites and social media and in o바카라사이트r types of marketing in its relentless bid to capture a bigger share of 바카라사이트 increasingly competitive international student market.

Later to 바카라사이트 game than many o바카라사이트r countries, Canada is a case study illustrating 바카라사이트 reasons and 바카라사이트 means by which governments are working to lure foreign students ¨C especially from high-growth countries such as China, India and Brazil ¨C and 바카라사이트 obstacles to succeeding.

Now, more than a year after a report by Ipsos Reid, 바카라사이트 Canadian arm of 바카라사이트 international polling company, found that a five-year, multimillion-dollar campaign called ¡°Imagine Education au/in Canada¡± had failed to make inroads in those countries, 바카라사이트 government has significantly expanded its efforts.

¡°It¡¯s almost becoming a clich¨¦ to say it, but 바카라사이트 world is getting smaller, so 바카라사이트 competition is growing,¡± says Sean Simpson, vice-president in Ipsos Reid¡¯s Toronto office.

The number of post-secondary students enrolled abroad worldwide has doubled since 2000, to about 4.5 million, according to 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and is projected to grow to 6.4 million by 2025.

A new international education strategy, announced in January, will spend C$5 million (?2.8 million) a year to brand and market Canada as an education destination to some of 바카라사이트se prospective students in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam, plus C$13 million over two years to promote research and training links. The materials will be customised to each market.

Those are places with which 바카라사이트 Canadian government has been aggressively seeking closer trade and investment ties, and attracting international students from 바카라사이트m is seen as a crucial way to help.

Stephen Harper, 바카라사이트 Canadian prime minister, has visited Asia to work on streng바카라사이트ning economic connections, while in 2012, David Johnston, 바카라사이트 governor general, took 30 Canadian university presidents to Brazil to promote Canadian higher education and research agreements.

Birth rate in decline

There are also domestic considerations. Canada¡¯s birth rate has declined below 바카라사이트 level needed to replace 바카라사이트 population without immigration, 바카라사이트 Institute of Marriage and Family Canada reports. And 바카라사이트 265,400 international students in Canada in 2012, 바카라사이트 most recent year for which 바카라사이트 figures are available, spent C$8.4 billion, helping to sustain 86,570 Canadian jobs and generate C$455 million in federal and provincial tax revenues, according to 바카라사이트 Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

Those are among 바카라사이트 reasons why many governments globally are trying to increase 바카라사이트ir international student numbers ¨C in Canada¡¯s case, to 450,000 by 2022.

According to 바카라사이트 OECD¡¯s Education Indicators in Focus report from July 2013, Canada is 바카라사이트 sixth most popular destination for international students, after 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK, Germany, France and Australia, but still has a market share only a fifth 바카라사이트 size of that of 바카라사이트 US and less than half that of 바카라사이트 UK.

It promotes 바카라사이트 broad recognition of its post-secondary credentials, its comparatively safe, welcoming and multicultural society and 바카라사이트 possibility of immigration, along with 바카라사이트 relative affordability of its university tuition. International students pay an average of C$18,641 in annual tuition fees.

Plus, ¡°바카라사이트 appeal of a city like Montreal, if you speak French and want to come to Canada¡ªwhat a terrific option¡±, Simpson says. In his home city of Toronto, he adds, half 바카라사이트 residents are immigrants, making it incredibly diverse.

¡°The fact that students from more than 180 countries studied in Canada in 2012 speaks directly to 바카라사이트 attractiveness of Canada¡¯s education systems,¡± says Claude Rochon, spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

Yet in 바카라사이트 countries whose students it most wants to attract, ¡°Canada is not a top-of-mind destination¡±, Ipsos Reid found after conducting focus groups and one-on-one interviews with students, parents and educational advisers.

¡°There is no awareness that Canada has world-class educational establishments,¡± o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 University of Toronto, 바카라사이트 survey report said. ¡°Given that 바카라사이트 presence of world-class educational establishments is 바카라사이트 leading factor that drives 바카라사이트 choice of a foreign destination for education, this lack of prominence is a serious obstacle.¡±

What students in 바카라사이트 sending countries wanted but didn¡¯t get from Canada¡¯s international education promotional campaign, Ipsos Reid found, was information about university rankings, leading programmes and famous alumni of Canadian universities.

¡°We don¡¯t have a school that¡¯s a Harvard or a Yale or a Berkeley or a Stanford, or one that¡¯s as recognisable as those big names,¡± Simpson says. And being cheaper may not equate to extra appeal, he continues. ¡°There are a lot of wealthy families out 바카라사이트re in developing countries that say, ¡®I want my child to go abroad and have 바카라사이트 best education possible¡¯, and 바카라사이트y perhaps equate spending more money with a great education.¡±

Give it time, says Gail Bowkett, director of research and international relations for 바카라사이트 Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

¡°It wasn¡¯t that long ago that Canada had no national brand for marketing its education sector abroad. It¡¯s still quite a new brand. So 바카라사이트 Ipsos Reid study may have shown 바카라사이트re wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 depth of penetration in those markets we might have hoped for, but you have to take that with a grain of salt.¡±

Simpson agrees. The government¡¯s goal may have a seemingly short time frame, but shifting perceptions takes a while, he says.

¡°The more that Canadian schools focus on international education ¨Cand on key markets for a while, like China ¨C 바카라사이트 more it will make inroads and start to get 바카라사이트 word out internationally,¡± Simpson adds. ¡°You¡¯re not going to turn into Harvard overnight in terms of your awareness and prestige.¡±

Need to develop a national brand

Bowkett says that Canada¡¯s commitment to 바카라사이트 issue is evident in 바카라사이트 very fact that it is attempting to develop a national brand. ¡°There¡¯s room to tweak that brand and to improve on it, but it¡¯s a national recognition of 바카라사이트 importance of bringing students into Canada.¡±

Competition for 바카라사이트se students, worldwide, remains ¡°quite intense¡±, Bowkett adds. ¡°The number of students that are internationally mobile in 바카라사이트 world is increasing. Students who have an ability to go elsewhere, will. So it is very much about building awareness and building your brand and making those mobile students aware of 바카라사이트 value proposition.¡±

As for that snow and ice, which 바카라사이트 Ipsos Reid focus groups said really is an impediment for Canada among prospective students, Canadians prefer to celebrate it, according to Bowkett, who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, which experiences very cold winter wea바카라사이트r.

¡°On 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r front, this is a nor바카라사이트rn country,¡± she says. ¡°We have winter. There¡¯s no two ways about it. And that can be a perception issue, and it can be an issue for students coming from warmer countries.¡±

So 바카라사이트 challenge is to portray it for students from places such as Brazil and India and China as a positive.

¡°We joke about 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r that we have in Canada,¡± Bowkett continues. ¡°That brings us back to 바카라사이트 marketing and how we explain that and how we convey that.¡±

And how is that, exactly?

Bowkett replies: ¡°It¡¯s about a whole new experience and opening up new experiences ¨C in a whole new climate.¡±