ICEF Podcast: Building safe student corridors: A case study from Canada

Our podcast series continues with a closer look at some comprehensive plans and protocols for safe student arrivals during the pandemic.

The Canadian example is an interesting one for a couple of reasons. Owing to a limited exception to a ban on international travellers, students that already had student visas in hand as of mid-March have been granted an exemption to travel to Canada to begin or continue studies this year.

But having a visa and having permission to enter the country is one thing. There are many more details to sort out when it comes to travel planning, pre-departure checks, safety while in transit, quarantine after arrival, and then transition to homestays or other longer-term housing.

We have seen a number of stakeholders step forward with detailed and comprehensive plans for safe student arrivals this year, and this episode features two guests who have really made important contributions in this respect.

Rachel Lindsay is the director of international affairs and operations for Languages Canada, the country’s peak body for the language teaching sector. And Karen Symonds is the director of international education for the Delta School District in Delta, British Columbia.

They join our host – Robin Garcha, ICEF's director for Canada – for a wide-ranging discussion around the practicalities of safely welcoming international students this year. 

You can listen to the episode in the player below, and we encourage you to subscribe via your favourite podcast app in order to receive future episodes automatically.

For additional background, please see: 

• "ICEF Exchange podcast: Australia’s response to student safety, welfare, and support during COVID-19”