Saskatchewan Proclaims International Education Week 2024

Released on November 18, 2024

The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to proclaim International Education Week from November 18 to 22, 2024. This week is recognized annually by governments, schools and organizations in over 100 countries around the world to raise awareness of the benefits of cultural and academic exchange programs.

"International students and researchers are important to Saskatchewan's economic growth, bring global knowledge and cultural diversity to our classrooms and communities, and play a key role in supporting the goals of Saskatchewan's Growth Plan and Labour Market Strategy," Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said. "We warmly welcome international students and researchers to our province and will continue to prioritize recruitment efforts in collaboration with the sector to promote Saskatchewan as a destination of choice for international students to study, work and live." 

International students benefit our post-secondary institutions by bringing global knowledge and cultural diversity to classrooms and filling seats in programs where there are not enough domestic students enrolled. Their tuition fees also help support programming and research in the province. In 2023-24, Saskatchewan welcomed over 14,400 international students from over 145 countries including India, Nigeria, China and the Philippines. In addition, over 550 Saskatchewan students studied abroad in 47 countries ranging from the United Kingdom to Japan. 

"My student life here was extraordinary, filled with learning, networking, and participating in various events," University of Regina international student alumnus Edwin Ta said. "These experiences not only prepared me for the job market but also allowed me to engage deeply with the community and build essential skills."

Ta is featured in a new promotional video that demonstrates the advantages of studying in Saskatchewan while strengthening our international brand. The video will be used by post-secondary education institutions, international trade offices and government officials in fostering international partnerships, increasing global awareness and supporting student and researcher recruitment efforts.

Promotional tools such as the new video are important in helping Saskatchewan adapt to federal International Student Program changes such as the study permit cap that was implemented earlier this year. The province continues to advocate to the federal government for adequate consultation on international education policy changes as Saskatchewan begins to see a decline in new international student enrolment.

In 2022, international students contributed $441.5 million to Saskatchewan's Gross Domestic Product. The province continues to prioritize expanding international education activities and has made significant progress on several of its International Education Strategy goals since the strategy's launch in 2021, including: 

• Programs were developed to increase Saskatchewan’s global competitiveness in the education sector by providing targeted training:
• 476 ambassadors from 17 countries trained through the Saskatchewan Student Ambassador Program;
• 183 agents from 35 countries trained through the Saskatchewan Agent Training Program; and
• 177 practitioners trained through the International Education Practitioner Program.
• Four Memoranda of Understanding have been signed to strengthen ties between post-secondary institutions and provide frameworks to advance economic and global linkages in promotion, information and education exchange, and research collaboration.
• Saskatchewan reached over 50 key international markets through participation in global engagement events focused on student recruitment and partnership building.

Saskatchewan's International Education Strategy was developed in partnership with the province's post-secondary institutions which have also made significant contributions to meeting strategy goals. In 2023, Saskatchewan institutions co-authored nearly 2,300 international publications and received nearly $44 million in funding for international research partnerships. 

"At the University of Saskatchewan, international education is key to our mission of being the university the world needs," University of Saskatchewan President Peter Stoicheff said. "By engaging in international learning and research opportunities, our campus community and province are empowered to make a global impact, drive innovation and find solutions to the most pressing challenges in Saskatchewan and the world."

For more information on International Education in Saskatchewan or to view the new recruitment video, please visit: studyinsask.ca.

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