By many measures, U of T is one of Canada’s most global universities – three in 10 students come from outside the country. At the same time, the world geopolitical situation is becoming increasingly fraught, and the Canadian government recently took steps to reduce the number of international students arriving in Canada. To sort through what this means for the university, and how U of T can continue to provide students with an outstanding global education, University of Toronto Magazine editor Scott Anderson spoke with Professor Joseph Wong, U of T’s vice-president, international.

In recent years, the number of international students at U of T has grown significantly. What do you see as the benefits of having a more global campus community?
As a professor, I can say with certainty that international students enliven classroom conversations. They bring different perspectives and lived experiences, and this adds to the kind of learning all our students can engage in. As well, many of our domestic students are first-generation Canadian. Some don’t speak English as a first language at home. So, we already have an extraordinarily diverse student body, and we are adding to this by enrolling excellent international students. More broadly, international students contribute to the local economy while they’re here, and as alumni they become extraordinary ambassadors for the university – and by extension for the city of Toronto and all of Canada.

What do you say to those who worry that increasing the number of international students reduces spots at U of T for domestic students?
This doesn’t happen! As part of our agreement with the provincial government, we have enrollment “corridors” (or ranges) for domestic students. These spots for domestic students are essentially guaranteed and are not affected at all by the number of international students we recruit to U of T. International students are recruited on top of those enrollment corridors for domestic students.

Is there a “right mix” of domestic and international students?
The bottom line is we can only recruit international students if we can support them. ¹ We have a commitment to all of our students – both domestic and international – to ensure they are in a position to succeed. We can only enroll as many as we can properly support, in terms of access to housing, health services, finances. We have plans to build new housing for both domestic and international students, but this takes time and we do not want to bring in more international students than we can support. Right now, I think we have a good balance. But this could change as our resources change.

Earlier this year, the Canadian government announced measures that would significantly reduce the number of new international students coming to Canada. How does this affect U of T?
We hope to enroll roughly the same number of international students this year as last year, which is remarkable – and a testament to U of T’s global profile and ranking as one of the world’s top 25 universities. So, I think we’re going to weather this reasonably well compared to other universities. I don’t think this kind of measure is good for how international students perceive Canada, though. We’ve had to assure international students that they remain welcome in Canada and specifically at U of T.

Lately, U of T has been recruiting international students from a wider range of countries. Tell me about this.
Yes, we have been remarkably successful at attracting students from many parts of the world. This is the result of a very deliberate recruitment strategy and a lot of research to determine where U of T, and Canada more generally, has a strong profile.

We’re also diversifying where students come from in terms of their socioeconomic background. To do so, we’re funding thousands of four-year renewable international scholarships. In fact, one out of every nine international students admitted last year received this kind of scholarship. This also enriches the learning experience for all our students. 

Whether it is where the student comes from or the distinct experiences they bring, diversification is critical to ensuring U of T students on all three campuses are exposed to global insights. As an internationally minded research university, the diversity of our students, staff and faculty drives impactful research.

What global trends over the next few years do you think will most affect U of T’s ability to recruit top international students?
The Canadian brand has always been one of our competitive advantages. Canada is seen as safe, diverse and multicultural. These characteristics resonate with an international audience. We saw, for instance, the so-called “Trump bump” in applications in 2016-17 when the U.S. looked like it was becoming more insular. I worry that the government’s measure signals that international students are not welcome in Canada.

American, British and Australian schools have traditionally been our main competitors. But China, one of the largest sources of international students, has a growing number of universities ranked globally in the top 25, 50 or 100 and a declining birth rate. And so, the number of students leaving China is beginning to decrease, and we’re now competing more against Chinese universities for these students.

Tuition is higher for international students and, of course, they and their parents are concerned about prospects for employment. They want assurances that a U of T degree can be leveraged to find a really good job. Thankfully, U of T has successfully invested a great deal in experiential learning and work-integrated learning such as internships, in Canada and abroad, ensuring we remain a top university for employability around the world.

We can only recruit international students if we can support them. We have a commitment to all our students to ensure they are in a position to succeed.”

Many students say they would like an international study experience. How is U of T working to increase these opportunities?
There are a lot of opportunities at U of T, but it can be difficult to find them. So, a few years ago, and for the first time, the university put every international learning experience into a searchable website, making it easier for students to find opportunities that suit them and their learning objectives.

Second, we know that one of the major constraints is financial. And we don’t want international learning to be available only to those who can afford it. So, a few years ago, the university increased needs-based awards from $1 million to $3 million annually. We continue to look for ways to reduce financial barriers.

It’s also important to continue to communicate to students why this type of experience is valuable, and to demonstrate to them that this type of global learning is something that will have a positive impact in terms of their well-being, their development – and their job prospects.

And for those students who can’t travel abroad, for whatever reason?
We’ve been thinking about how to facilitate more “global learning” at home. In the past year, more than a thousand U of T students participated in over 100 “global classrooms,” in which they never had to leave Canada to engage with their peers and learn from professors in another part of the world. We want to expand this as a way of generating more interest in studying abroad, and to provide all students with an opportunity for global learning.

U of T has been forging partnerships with other universities around the world. How do these help us?
There are actually advantages for the whole world! Sustainability, for example, is a global challenge and the world is on the precipice right now. It is imperative that we engage in research that is interdisciplinary, collaborative and context relevant. It’s as much about the scientific as it is about the social, the anthropological, the philosophical, the economic and so forth.  

We are also diversifying our partnerships to be more inclusive of the parts of the world that have historically been less represented at the university: low- and middle-income countries. The partnerships we’ve developed in Africa and are developing in Southeast Asia and Latin America are extraordinary opportunities to raise awareness about U of T and develop meaningful reciprocal partnerships in these regions as we strive to be even more globally inclusive.

Recently, we’ve heard calls for U of T to end academic partnerships with certain countries. Why does the university not support academic boycotts?
Ultimately, as a university, our commitment is to academic freedom. Academic collaboration and the free circulation of ideas – both within an institution and globally – are essential to our mission of producing new knowledge. Intellectual, research-driven disagreement is at the core of what a university is supposed to be doing.  

As President Meric Gertler has noted, it is also inappropriate to hold individual academics accountable for the actions or policies of their country’s government. U of T did not boycott South African academic institutions during apartheid. One reason for this, in addition to our principled commitment to academic freedom, is that many of the opponents of apartheid were our colleagues at South African universities.

Five great reasons to be an international student at U of T

1. You will study at one of the world’s leading universities alongside other top students from 180 countries
2. You will experience a welcoming and supportive learning environment where international students thrive
3. Your personal and academic success will be supported through a full range of services available to you throughout your U of T journey – from before you arrive on campus through to graduation.
4. Your home away from home – U of T’s campuses and the Toronto city region – are safe, fun, and open to the world.
5. Your U of T degree will take you anywhere, as evidenced by our 700,000 strong global alumni network and surveys of top employers that place our graduates among the most desirable in the world.