Premier's trip to China to highlight educational links

Premier Stephen McNeil's nine-day visit to China includes three visits to universities and a celebration of the 10th anniversary of a program that allows Chinese students to attend Nova Scotia high schools.

There are currently 2,000 Chinese teenagers attending schools across Nova Scotia.

The heavy emphasis on education is no surprise given the reliance Nova Scotia universities have on international students.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, McNeil said attracting more foreign students to the province is a key part of the mission, his sixth as premier.

'It is about sustainability'

"It is about sustainability to continue to make these universities continue to be viable," he said. 

"It provides sustainability … for the universities, but it also provides an economic opportunity for our province as we continue to grow our population."

Peter Halpin, executive director of the Atlantic Association of Universities, echoed that sentiment.

"I don't think the premier is overstating it at all," he said. "I think he's simply reinforcing what was well articulated in the One Nova Scotia report and that is population growth is critical to the future sustainability of the entire province and all of its communities, and that includes our universities."

More than 9,500 international students at N.S. universities

According to the 2018-19 enrolment figures compiled by Halpin's organization, 25 per cent of students attending Nova Scotia's 10 universities come from outside Canada for a total of 9,553. The percentages range from two per cent at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax to 55 per cent at Cape Breton University.

Nova Scotia's two largest post-secondary institutions — Saint Mary's and Dalhousie — have international populations of 32 and 23 per cent respectively.

Halpin said international students are attracted to Canadian universities because of the quality of instruction, but also by non-academic considerations.

"One of the key attributes today is students want to know that they're going to a tolerant, non-discriminatory, warm and welcoming community, where they're going to be embraced and not rejected, and Canada offers that," he said.

He pointed to a successful recruitment drive by Cape Breton University to attract students from India.

More to benefits than tuition

Of almost 2,000 international students at CBU, 1,200 are from India.

Tuition for international students is roughly double what Canadians pay, which is a boost to university revenues.

But Adam Robertson, Dalhousie's registrar, said foreign students bring more than that.

"They really do enrich learning environments for all students and they certainly expand perspectives," he said. "Certainly I would say international students are a huge part of viability for all of us."