International plan

Thanks to a partnership between the Wollotuka Institute and First Peoples House, two students—Tami Schiefelbein, who is Cree/Métis and mixed European, and Jackson McDermott, who is Dene and Cree and who grew up in the Fort Nelson First Nation—travelled more than 12,000 km to Australia for a work term believed to be the only international Indigenous-to-Indigenous exchange program of its kind.

Dara Jarallah, an entrepreneur and recent alumna from UVic’s Sardul S. Gill Graduate School of Business, has woven deep connections with marginalized artisans around the world with her innovative social startup business, Shoppinglee, starting with communities in her native Palestine. (Pictured: four of the many artisans with whom Shoppinglee has worked; image provided courtesy of Jarallah)

During a two-week field school along the foothills of the northern Peruvian Amazon, more than a dozen UVic students learned first-hand from local communities about sustainable economies and agricultural biodiversity involving relationships with the spirits of the land and also gained ideas on how decolonization can work in the Amazon and at home in Canada. (Photo: Michael Graeme)

Biologist Julia Baum, an international rising star in marine conservation ecology and an outspoken advocate for science-based decisions on global issues such as climate change, received a coveted Steacie award in 2018 for her inspirational efforts to push the boundaries of what’s known about tropical coral reefs and their resilience to overfishing. (Photo: K. Tietjen)

A unique partnership with UVic and Bhutan’s first law school is an exceptional example of transnational scholarly exchange, with the idea first forged within UVic’s Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiative. (Pictured: the dean of the new law school takes part in a ritual in 2016 at the site of the school’s permanent home; photo by Nima Dorji)

The UVic International Plan: Making a World of Difference 2017-2022, launched in October 2016, takes our global commitment another step further by identifying key objectives and strategies to move us forward in this era of heightened connectivity, complex geopolitics and increased international collaboration.

In Spring of 2019, Dr. Catherine Krull was appointed as UVic’s Special Advisor to the Provost to lead the implementation of the International Plan and she will be supported by the newly created Office of Global Engagement to continue with the university’s internationalization efforts.

Our progress so far (July 2019)

Since 2016/17 when implementation of the International Plan began, UVic has advanced its vision of internationalization. Here is a quick guide to how progress in internationalization since fall term 2016 contributes to a better future for people, places and the planet.

Creating a culture of student mobility

There are more dynamic learning opportunities for students to engage locally and globally because of a:

9% increase in Outbound Student Exchanges.
17% increase in Inbound International Student Exchanges.
50% increase in partnerships for international Indigenous work-integrated learning placements.

Find out about the unique Indigenous-to-Indigenous exchange program

Enhancing the international student experience

International students, who are now 20% of the UVic student community, in 2018 participated in a welcoming and inclusive community in which:

4,728 international students enrolled in the Division of Continuing Studies lived as homestay guests with families in Victoria.
36% of all Teaching Assistants (TAs) were international students.
451 international students completed an international cooperative education work term placement, more than 44% of all students completing work term placements.

Find out about a UVic business grad's innovative social startup

International and intercultural curricula

Internationalization, over the last 3 years, has intensified dynamic learning by increasing opportunities for students to gain intercultural competencies through:

27 field schools in locations around the globe.
9 new academic programs with an international focus.
an intercultural skills module completed by 1,023 UVic students who participated in work term placements in 62 countries from Australia to Zambia.

Find out about a UVic field school in the foothills of northern Peru

Vital impact through internationalization in research

Internationalization has advanced research excellence and impact from 2016 to 2018 by fostering research collaboration with:

74 international partnerships involving external funding.
over $7.7 million funding that supports UVic international research partnerships.
the highest proportion of internationally co-authored research of any Canadian university.

Find out about a UVic marine ecologist's global impact

An extraordinary environment for internationalization

Internationalization since 2016 has created more opportunities for experiential and research-enriched learning in local and global contexts with:

18 new international partner institutions establishing agreements supporting faculty and student exchanges creating a total of 216 active agreements.
240 Canadian students gaining intercultural experience as Cultural Associates working with international students enrolled in the English Language Centre.
donors funding 12 new awards to support UVic students’ participation in international experiential learning opportunities.

Find out about the new partnership between UVic and Bhutan's first law school