Best Practices in Internationalizing Institutions and Their Programs (Workshop)

The Cégeps, Quebec's pre-university and technical training higher education establishments, have developed over the course of the past twenty years, interesting internationalization practices. Beginning with individual international cooperation projects, mainly with partners in Latin America and francophone Africa, these activities have evolved into true institutional internationalization policies. Today, over 80% of the Cégeps include an internationalization component in their educational missions and strategic plans. Over half of them have adopted an internationalization policy that encompasses the internationalization of programs, student and faculty mobility, the reception of international students and the exportation of know-how. What have been the determining factors of this evolution? How do Cégeps position themselves when faced with a massive influx of students from other cultures, linked with immigration to metropolitan centers? How do Cégeps located in regions undergoing substantial demographic decline position themselves in order to attract immigrants? Who are the actors of internationalization? What human, material and financial resources are committed to internationalization? What are the ramifications for the internal and external communities? What advantages are produced and who profits from them? During this workshop, Mrs. Evelyne Foy, Director General of Cégep International, will present the general tendencies of the internationalization of the training in the Cégeps. She will also discuss the relationship between the internationalization practices of Cégeps and the internationalization strategies of the Quebec education system and government. Mrs. Judy MacDonald is responsible for international activities at Vanier College, a Cégep situated in Montreal which has students of over 80 nationalities and a teaching corps which is also among the most diverse. The college offers sociopedagogical support to permit students to acquire the abilities and competences necessary in their future careers and for pursuing their studies. The emphasis is places on the acquisition of values such as tolerance and respect of others. What means are implemented to achieve this? What programs of activity and service are proposed to students? What are the results?