University Recruitment of International Students

Last month, I blogged about “pathway colleges,” which are private companies that have been entering into P3 arrangements with Canadian universities in recent years.  The private company helps recruit international students and then gives the students pre-university training.  If all goes according to plan, the students in question eventually become full-fledged students at the university in question.  

There’s been increased attention to this matter in recent weeks.  In the nation’s capital, two letters have been featured in the Ottawa Citizen on the topic, specifically in reference to Carleton University’s potential deal with a company called Navitas.  One of the letters, written by yours truly, argues that there is a clear alternative to entering into such P3 arrangments, and that involves provincial governments giving universities sufficient up-front funding so that they can recruit on the same scale as these private companies. 

The other letter is written by the the President of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union.  The University of Manitoba has had an agreement in place with Navitas since 2007.  Yet, she points out that her union still does not know how much money Navitas is paying the University of Manitoba.

Finally, there is an article in today’s Globe and Mail on the perils involved in having for-profit companies recruit Chinese students who wish to gain admission to Canadian universities.  It should give us all cause for concern.