Students at the Chapman Learning Commons at the University of British Columbia

Indian students have one more reason to head to Canada. The University of British Columbia in Vancouver has embarked on several projects to better reach out to international students, including those from India. “We have 42,130 full-time students at the university. There are 125 graduate and 72 undergraduate students from India,” says Craig Evan Klafter, associate vice-president international of the University of British Columbia (UBC). “We are planning to increase our recruitment efforts in India to attract both undergraduate and graduate students,” says Klafter. The subjects most popular with Indians are management studies, applied science, humanities and social sciences.

A new undertaking of the University of British Columbia is the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative. This five-year $12 million project, headed by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, seeks to support science departments in their efforts to provide an unrivalled education for all undergraduate students enrolled in the classes offered by the respective science departments. This means working collaboratively with the departments on finding ways to improve student education without placing additional burden on the faculty. “The Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative would attempt to develop educational software to fill needs in the context of specific courses,” says Grace Wood, executive co-ordinator of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative “The project aim is to improve the quality of science education for the benefit of all students.”

The Life Sciences Centre at the University of British Columbia

Under the Carl Weiman Science Education Initiative, students will be guided by instructors with a good understanding of how people learn, common student difficulties with material being taught, and the best approach to overcome such difficulties. The curriculum and teaching methods will be designed and tested to achieve maximum student interest and learning.

There are good research opportunities at the UBC too. “As one of the world’s top research universities, opportunities are offered in the full range of subjects taught at the university,” says Klafter.

For Indians seeking entry to the UBC at the undergraduate level, there is a plethora of courses to choose from — ranging from engineering to forestry. The grades required for admission vary from programme to programme, but based on the Indian grading scale, the minimum average needed to fall within the competitive range is 75 per cent. Students have to submit a copy of the Higher Secondary School Certificate at the time of application. The photocopy of the certificate must be signed by the school principal, notarised copies are not acceptable.

Applicants for masters programmes need a four-year bachelors degree or a masters degree with a first division (65 per cent). Candidates for doctoral studies should possess a bachelors degree, a masters degree and an MPhil degree. “Overseas students are provided with accommodation on campus and can work part time during their stay at UBC,” says Klafter. That solves part of the financial problems.

For the rest, there are several scholarships for international students. “We spend $2.2 million each year on awards and assistance for international students. We continue the support by making several awards available after the first year,” reveals Klafter. The scholarships are principally for students from developing countries and were instituted since the UBC began recruiting international students in 1996. Among the international scholarships awarded are the International Leader of Tomorrow Award, International Student Humanitarian Award, President’s Program Scholarship and AP Achievement Scholarship. The International Leader of Tomorrow scholarship ranges in value from 14,000 to 34,000 Canadian dollars (about Rs 5,54,000 to Rs 13,45,500), depending on financial need and is meant for students who have enrolled in an undergraduate programme. The International Student Humanitarian Award (ISHA) recognises outstanding international students from impoverished or war-torn areas. “Recipients of ISHA are students who have achieved academic excellence under difficult circumstances and who would be unable to pursue post-secondary education without financial assistance,” states Klafter. The value of the award is up to 34,000 Canadian dollars according to need and depending on the candidate’s choice of study. It can be renewed for up to four years of undergraduate study. To be eligible, an international student must have entered university from secondary school.

UBC students may also explore the opportunity of working in Canada after completing their studies. “In 2008, a new stream of Canadian immigration will be available to certain international students with Canadian degrees and work experience,” elaborates Klafter. The scheme of the Canadian Experience Class will help address the country’s labour force by better focussing on these candidates for Canadian Permanent Residency. According to Klafter, Canada’s current international student pool has the potential to add up to 30,000 skilled immigrants every year.

So for those of you with an innovative bent of mind, why not give the University of British Columbia a shot?