Thursday Online Presentation Session 2

International Education & Exchange Issues

Session Chair: Lecia Ellis

11:25-11:50

66220 | From Model Minority to Yellow Peril: The Shifting Narratives of Asian International Students

Helen Liu, York University, Canada

The ongoing pandemic, COVID-19, has demonstrated how quickly the depictions of Asian individuals can shift from “model minority” to “yellow peril” during times of crisis. These times were particularly difficult for Chinese international secondary students who were already facing preexisting systemic issues. The current COVID-19 pandemic had placed these students in an even precarious position due to the anti-Asian racism and discrimination that has manifested. Utilizing Critical Race Theory (CRT) and International Student Security (ISS), this paper explores the experiences of Chinese international students in secondary schools in Canada, paying attention to the vulnerabilities and risks among this population. In particular, I employed Asian Critical Theory (AsianCrit), which prioritizes Asian identity and their experiences with racism to comprehend how these prevailing systems of oppression have impacted their lives. The principles highlighted within the AsianCrit framework, utilised alongside ISS, can build upon each other to understand how educational institutions interact and understand these student populations, what forms of institutions and diversity initiatives are dominated by white supremacy and privilege, and how programs are maintained or implemented based on assumed notions and ideologies of Asian students. Interview data was collected from six teachers and six Chinese international students from public secondary schools within Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. Issues and concerns regarding the academic, social, and housing/guardianship experiences of Chinese international youth were identified. The article also discusses possible considerations and interventions to better support international secondary students during their studies in Canada.

11:50-12:15

67859 | Industry-University Partnerships as a Pathway to International Graduate Students’ Gaining Canadian “Work” Experience: A Case Study at USASK

Michael Cottrell, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Lecia Ellis, University of Saskatcewan, Canada

An aging population and extremely low birth rates complicate Canada’s ability to address current and future skilled labour shortages. As a consequence immigration and the recruitment and retention of international students are increasingly seen as solutions to labor-force management in strategic sectors (StatsCan, 2020a). As international students are “an essential part of the equation for meeting Canada’s labor force…” (Languages Canada (n.d) (para. 2) post-secondary institutions are increasingly forging partnerships with industry and the public sector, often in the form of internships, to create active and experiential learning curricula and knowledge transfer in the “real world” (Templeton et al, 2012). These innovative programs also enable international students to gain much needed Canadian work experience, mentorship and professional networking opportunities to support employment post-graduation.

Using a case study approach and mixed methods, the study interrogated the experiences of international students involved in graduate level internships and industry partners at one Western Canadian university through personal interviews, focus groups and surveys (N=100). The main goal of the inquiry was to determine the efficacy of these initiatives in meeting the needs of international students and industry partners at the case institution. The study is informed by the following research questions: What are the experiences of international students in selected graduate internship programs at the case institution? What challenges and opportunities do such programs provide for both students and industry partners? How might these programs be revised to enhance the experience of stakeholders, including? “increasing employment opportunities for students” (Prigge, 2005, p 222).

12:15-12:40

67187 | How to Implement Overseas Exchange During Pandemic? An Example in Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Man Wai Carol Poon, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

“Virtual Exchange” refers to the application of online communication platforms to get together classes of learners without geographical boundaries with the purpose of enhancing language exchanges, demonstrating digital competence and experiencing intercultural communication through online lectures, collaborative projects and virtual exchanges, virtual study tour and virtual internship. This paper aims to introduce and redefine the concept of Virtual Education (VE) in higher education teaching. It proposes to enhance the educational circles’ interest and understanding in utilizing this new pedagogy as well as its social power. And finally, it intends to serve as a reference for potential change agents as they consider ways and means to create learning environments at universities and institutions by reviewing and evaluating the practices of VE in the Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education in Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU LiPACE), based on its Virtual Education Experiences (including Virtual Study Tour, Virtual Internship, Virtual Exchange Programme, Virtual Academic Lectures and Virtual Cultural Activities) offered to students during the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years. Apart from literature studies, this paper will carry out online interviews in both Hong Kong and Japan, evaluate a series of VE programmes conducted in HKMU and conduct an online field observation in the Global Virtual Exchange Programme from June to July 2021.