Iranian grad students increasingly eyeing Canada for study

When the University of Alberta totalled up its applications from international graduate students wanting to study in Edmonton this September, the school noticed something it hadn’t seen before.

Typically, the largest group of students comes from China, followed by the United States and France. But this year, Iran led the way with 618 master’s and PhD applicants, a jump of 60 per cent over 2008.

The Islamic republic erupted in turmoil this summer, when a disputed election led to mass protests both inside the country and around the world.

“This year there is a very dramatic increase, and in all likelihood the political reason may play a role,” said Britta Baron, provost and vice-president international at the University of Alberta.

“They are well-trained by Iranian universities, the language barrier is not very serious and they seem to integrate very well.”

It’s a trend that has been noticed at other schools across the country and was happening even before this summer’s events.

The number of graduate students from Iran tripled between 2002 and 2006, according to figures from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Iran ranked sixth among countries sending graduate students to Canada in 2006, the association said.

At McGill in Montreal, Iran ranked 14th in 2003. It is now eighth, with 149 grad students accepted in 2008.

Lissa Matyas, recruitment director at McGill, said the jump is, in part, a result of a targeted marketing campaign. McGill advertises fellowship opportunities to students in specific faculties at prestigious Iranian schools.

“The admission in engineering has skyrocketed due to this proactive approach,” said Matyas, who added the difficulty Iranians have applying for visas to study in the United States has also been a boon for Canadian universities.

The brain drain from Iran to Alberta is good for both the University of Alberta, which is trying to recruit more researchers, and for the students, who are looking for more opportunities, said professor Alidad Amirfazli, who is originally from Iran.

“In Iran, education is also a praised value and Canada needs a knowledge-based workforce,” Amirfazli said.