Today@Dal

The Future of Education in Canada for International Students: Move towards Sustainable Solution

On behalf of the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) it is with great pleasure that we invite you to participate as a virtual panelist during an event happening on February 11^th, 2021 from 10:00-11:30 AM AST

IDW will be celebrated this year from February 6-12, 2022 to encourage folks to learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals, our roles as citizens of the world, and celebrate the role Canadians play in building more just, equitable and sustainable communities, locally and globally. During this week we’re hosting events organized by ACIC, ACIC members, and youth across the Atlantic region to talk about the SDGs in both a local and global context.

On February 11^th, we’re excited to facilitate a conversation about the role of welcoming and supporting the transition of international students in a foreign land, especially in post covid setting. We believe that this responsibility does not fall exclusively on the international centre, but on universities, along with government representatives.  To emphasize this, we would like to host a conversation with international students from various countries who have started their journey of higher studies in the post COVID period regarding their experience, what they found helpful, their coping mechanisms, what could be done better to improve the experience of future incoming students.

As you’re likely aware, even though we’re two years into the post covid phase, the progress of adopting higher education to COVID is stunted, and for international students it's been stagnant. Every step taken to alleviate the burden of international students has been done on an ad-hoc basis, and in many cases taken without any of their opinions. From applying to universities to getting visa approval, to finally landing in Canada, its a long, stressful and financially risky venture. International students go through enormous changes rapidly which puts them in a vulnerable situation mentally and physically. Due to COVID, most universities were unable to welcome their students with usual pomp and circumstance. Therefore, international students lost one stop services hosted by universities along with the ease of social connection or the chance of networking. As a result, they are falling through the cracks and struggling to cope through a time which should’ve been one of the most exciting times of their lives without a support system. We hope that you will join students as they reflect their experiences with you and concerned authorities so we can work towards building a campaign to raise awareness, and advocate for changes, together.

The format of the discussion would include up to 8 speakers and a moderator conducted virtually via Zoom. We invite you to attend the one-hour facilitated discussion, followed by a brief question and answer period and unstructured time.

Thank you for considering this invitation.

Please feel free to reach out to Umme Mim Mohsin (She/her), a graduate candidate in the Department of International Development Studies, with any questions you may have.

Phone: +19029890334