Today, Saskatchewan's Advanced Education Minister Kevin Doherty announced the launch of the province’s International Education Strategy.

“We want our young people to acquire the skills they need to work in a global context and strengthen our province’s cultural business expertise worldwide,” Doherty said.  “This will help to build relationships with our trading partners, to increase investments and partnerships to keep our provincial economy strong.  For the students that return to their home countries, they will become excellent ambassadors of our province.”

The strategy responds directly to specific targets outlined in the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth and the recommendations from the final report submitted by the Asia Advisory Council.

The International Education Strategy includes three main goals:

• Increase global engagement by increasing the number of Saskatchewan students studying abroad by 50 per cent, from 900 to 1,400;
• Bring the world to Saskatchewan by increasing the number of international students studying in Saskatchewan by 75 per cent from 3,500 to 6,200; and
• Grow global research partnerships by increasing the number and value of international research partnerships.

The strategy includes several initiatives to accomplish these goals, including the following:

• Implement an annual International Future Scholarship.  In its first year this will send up to 20 Saskatchewan students abroad for business-focused studies in priority markets;
• Re-establish a post-secondary international education council to facilitate ongoing conversations and collaboration between government, post-secondary institutions and industry;
• In partnership with the Ministry of Economy and Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, develop a provincial marketing strategy to brand Saskatchewan internationally and encourage more Saskatchewan students to study abroad, while attracting more international students to the province; and Partner with organizations, such as Mitacs to attract exceptional international undergraduate and graduate students to work with top Saskatchewan university researchers.

“These programs establish new international opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in Saskatchewan priority markets,” Doherty said.  “This strategy will strengthen Saskatchewan’s connection to the world and develop new partnerships to help build our province’s innovation future.”

The provincial government consulted with many stakeholders during the development of this strategy, including: public and private post-secondary institutions, First Nations and Métis educational institutions, international student associations, Chambers of Commerce, the Saskatchewan-Asia Advisory Council, the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, the Canadian Bureau of International Education, and the Canadian International Council.  All were supportive of this initiative.

More information about the International Education Strategy can be found at saskatchewan.ca/live/post-secondary-education.

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For more information, contact:

Aimee Pascua
Advanced Education
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3170
Email: aimee.pascua@gov.sk.ca