Red River College was pleased to host a delegation from Shijiazhuang University (SU) in China this week, and to enter into an agreement that will help connect staff and students from both schools.

On Monday, RRC hosted a delegation led by SU President Wang Junhua, who met with Christine Crowe (RRC’s Vice-President, Community Development) to explore mutual cooperation between the two institutions.

The delegation also toured the Notre Dame Campus — where a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between RRC and SU was signed — and the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, where they shared a lunch at Jane’s restaurant.

“We understand that we live in a global economy, and we will be working with and doing business with people who have different cultural backgrounds and histories,” said Crowe.

“We need to look at the world differently, and build cross-cultural skills. We are very interested in providing opportunities for our students and our instructors to experience other cultures as part of their education.”

With support and direction from its International Education office, RRC is building innovative partnerships with colleges and universities throughout the world, including those in China, India, South America and Europe. Agreements such as the one with SU often result in joint partnerships, exchange programs, and new ways of collaborating to meet both parties’ mutual interests.

(Back row): Sumeshini Letchmana, Project Assistant, RRC International Education; Eddy Lau, International Project Manager, RRC; Keith Muller, Dean, RRC School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts; Stevenson Alloso, Director, RRC International Education. (Seated): Toru Hoshino, Vice-President, International Hotel and Bridal College (WiSH) NSG Group; Christine Crowe, Vice-President, RRC Community Development.

Red River College welcomed delegates from Japan this week, to discuss possible partnership opportunities that will expand the College’s international reach.

From March 5 to 9, the College played host to Mr. Toru Hoshino — Vice-President of International Hotel and Bridal College (WiSH) NSG Group in Niigata, Japan — and Mr. Masashi Akagawa, a photographer from ICO Advertising.

Vice-president Hoshino was here to discuss joint programming opportunities in language training and hospitality management.

The visit comes just one week after RRC hosted a team of delegates from Siyuan University in China, to discuss joint programming opportunities in business, language training, and construction and engineering technologies.

Learn more about RRC’s International Education department.

This week, Red River College played host to a team of delegates from Xi’an Siyuan University (XSU) in China — one of a growing number of post-secondary institutions that have struck international partnerships with RRC in recent years.

The delegation was composed of the University’s Chairman Zhou, Yanbo; its Director of Human Resources Guan, Zhongmin; Director of International Development Shou, Shiheng; and RRC’s External Facilitator in China, Andrew Yang.

While here, the delegation met with RRC representatives to discuss joint programming opportunities in business, language training, and construction and engineering technologies.

Lt.-Col. B.S. Sandhu, President, Continental Group of Institutes, and Stephanie Forsyth, President and CEO of Red River College, sign a Memorandum of Understanding in Mohali, India.

Building on the success of its strong relationship with China, Red River College is actively recruiting in India this week and will sign deals with five educational institutions to bring hundreds of new students to Manitoba.

The enrolment of Indian students will increase opportunities for Manitoba students and help address Manitoba’s shortage of skilled labour. This year RRC has more than 150 students from China alone, and another 380 from several other countries, enrolled in three campuses. These successful models will be repeated to attract students from India with five-year agreements. After recruiting in India, RRC will target more international students working with sister campuses and educators in South America.

“Our India relationships benefit the college, the Province and India,” said RRC President and CEO Stephanie Forsyth from Delhi, India. “Foreign students, who pay the full cost of their education, allow us to develop even more programs and seats for Manitobans. Just as importantly, foreign students bring the global community to us. When they join our students and faculty on campus they help us all learn about their culture, and that helps us see how we can grow Manitoba and Canadian business abroad. India has a growing number of youth striving to achieve a strong post-secondary education, but the competition for limited spaces in India is strong. We provide educational opportunities in Canada that might otherwise be impossible to attain in India. The vast majority of these students have their sights on Canada as their future home.” Read More →

Staff, students and their family members are invited to attend Red River College’s annual Welcome Party for Immigrant and International Students.

This year’s celebration takes place Friday, Nov. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m., in the Voyageur Dining Room at the Notre Dame Campus. As always, the Welcome event is hosted by RRC’s Diversity and Immigrant Student Support Department, with support from International Education and the RRC Students’ Association.

The College-wide event will feature live music and entertainment, including performances by Punjab Dancers, Paradize Band, Evan Coffie and Yoslai. There will also be fun activities for kids, lots of dancing, and sample foods from around the world.

Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by Nov. 16, 2012. To register online, visit this link. To sign up in person, visit the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support offices: Room D206 on the Notre Dame Campus, or Room 103 at the Exchange District Campus.

For more information, contact Lauren Konrad, Student Integration Coordinator, at 204-631-3345 or lkonrad@rrc.ca.

Red River College continues to expand the scope of its international reach, through recently-signed partnership agreements with a trio of post-secondary institutions in China.

In September 2012, RRC President Stephanie Forsyth took part in a Canada Trade Mission with the Province of Manitoba and other Premiers and delegates from across the country. During the trip, she took time to further relationships with existing partner schools, and to sign new Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with three new institutions — Xi’an University, Bangde College, and Shanghai Medical Instrumentation College (shown above).

The MOUs outline the College’s intent to work towards the development of program partnerships and students and staff exchanges.

“As more interest in the College is generated through our international endeavors, the work of the International Project Team gains in importance,” says Forsyth. “This Team will ensure we have the necessary supports and infrastructure in place to receive students and faculty from other countries, as well as open the door for increased opportunities for RRC students and staff.”

Red River College’s Cultural and Language Mentor Program has extended the deadline for student, staff and faculty volunteers interested in mentoring an immigrant or international student.

The Mentor Program is a local/global partnership that pairs immigrant and international students with Canadian-raised students and staff for friendship, English language practice and cross-cultural exchanges.

The program helps immigrant and international students adjust to life in Canada, make friends with other Canadians, improve their English and cross-cultural communication skills, and develop the skills required for success in their studies and in the workplace.

Participating mentors, meanwhile, get the chance to make new friends while gaining valuable experience working with culturally diverse individuals and preparing them for success in a global work environment.

Applications are being accepted until Friday, Sept. 28. Click here to fill out an online application.

The program requires a 10-hour commitment over the Fall semester, which includes a one-hour orientation meeting, plus seven hours of meeting time with their partner. Mentors receive support, guidance, and — best of all — tickets to local events and activities.

Click here to see a video about the program. For more information, contact Jacqueline Wood, Mentor Program Coordinator, at 204-632-3847.

RRC grad Scot Slessor (right), Consul General of Canada in Chandigarh, India, tours the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute with (from left) Dale Watts, Ted Maciurzynksi, Manishkumar Upadhyay, Dale Oughton and Eddy Lau.

Earlier this summer, Red River College played host to a returning graduate who’s now a diplomat working to promote economic relations between Canada and India.

Scot Slessor (Structural Drafting, 1982), has served as the Consul General of Canada in Chandigarh, India, since his appointment to the position in September 2010.

He visited the College on July 20, 2012, for a tour of the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute and to discuss possible partnership opportunities for RRC in India.

During his visit, Slessor met with RRC representatives to discuss the need for skills training and development in India, and to explore possible partnerships with post-secondary institutions there.

In particular, Slessor has been tasked with providing expertise in delivering and developing skills training in Punjab (where he’s stationed). If a partnership were to be struck, he would act as a conduit between RRC and the institutions in Punjab.

Over the years, Slessor has held a number of public and private sector positions, including stints with the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission in Toronto, and the Canadian International Development Agency and Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in China.

Red River College returned to China this month, to further expand the scope of its international reach via partnership agreements with a number of post-secondary institutions.

Between Feb. 19th and 22nd, 2012, representatives from RRC signed partnership agreements with Shijiazhuang University of Economics (SUE) in Hebei, China; Qingdao Technical College (QTC) in Qingdao Economic and Technological Development Zone; and Zhejiang Water Conservancy and Hydropower College (ZJWCHC) in Zhejiang Province.

Representatives at SUE have already expressed interest in RRC’s Applied Accounting and Business programs, while QTC has expressed interest in the College’s Early Childhood Education program.

Last year, RRC signed a similar agreement with Henan Business College (HBC) in Zhengzhou, China, in which HBC students would take two years of Hotel Management courses in China, and a third year at RRC.

Click here to learn more about opportunities for international students at Red River College.

Microsoft Corporation has recognized a Red River College instructor for using technology to forge social and cultural connections between high school students in Winnipeg and their counterparts in northern Manitoba.

Teacher Education instructor Eva Brown (shown) served as head of the Technology department for the River East Transcona School Division, for whom she developed a collaborative, cross-cultural exchange between Grade 12 students from River East Collegiate and Grade 11 students from Charles Sinclair School on the Fisher River Cree Nation.

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