Canadian Universities Focuses On Indian Students

The University of Windsor has recruited more than 2,000 Indian Students and nearly 6,000 overseas students since deciding 15 years ago to become "Canada's leading international University.

Dr. Majid Ahmadi, Who runs Windsor's graduate engineering programme said, "This was on;y the beginning of the schools global recruitment drive".

:Three years ago we took 70 to 75 Indian students in engineering. It has now more than doubled to 180. I have admitted 95 students already on this trip and that is not the end of the story. Our target for next fall is 200," Ahmadi said at a students fair attended by a dozed universities and the colleges.

Windsor is making known a federal government initiative that allows foreign students to work for as long as three years after graduation and makes it much easier for them to get permanent residency. Indian Students can be swayed to study in Canada because, the education is of a high quality it costs far less than in the U.S, which remains the destination of choice for most foreign students.

According to statistics provided by the Totonto-based Canadian University application centre, $3000 million international students have added to windsor's coffers since 1998.

"One of the Kay success is that we do not play with students. We look at their qualifications and if they are qualified i refer the applications to out office to prepare letter for signatures," Ahmadi said.

An Iranian who received his doctorate in Britain before emigrating to Canada more than 30 years ago. "I fill the forms in on the spot and admit them. The entire process takes three days".

"Canada has not marketed itself as well as Britain or the United States but it is really picking up as word mouth," said Anjali Anand Seth, Manager of CUAC's Gurgaon office. "I have told to my own daughter that she must study very hard because I want het to go to university in Canada."

The University of Winnipeg began hunting for Undergraduate students in india 18 months ago. It already recruited 45 students and hopes to reach 100 by next autumn. Undergraduate tuition for foreign students averages about $18,000. Living costs add another $10,000 to $12,000 annually to the bill.

Jason Brennan, Winnipeg's director of admission said, "It is definitely a competition but we come as a group because the fight for students is really with the U.S, Britain and Australia."

St. Thomas University, a liberal arts school in frederiction, N.B., is just getting started india. It has signed up five students already and hopes to double that.

Serious questions have arisen about the quality of many students accepted in Britain and Australia and at some of Canada's community colleges.

Mel Broitman, a co-founder and director of CUAC, said maintaining academic standards was vital, but difficult to do.