UBC launches international student recruitment drive

International students indicated overwhelming interest in UBC at
several educational fairs held throughout Asia earlier this year,
says the co-ordinator of UBC’s international student recruitment
initiative.

“UBC was the largest draw at fairs in Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia and Indonesia, attended by about 8,100 students in total,”
says Don Wehrung, a professor of Commerce and Business Administration
who was appointed last November to spearhead the university’s drive
for international students.

“About 45 per cent of the students attending spoke to UBC representatives
who were vying with anywhere from 25 to 50 other Canadian educational
institutions.”

Although interest was expressed in almost all areas taught at UBC,
demand for information on English language programs, engineering,
business and computer science was particularly high, he says. Also,
interest in graduate programs exceeded that for undergraduate programs
in some countries.

Initially, UBC’s international student recruitment efforts will
focus on Pacific Rim countries where UBC enjoys a high recognition
factor, although students from all nations will be encouraged to
apply.

Marketing and operational strategies to make UBC competitive with
other institutions seeking a broader based international student
body are being developed, including a streamlined application and
admission process.

“The steering committee is exploring ways of providing one-stop
shopping at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to ensure
that students receive a quicker response, recognizing that this
can affect their decision as to which institution they attend,”
Wehrung says.

Other considerations in the overall strategic plan for UBC’s international
student recruitment initiative include space planning, funding issues
and UBC’s language requirement standards.

Wehrung stresses that operational strategies for expansion at the
international level will not be at the expense of domestic students
or encroach on academic standards.

Currently, there are 650 international students in undergraduate
programs at UBC representing 2.6 per cent of the total undergraduate
enrolment, and another 341 in exchange programs. UBC’s Board of
Governors has approved expanding spaces for international students
in each undergraduate program to up to 15 per cent of total enrolment.

Twenty-two percent of the total graduate enrolment — or 1,333
students — are from other nations.

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