Advanced Diploma programs gain international momentum

A rise in enrolment of international students in the advanced diploma programs can only mean one thing: the Marine Institute (MI) is attracting worldwide attention for its quality programs

Friday, September 20, 2013

This fall, international students in MI’s advanced diploma programs make up eighty percent of all students enrolled in the four programs. Traditionally, these programs have seen approximately 20 percent international students, with the remainder coming from across Canada.

MI offers Advanced Diploma programs in the areas of Food Safety, Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management, Sustainable Aquaculture and Water Quality. 

The Advanced Diploma in Food Safety not only had an increase in applicants, it also has the highest number of international students. International students registered are from India, China, Syria, Jordan, Nigeria and Nepal.

“Previously approximately only 10 percent of MI’s Food Safety students were from outside Canada. In 2012, we saw a big change with more than half the class coming from outside Canada, mostly India,” explained Ed Durnford, instructor, School of Fisheries. “Now we have international students coming from a broader range of places.”

MI International has been influential in the enrolment surge by international students into the institute’s Advanced Diploma programs. Their promotion of MI undergraduate, graduate programs and advanced diploma programs, have aided this increase.

MI International has helped facilitate strategic partnerships with foreign institutions which also bring in potential candidates for the advanced diploma programs. This is true for Peng Sun, a student from MI’s partnership with Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China, who studied Food Technology at MI then went on to complete a technical project which led him to apply for the Food Safety program.

Sun is looking forward to the work term he will do as part of the Food Safety program. He hopes the work experience will aid him in gaining employment linked to his degree upon graduating.

“The partnership between my home university and MI is excellent because I do achieve benefits from experience studying abroad,” said Sun. “All instructors, officers and workers are so nice and responsible to students at MI. Overall I’ll always appreciate the chance I acquired at my home university as well as the benefits I acquired at MI.”

MI International staff also work to identify funding sources for international students and have provided funding to the institute’s School of Fisheries, School of Maritime Studies and School of Ocean Technology from an International Business Development project. This funding has enables faculty to visit India, China, Jamaica and Brazil to establish partnerships.

“MI is a world oceans institute. Attracting and educating international students helps raise our profile across the world,” said Echo Pittman, international student coordinator, MI International. “When these students go home, they talk about MI to their friends and family about their experiences and the knowledge they have acquired.”