Study abroad
Our position
Learning across borders is part of a 21st century education. Canada needs to do more to encourage a culture of mobility among Canadian students. Studying abroad helps young Canadians develop the cross-cultural competencies and problem-solving skills that are in high demand from today’s employers.
“Young Canadians … need to know that the world is their classroom, and they need to go abroad to get a full education – one that will prepare them for the future.”
News
Text on screen: [Universities Canada logo/Universités Canada logo]
Text on screen: [In conversation with …]
Text on screen: [Santa Ono, President, The University of British Colombia]
Text on screen: [The lasting dividends of study abroad]
Sana Ono: If you have the initiative to actually leave your home country, your university, and go thousands of miles away, and to actually take that challenge, which is not always easy, and succeed, it demonstrates something about your grit and your ability to face different situations and to thrive. And that kind of indicator is probably the strongest indicator of future success, even more than one’s academic performance while in university. It’s an incredibly powerful experience. It’s something that’s long lasting. If you speak to alumnae, they often say that that experience in a different country was really transformational, and it was something that contributed to their satisfaction but also had dividends for the rest of their life.
Text on screen: [The Voice of Canada’s Universities univcan.ca]
By the numbers
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11%study abroad
Only 11% of Canadian undergraduates undertake an international mobility experience over the course of their degree, despite the clear benefits of global study to building future skills.
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80%see career benefit
More than 80% of employers that hire recruits with cross-cultural understanding and knowledge of the global marketplace say these employees enhance their company’s competitiveness.
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70%see cost as barrier
Students surveyed say they would study abroad if it was more affordable and part of their study program.
