Enhancing Canada-Israel Academic Collaboration
With as little as 11% of Canadian students studying abroad, Canada is now far behind many of our peer countries. The majority of those who spend time abroad do so in traditional locations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Western Europe. As scholastic and commercial ties become increasingly transnational, students fare better post-graduation after having studied abroad in diverse locations. Recent studies demonstrate that academic performance and job prospects improve through these opportunities, especially for students from lower-income backgrounds. Diversifying international collaboration by strengthening ties with Israeli universities can only benefit Canadian students. As home to the largest concentration of tech companies outside Silicon Valley as well as to a university sector recognized worldwide for its exceptional success in the commercialization of research, Israel’s growing research and innovation sector is a magnet for leading Canadian scholars.
Recommendation:
Increase Student Mobility
CIJA has facilitated dozens of study programs in Israel for Canadian students in, among other fields, public policy, business, and the arts. CIJA has also helped foster agreements between Canadian and Israeli universities to create for-credit, term-length opportunities to study abroad. With more room for growth and past government funding indicating a prioritization of international mobilization, CIJA would welcome means to expand programs for Canadian scholars to study in Israel.
Recommendation:
Facilitate University Research Collaboration
Israel’s universities are world leaders in fields as diverse as cyber security, archeology, advanced materials, medical sciences, and public health. CIJA has facilitated collaborations leading to groundbreaking research in agriculture technology, brain science, inclusive innovation and many other areas. With the federal government offering financial support for emerging research areas with built-in global collaboration, CIJA can serve as an experienced point of connection among administrations, faculties, and scholars in both countries.