Vive le Québec: A distinct Canadian study destination

Parlez-vous français? Located in one of the world's top English-speaking destinations, the Canadian Province of Québec is just a little bit different. Not only is it a bilingual region, it has its own national holiday (La St-Jean Baptiste Day, every 24 June) and is the biggest producer of maple syrup in Canada. When it comes to higher education though, the key to unlocking the mysteries of this distinct region lies in the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Québec Universities (CREPUQ). CREPUQ is a private organisation comprising, on a voluntary basis, all of Québec’s 17 universities (14 French and 3 English). Together they host over 285,000 students (28,000 of which are international students) and offer an extremely diverse university system with over 1,400 Master’s and Doctoral programmes alone. ICEF Monitor tracked down Julie Benoit from CREPUQ to learn more about the province of Québec and its university system. Benoit has been working in international student recruitment at the University of Montréal for the past ten years. She sits on the CREPUQ International Recruitment Subcommittee which has coordinated Québec universities' efforts regarding student recruitment since 2001. In our exclusive video interview below, Benoit explains CREPUQ's role in the industry as well as what makes Québec an interesting and appealing study destination. She also shares tips on where most foreign students in Québec come from, the admissions and visa process, and the universities' growing interest in agents including what changes may lie ahead. Florian Schäfer from kommod.tv interviewing Julie Benoit from CREPUQ for ICEF Monitor. Filmed at ICEF North America held in Montreal in 2012; in 2013 the event moves to Toronto. Contact CREPUQ to learn how the school system works in the region, the admissions and visa application process, including how to obtain a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), Canadian study permit and an on-campus and off-campus work authorisation/permit.