Mary Kane
The difference may be subtle but there is a change happening to the University’s academic programs, which are increasingly being infused with an international dimension. “Internationalization is no longer on the sidelines,” says Gilles Breton, associate vice-president academic (international) and director of the University’s International Office. “It’s a means by which we improve the value and quality of education we offer our students.”
“Indeed, our strategic plan, Vision 2010, clearly states as one of the major goals of the University of Ottawa, to energetically ‘move onto the international stage,’” adds Robert Major, vice-president academic and provost. “The many changes occurring in this area flow from this ambitious plan, and the main initiatives being put into place are very promising for students and the University as a whole.”
Breton and his team at the newly renovated International Office on King Edward Avenue live and breathe internationalization while focusing on the qualitative and quantitative goals of Vision 2010, which includes increasing the number of student mobility scholarships and ensuring a solid international student presence on campus. The International Office also works to underscore why internationalization is important for those not immersed in this domain, which can include everything from student mobility, international recruitment, second-language learning, international students in the classroom, international networking of programs, risk management, to adding an international element to a course.
“Nowadays, any serious academic institution knows that they can’t cover all areas of specialization because of the explosion of knowledge,” says Breton. “Linking your programs to an international network is a way of offering courses in those areas where you might be a bit weaker or simply not be offering.” The results benefit the student who receives a better education along with acquiring international skills. Meanwhile, the program has also increased its quality and its international influence by its choice of partners.
The ready-made international network that most professors have represents an immense resource for international efforts. “It’s impossible for me to tell a physics or a geography professor which university offers the best programs internationally,” explains Breton. “They are the experts who can direct us to the institutions with which we should be building academic partnerships.”
When asked what advice, Breton — who also teaches in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs — would give to new professors thinking about adding an international dimension to their teaching, he encourages them to share their connections with the International Office. “They should not hesitate to call the International Office to keep us in the loop with their international networks,” says Breton. “We want professors to be doing what they are best at … teaching … not to be belaboured by the administration of student mobility initiatives. That’s our job.”
With International Week just around the corner (February 11 to 15), the University has the opportunity to reflect upon its international connections due to an increasingly large international student body on campus, a steadily growing participation of Canadian students in international mobility programs and an array of academic programs offering an international dimension.
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The Office of International Research and the International Office shape the internationalization efforts of the University of Ottawa. In recognition of International Week, the Gazette focuses on student mobility and the work of the International Office. An upcoming issue will feature the work of the Office of International Research.
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