Universities feeling left out

Friday, March 11, 2005 The Halifax Herald Limited
http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgibin/
uncgi/archive/7displaystory?2005/03/11+185.raw

Universities feeling left out

School officials say province has 'dropped the ball' by limiting their role in helping immigration

By STEVE PROCTOR / Staff Reporter

Nova Scotia universities can play a bigger role in attracting immigrants than the one the
province has planned for them, say two university presidents.

Gail Dinter-Gottlieb of Acadia University in Wolfville and Sheila Brown of Mount Saint
Vincent University in Halifax say the minimal role they have been assigned under the government's immigration strategy amounts to little more than carrying out research.

"The province has dropped the ball in recognizing what we can do for them," Ms. Dinter-Gottlieb said. "If you look at the government's immigration strategy document, on the list of partners, universities are dead last." She said two submissions made on behalf of Nova Scotia's university community detailing what they can offer to help fix the immigration crisis were largely dismissed.

"We are key players in attracting and retaining skilled workers," Ms. Brown, outgoing president of Mount Saint Vincent, said Thursday.

"We attract research staff and faculty. We should be more explicitly identified as partners, not relegated to the bottom of a list and tasked with research."

She pointed out that foreign students attending universities are among the best candidates for citizenship.

"We don't want to devastate the Third World," Ms. Dinter-Gottlieb said. "It is important that many of the students return to their home country with skills to help their local economy, but even if we kept 10 per cent, that would be doing better than we are now."

During their four years of study, foreign students become familiar with Canadian culture, make friends and establish contacts, so it is less likely they would need to live in ethnic conclaves to feel comfortable, the two said. With 400 foreign students from from 70 countries on campus, Ms. Dinter- Gottlieb said Acadia is home to the largest percentage of foreign students in the
province.

Elizabeth Mills, executive director of the province's Office of Immigration, agrees the approximately 4,000 foreign students are a great group to approach.

"Not only do they feel comfortable here, but they've gotten their professional credentials here so they don't have to fight an uphill battle to get their international credentials recognized," she said.

The listing of partners in the strategy was not intended as a ranking of importance, she said, because "all partners are key."

"It is wonderful that partners are so anxious to get working with us on this initiative," she said.

Ms. Mills said she also sees universities as a liaison with the foreign students, a contact point with foreign businesses and governments during their international recruitment trips and key to solving the problem of local recognition of international certification.

"We're all at ground zero," she said. "It's a great time to start firming up what the strengths of the various players might be."

But while Nova Scotia is finding its feet, other provinces are pushing forward aggressively. Ms. Brown said. New Brunswick has been very aggressive and has signed a deal that allows foreign students to work off campus, earn some income and put down more roots in the community.

In Nova Scotia, foreign students can only work on campus.

"We've been trying to sign a similar memorandum of understanding for a year, but it has been slow going," said Ms. Brown.

Last year, the provincial and federal governments agreed to extend the amount of time international students may work in Nova Scotia after graduation to two years from one year.

Earlier this month, ACOA minister Joe McGuire said his staff was looking at ways his agency could be helpful in the issue, perhaps serving as as a regional hub for implementing policy.

Ms. Dinter-Gottlieb said a regional approach makes sense to her, while Ms. Mills added that while provincial agencies are already working together, a regional approach could be useful.

More than $400 million was earmarked in the recent federal budget for helping improve immigration. Ms. Dinter-Gottlieb said now is the time for action. "I'm afraid it's going to be a fad unless we get realistic about what we can do," she said.