Public Policy and the Attraction of International Students

Abstract

In this project we asked: in this competition to attract and retain high quality students, how are the major Anglophone governments responding to and shaping the international brain race? The very recent discussion paper from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Developing global opportunities, demonstrates the timeliness of this study for the Ontario context (MTCU, 2016). Thus the research questions underpinning the project were:

What is the policy framework for attracting international students in these jurisdictions? How and why has this policy framework evolved over the last fifteen years (2000-2015)? How competitive is Ontario in relation to other jurisdictions? What policy levers could Ontario consider moving forward to enhance its position globally as a premier destination for foreign talent?

The findings of the project are divided into six categories: political climate and policy framework, government initiatives, major reports, legislation, funding, and external factors. Within each category we offer two short case studies, generally drawn from a single jurisdiction, that exemplify ‘lessons learned’ that may be relevant to the Ontario setting.