Wanted: Global Minds

In a high-school gymnasium in India, a dozen kiosks are set up, trade-show style. Students and parents stroll by each stall, flip through brochures pushing the vendor’s goods or listen to a speech about what sets their product apart from the competition. In this case, it’s not a health product or cooking invention being hyped. It’s an education.

It was a scene much like this one where Mohit Dang’s unlikely journey to Alberta started. Dang always knew leaving India for an education abroad would be part of his life plan. His sister studied in France and international learning was a priority for the family. So when the travelling team of Canadian universities showed up in his private high school, Alberta beckoned.

This scene plays out numerous times a year in cities around the world. As the global competition to attract the best and the brightest young minds heats up, post-secondary institutions are mastering the business of marketing and recruitment. Alberta is no exception.

This province is home to more than 6,000 international students enrolled in post-secondary colleges and universities. Some institutions take an aggressive approach to bringing students to their campuses while others are trying to play catch-up in the global game. Red Deer College, for instance, recognized the importance of international awareness, experiences and cross-cultural skills and launched its internationalization strategy three years ago.

Just up the highway, the University of Alberta puts a lot of effort into selling itself around the world. Out of its 35,500 students, more than 2,600 undergraduates and 1,400 graduates comprise international students from 130 countries, with the majority coming from Asia. And while other top Canadian schools are just trying to replenish their numbers, the U of A’s are on the rise, says Tony Williams, director of international marketing and recruitment for U of A International.

Although Asia has been a priority for the U of A for the past decade, the Edmonton-based institution is also targeting other areas. The United States, Norway and the Middle East are becoming popular recruiting spots for Williams, who often does his scouting with the Group of Thirteen or G13, a name given to leading research-intensive universities in Canada. When they arrive at high schools in Saudi Arabia or Oslo, they are a cohesive unit, promoting Canada as a key destination for quality education. And then the friendly rivalry kicks in.

“That’s the interesting thing with Canadian universities – we are co-operative and competitive at the same time and we do it well,” says Williams. “The first half is about branding Canada… and during that time we will inevitably be asked if it is always cold and whether Celine Dion is our only singer. We make sure to stress that there actually are four seasons in this province and that it’s not actually cold year round. Then the competition starts where we can meet individually with prospective students and try to sell them on our university.

“We have a huge advantage at the U of A with our first-class facilities, young professorship and quality research. It’s an easy sell.”

Despite individual successes like the U of A’s, the president of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, a marketing and recruiting body representing a coalition of institutions nationwide, says Canadian colleges and universities still aren’t doing enough to promote themselves abroad. Over the past decade the number of international students has remained static at 120,000 a year while there has been substantial growth in countries like Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, says Jim Fox. As is already the case in the United States, education in these countries is becoming an export industry.

“Canada is a second-choice destination,” Fox says. “When students think of where they want to study, the United States and the U.K. are the number one choices. Then they pick Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Those other second-choice countries are doing a better marketing and making it easier to access education than we are in Canada.”

Williams might disagree, considering the resources his university puts into recruiting international students. Aside from travelling in packs, the U of A uses its exchange agreements with more than 120 partner institutions around the globe to help spread the word. They also connect prospective students with young U of A alumni in their home countries, so the families considering travelling abroad can hear first-hand what life in Edmonton is really like. And once the students arrive, U of A International works hard to make sure they keep their customers satisfied. Aside from services such as intercultural training, social events and organized speaker series, the university built International House, a unique residence with 150 rooms made up of half Canadian and half foreign students. It is only one of 15 such student residences in North America.

Those features help but there is more to it. Depending on the country (in Norway, prospective students want a snow guarantee for cross country skiing or snowboarding while in India students are deathly afraid of the cold weather), the queries from students may vary.

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