Students take part in a dance off during Thursday's Welcome Back celebration. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Education

Sask Polytech opens new doors for international students

Sep 1, 2023 | 10:10 AM

Classes have resumed at Sask Polytech and there is a very visible international presence at the Prince Albert campus.

The majority of students who took part in Thursday’s Welcome Back celebration have come from India and Africa. Ashish Singh from India has been in Canada for less than a month and is pursuing business management. He told paNOW he appreciates the large Indian population at the school.

“And they are very helpful like wherever we go for any job, they are supporting us,” he said.

While pursuing his education in Canada, Singh’s wife remains in India. While acknowledging some hesitation about the winter, Singh said Canada and specifically Sask Polytech offered a great opportunity for him.

“It’s a really nice campus and I’ve seen many videos on YouTube,” he explained.

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Actual enrolment numbers for the fall semester won’t be available until October when the school’s annual report is published.

However, according to information from 2021-22, of the 13,873 students enrolled at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, 1,910 were international students. Sask Polytech had 218 international students at Prince Albert campus last academic year.

Students at the Welcome Back event engage in some dancing. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Over the years Sask Polytech has been working to create more seats for international students. According to a statement from the school, an international seat does not take away from an in-province seat.

“International students add cultural diversity and a global perspective to our campuses. Their presence enriches the campus environment by creating a diverse and multicultural atmosphere. We are very much looking forward to welcoming international students to campus this fall,” it said.

Looking ahead to the school year, a number of new opportunities are available at Sask Polytech including a new Bachelor of Science in Dental Therapy program.

“We are very excited for this new program because it allows students to learn where they live. Twenty-one Indigenous students are enrolled in the program,” the statement explained.

Students have the option to study in La Ronge at the Northlands College campus, in Prince Albert or Saskatoon at USask campuses, or in Regina at Sask Polytech. Dental therapists are an integral part of the oral health team.

Ping pong, volleyball and a bouncy castle were among the activities offered to students on Thursday. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The students are trained to perform restorative dental treatments such as fillings, extractions, and other preventive services.

This program is a partnership between the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority, USask, Sask Polytech and Northlands College. This fall the School of Business also has two new specialties starting: Municipal Administration and Sport Management. Both new specialities are designed with industry – for industry.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell