Bringing the world to Canada - conference
Lissa Cowan, 604.787.0420, 206.905.9508; lc@lissacowan.com
Dixon Tam, SFU media relations, 778.782.8742; dixont@sfu.ca
A national conference on immigration March 23 in Vancouver involving key faculty researchers from Simon Fraser University will focus on many topics – from policy issues related to refugee resettlement, to strengthening support for at-risk and gang involved immigrant youth.
Immigration: Bringing the World to Canada is the title of the 2011 National Metropolis Conference, hosted by Metropolis BC. It will feature stakeholders and academics from across the country and worldwide. More than 100 workshops and roundtable sessions on topics related to immigration and cultural diversity are planned and 1,000 participants are expected.
Topics include:
- Policy implications of refugee resettlement in Canada
- Opportunities and challenges for South Asian immigrants in Canada
- Immigrant teachers in Canada
- Support for at-risk and gang-involved youth
- How senior immigrants are aging in Canada
- Media in multicultural Canada
- (In French) Le soutien à l’élève et à sa famille: quelques initiatives pour contrer la conjugaison entre immigration et défavorisation
Research currently underway or planned will also be highlighted. From SFU:
- Criminologist Rick Parent is comparing Canadian immigrant populations prone to radicalism and terrorism with those in other parts of the industrialized world. He’s identifying the groups at risk of radicalization and working to find solutions.
- Economist Anke Kessler is investigating demographic changes, such as decreasing fertility rates and female labour force participation rates, that are leading to outcomes such as increasing public expenditures on family services.
- Nancy Johnston, senior director, student learning and retention, is focusing on how to address language issues and cultural transitions that negatively impact international student success.
- Habiba Zaman, of gender, sexuality and women’s studies at SFU, is studying whether female South Asian immigrants to Canada benefit from support measures.
- Economist Steeve Mongrain is studying how the informal economy, including undocumented workers, impacts government policies and practices.
It has been estimated by Statistics Canada that by 2031, at least one in four Canadians will have been born in another country.
Metropolis BC was established in 1996 as part of the national Metropolis Project and is funded by the federal and provincial governments, and associated universities. Located at SFU and UBC, Metropolis BC’s main objective is to disseminate relevant material to aid in the discussion on Canada's emerging immigration policy issues.
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