Revisiting Education in the Age of Transnational Migration: Toward a Research Agenda

• In Event: 51.021 - Internationalization, Immigration, and Refugee Student Integration: Canadian Experiences and Perspectives

Abstract

As the globalization of migration intensifies, Canada has joined an international competition for the most talented, skillful, and resourceful workers. As a result of increasing transnational migration, Canada is becoming increasingly ethno-culturally diverse. When immigrants arrive in their host society, they need educational programs to help them navigate the complex paths that citizenship entails and to upgrade their language, knowledge and skills to fully participate in the host society or community. Without any doubt, the resulting demographic, social and cultural changes as a result of transnational migration pose important challenges as well as opportunities for new development in education. We are left to grapple with many important questions, such as: What is the impact of transnational migration on education? What are the challenges and opportunities for education? How can education best facilitate immigrants’ adaptation in a new society? How are transnational communities and education networks being formed through the process of migration and adaptation? How should states and communities work together to develop more coordinated education policies and practices in assisting migrants with their adaptation? What is the relationship between migration, identity and education? How do notions of gender shape the learning experiences of migrants? This paper therefore examines the changing nature of education in the age of transnational migration with a goal of establishing a research agenda towards researching education from comparative and international perspectives.

Author

• Shibao Guo, University of Calgary