March 25, 2007 - 5:00pm
Malaspina University-College has just established its first overseas office in India.
The new office - the Malaspina University-College Centre for Canadian Education (MUC-CCE) - has been established in recognition of the importance that India plays in the long-term objectives of Malaspina University-College. The grand opening of the office took place on March 2, at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi.
“This is strategically important for Malaspina and Nanaimo,” said Bronwyn Jenkins-Deas, dean of International Education. “We have had significant activity since the grand opening. The response in India has been overwhelming.”
The MUC-CCE will act as a core information hub in India, providing Indian students with quality support services to apply to one of the many certificate, diploma, degree or post-graduate programs available at Malaspina. It will also help Indian students access the many online programs available to Malaspina students.
“For the first two years, our focus will be recruitment and to increase the number of undergrads coming to Malaspina,” said Jenkins-Deas. “Right now, the majority of Indian students at the Nanaimo campus are MBA students, so we want to put our initial emphasis on undergrad students. Of the 1,000 international students currently attending Malaspina, only about 30 are from India.”
This new office also helps support the growing educational needs in India, which boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In a country that greatly values higher education, it has become incredibly difficult to keep up with the demand. The majority of India’s population is between the ages of 25 and 30, and those students are in need of increased educational opportunities. Currently, they don’t have the capacity to accept all students eligible for university.
“The opening of our office in India is a milestone in our evolution,” said Malaspina President, Dr. Ralph Nilson. “We have students from over 45 countries attending Malaspina. These students contribute to the local economy and add to the diversity of our campuses and the learning of other students. Having international students on campus also provides all of our students with global insights they may not otherwise be exposed to. Our international students leave Malaspina and become outstanding ambassadors for Malaspina University-College and Vancouver Island.”
The MUC-CCE helps Malaspina build important international relationships that support the current strategy of bringing international students to the Nanaimo campus, sending students overseas, establishing an international curriculum and providing more research and teaching opportunities for faculty.
An increase in international relationships is not only beneficial to Malaspina, but it’s also a great benefit for Nanaimo, said Jenkins-Deas.
“When we expand overseas, we are always talking about Nanaimo and the advantages of coming and living here. This kind of expansion creates great opportunities for Nanaimo to promote itself on an international level. Because of that, we’re looking for ways to partner with the Nanaimo community to help showcase the city and make it a place of choice for Indian students, tourists and investors,” she said.
Some of the key responsibilities of the new office will include initiating, managing, and coordinating marketing and recruitment activities on behalf of Malaspina throughout India, as well as site visits to high schools, universities, other educational institutions and corporations to promote Malaspina’s programs.
For further information, please contact Bronwyn Jenkins-Deas, dean of International Education at Malaspina University-College at jenkinsb@viu.ca or phone (250) 740-6311
Tags: In the Community
