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Updated Sunday, October 7, 2007 0:00 am TWN, By James Donald, Special to The China Post



	“Study in Canada and pursue your dream,” was the motto of this year’s Canadian Education Fair, an event held twice a year since 1991 to encourage local students to study overseas in ... Enlarge Photo

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Education Fair held for Canada study

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- “Study in Canada and pursue your dream,” was the motto of this year’s Canadian Education Fair, an event held twice a year since 1991 to encourage local students to study overseas in Canada.

Run by the Canadian Education Center (CEC), a non-profit organization with 20 offices worldwide, the fair was held simultaneously in Kaohsiung and Taipei and attempts to build awareness of the diverse options available for parents looking to send their children to Canada. The Taipei fair, held Saturday at the Fuhua Hotel, had a total of 20 schools from Canada participating in face-to-face discussions with parents and prospective students, as well as a variety of seminars given by schools and past alumni who have completed their studies in Canada.

“A lot of the parents who send their children to study overseas to Canada are really comforted by that kind of support,” says Jean Wong, an experienced teacher and program coordinator for international students at Coquitlam School District, a public school renowned as having the largest number of international students in Canada.

Coquitlam takes the hands-on approach of assigning an International Teacher Coordinator, who is responsible for providing guidance to their students and keeping in touch with their Program Coordinator about whether the student is adapting well in Canada, academically and socially.

“Knowing there’s someone to look out for your child is probably what makes us a popular choice,” comments Wong.

Director for the Canadian Education Center Network Vivian Liao commented on her feelings about Canada as a place for students to study, saying that “it’s a very young and dynamic country, with a lot of diversity in the number of nationalities who live and study there,” while still being a “very friendly environment which dosen’t make you feel nervous.”

The fair itself showed its own diversity in study abroad options for prospective students: brief summer/winter programs, long-term study overseas from as early as kindergarten, to undergrad and graduate university programs. Students are also advised about scholarships and financial support offered by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) and Canadian universities.

“The education system in Canada is quite different from Taiwan,” remarked Liao, with learning being “focused on taking the initiative and asking questions, which encourages students to think more for themselves and speak out with their own opinions.”

Another attraction to the idea of studying in Canada has been the country’s “friendly” immigration policy, says Wong, with lots of parents sending their children to receive an education in Canada before immigrating there to live permanently.

“We were disappointed that we have to make the difficult decision to cancel the second day of the fair tomorrow (Sunday) due to safety issues during the typhoon,” said Liao. Those who missed out on the event may either visit the CEC’s office or its Web site at www.studycanada.ca/taiwan.

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