BCIT President Don Wright
BURNABY BC: The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) welcomes the appointment of Dr. Don Wright, president of BCIT and chair of Polytechnics Canada, to serve on the expert advisory panel to Canada’s International Education Strategy. This important panel of eminent Canadian experts will study and recommend measures to strengthen Canada’s position as a destination of choice for international students, and will focus on new ways of fostering international education collaboration. The panel’s report is expected in early 2012.
“I commend the Government of Canada’s attention to this increasingly important dimension of our educational system. I am honoured to have been asked to sit on the panel,” said Don Wright, president of BCIT. “In our globalized economy, it is increasingly important to strengthen Canada’s engagement with priority markets, and our international education strategy will be a key component of that engagement.”
“The appointment of Don Wright demonstrates that this government is serious about including a strong voice from the college and polytechnic sector as it builds this important international education strategy,” said Nobina Robinson, CEO of Polytechnics Canada. “Don’s government and private sector expertise, along with his experience as head of one of Canada’s most successful institutes of technology, makes him a wise choice for this panel. We know that he will work for the good of all institutions of higher education in Canada.”
A large percentage of foreign students attend Canada’s colleges, institutes of technology and polytechnics. Of those foreign students attending Canadian colleges, more than 16,000 study at Polytechnics Canada member institutions alone. Canada’s competitive edge in the foreign student market will come from mobilizing the important education and applied research strength and opportunities of Canada’s college sector.
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For further information, please contact:
Dave Pinton Media Relations Acting Manager
British Columbia Institute of Technology
Tel: 604.432.8306
Cell: 778.928.2288
dave_pinton@bcit.ca
