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Grace Karram Stephenson | Internationalization at Canada’s Universities
opportunities for Canadian students and increasing recruitment of foreign
students. 5
Despite the diversity of internationalization strategies, a common
feature across Canada is the motive that drives university administrators to
internationalize their institutes. In the 2006 survey on internationalization
activities administered by the Association of Universities and Colleges in
Canada (AUCC) to their member schools, 94% of respondents stated that
the purpose of their international initiatives was to prepare “internationally
6
knowledgeable students.” When responding to a more specific question
about the purpose of offering students study abroad opportunities, the stated
motive was similar: “to develop global citizens.” 7
Although
internationalization is happening in areas of research and faculty exchange,
the primary motivation among Canada’s universities is the personal
development of students.
While university administrator’s may agree on the importance of
developing globally aware students, little research has been done to
investigate whether the current internationalization trends at Canada’s
universities are indeed leading toward that end. Increasing energy and
resources are being used to develop a specific sort of internationalized
student and it is essential that this process be analysed. The present paper
examines the forms of internationalization that are happening at Canada’s
5 Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Survey on Internationalization.
(2010): 4.
6 Ibid., 3.
7 Ibid., 5.
77 | Mond.Idéalisation