International students to be trained as Sask. 'ambassadors' through new program

A new program has been launched to provide international students and students studying abroad with specialized training to become ambassadors of the province, the Government of Saskatchewan announced Monday.

The Saskatchewan Student Ambassador program is a part of the New International Education Strategy, which Advanced Education Minister Gene Makowsky said can give students experience to grow Saskatchewan’s economy.

“The [program] supports Saskatchewan's Growth Plan by building the province's brand around the world by connecting students to international opportunities and equipping the next generation of students with global experiences," he said.

The student ambassadors will aim to promote Saskatchewan as a prime destination of choice to study and live. The program will also help Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions build partnerships with other institutions around the world to increase opportunities in student exchange programs.

Saskatchewan has roughly 8,000 international students, according to Makowsky, and about 3 per cent of all Canadian students from out of province. There is room for growth, he said, and the ambassador program will help attract and retain students.

Students can start applying for the program this spring.

Livia Castellanos, the executive lead for the ministry’s International Education and Jurisdictional Initiatives, said the application process and criteria is different at each post-secondary institution.

The curriculum will teach students about Saskatchewan’s economic advantages, research opportunities, and immigration and settlement policies.

“The goal here is for our students to go abroad to become true ambassadors of the province by knowing specific details of our province that perhaps are unknown to the regular public,” Castellanos said.

Several supports will be available to the students, including the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship. Students interested in the program will be able to apply through their post-secondary institution.

More information on the program can be found here.