AZ Digitals Blog

   Canada, a country full of economic boom, high-rise buildings, research and development and universities with excellent academic and sports facilities. The cities of Montreal, Toronto, & Ottawa are Canada’s top cities. Followed by Vancouver, Calgary, London, and Victoria are all full of economic growth and highly prospective. The second-largest country area-wise is the 4^th most wanted country for international students after the USA, UK and Australia. Why international students are preferring Canada for an MBA degree? A question that means a lot to the business schools of Canada whose consistency and growth have been phenomenal. It’s the Return on Investment (ROI) and the work-life balance that are the two most prominent reasons.

A diverse population is applying every year, however, most students prefer to avail the opportunity of living in Canada. A land of business opportunities where many young and dynamic businessmen are investing and earning every day. Jobs are Govt.’s responsibility and they provide people with platforms to work after completion of the study.

A country full of energy for students is now a hub to international students. Especially, cities like Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Preferences are mainly because of the confidence Canada has shown since last few decades. This is in terms of job markets, business prospects and living up with the challenges of the practical world.

FRIENDLY VISAS

The visas for MBA students are friendly provided they fulfil all the academic criteria. These also include language proficiency and the required work experience. Studying abroad is not an easy process, and needs lots of paperwork and fulfilling the formal requirements. In Canada, comparatively, it’s easier for international students as they present the most opportunity and study abroad options.

Canada became a priority for most MBA students. Three years of post-study work visa means 3 more years of visa on a work permit. In 3 years most international students can achieve their targets of attaining a job in Canada’s most competitive job markets. For MBA students the market is good enough as the economy holds higher business prospects and job prospects. Another advantage is the huge land and provincial distributions. However, a Canadian Post-study work visa is applicable everywhere in Canada. Hence, students can easily get a job after having their work visas.

As according to the statistics the applications are increasing annually as more migrations are taking place every year.

A THRIVING JOB MARKET

 Canada has a highly thriving job market and according to the Govt. policies jobs are easily attainable for deserving candidates. If you are an MBA, you will have higher options and good prospects of getting a placement. The job market for Int. students are improving every day. These are the efforts of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who has been remarkable with his reforms. Reasons are improved business prospects & more investments in Canada. Also, more people coming from various countries just for the purpose of study and work. The boom in the job market has been significant since the last decade. Primarily because Canada has a policy of equal rights and equal opportunities. It means jobs for everyone in their specified field of interest. Furthermore, in their specific field of study or research without any racial discrimination.

The two major cities that are gathering a lot of expertise in professional fields are Toronto and Montreal. These are the best cities in terms of the job market and prospects for young expatriates. Other cities like Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver fall in the 2^nd range. They are the cities where prospects are booming with the Canadian economy.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Canada’s work environment holds huge priorities for aspects related to work-life balance. You don’t necessarily have to be a workaholic to survive in the Canadian work environment. However, it’s preferable that you spend good family time, along with work. Especially necessary if you are doing a management degree or in an MBA programme.

According to a 2018 survey, a huge 69% of workers in Canada rated that work-life balance as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Students were happy with the friendly and cultural environment of cities like Toronto and Montreal. These are cities where they spend their time with balance while they worked and enjoyed their student’s life.

Some international students preferred learning English and French during their semester holidays. This showed the flexibility associated with the Canadian environment for international students while they studied. An MBA degree needs more Work-life balance as the nature of the degree is tough. Hence, it’s important for students to have a balance between study and student’s life.

CULTURE- ‘Canadian Culture for Int. Students’

A culture that highly suits international students with diverse communities and places to mingle and enjoy. Montreal and Ottawa are the cities that regularly feature in ‘best cities for student’s life’ ranking tables. These are also cities that are good for a management experience or an MBA degree.

According to the students Canada is highly collaborative and an open country for international students. Especially, the MBA students prefer Canada for the last few years. The country is full of practical experience as well as mixing in the Canadian culture. Students love and enjoy the culture of many big cities especially Montreal which is the second-largest city in Canada. It’s just not about the cultural heritage of Canada. It’s also about people mixing together, working together and dining together in a friendly environment. People from overseas want to learn more about Canadian history and Canadian wildlife. Also, love exploring Canada as it is one of the best countries in the list of tourism.

A HIGHER RETURN ON INVESTMENT

A country that gives a higher return on investment as compared to many other countries including Australia and New Zealand. As an International MBA is a costly qualification and needs a higher return after investing huge amounts. For e.g. A General MBA from JMSB costs $23,750 for international students. Ironically, the expectations from the international job markets are higher. Hence, Canada is one of the countries that fulfil most requirements.

In 2018, a 15-year-old Greta Thunberg stood outside the Swedish parliament. She was brandishing a simple placard that read “School strike for the climate”, wearing her pigtails and a checkered shirt. Little did Greta and her peers know that very soon she was about to become a trailblazing icon. An icon of climate change activism and started a global movement. She wanted to know what businesses can do for climate change & sustainability.  Nobel Peace Prize i.e. the highest and most recognized awards, Greta was nominated in 2019 for her global efforts.

GRETA THUNBERG- THE EARLY LIFE:

Greta Thunberg was born on 3 January 2003 in Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother is an opera singer and her father an actor. At a very young age, Greta was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and OCD. Greta first learned about climate change in 2011.

Climate change needs huge attention. There was very little that’s been done on climate change. Something she realized at the young age of 8. She challenged her own family to reduce their carbon footprint and their overall impact on the environment. Furthermore, she adopted a vegan lifestyle, giving up commercial flying and upcycling household waste. Greta refuses to view her Asperger’s diagnoses as a disability. Instead, she preferred to call it her “superpower”, saying that “being different is a gift.”

After her protest outside the Swedish parliament went viral on social media. Strikes sprung up across the globe, and thousands of students also joined in. All this under the “Fridays for Future” banner. Students in more than 100 countries skipped school to demand more action. They demanded action on climate change and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

GRETA THUNBERG & THE CAMPAIGN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE:

Greta became an internationally recognized voice for climate change activism overnight and travelled extensively. Her travellings were for climate change protests and summits. Travelling by train to limit her impact on the environment and even sailing. On more than one occasion, on a zero-emission and solar-panel. Also equipped yacht across the Atlantic on her way to a climate change summit.

Greta has also addressed heads of states at the UN. She was telling them that “This is the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced.”. She also met several International leaders including President Obama and Justin Trudeau. Hence, in an effort to raise awareness and urge governments to do more to tackle the climate change crisis. She continues to speak at Tedx conferences, NGO events and climate strikes. Greta Thunberg also uses her social media to address the following of millions.

“We are facing an existential crisis… it will have a massive impact on our lives in the future. And I think that we should wake up. We should also try to wake the adults up. This is because they are the ones who are responsible. This is along with their generation is the ones who are mostly responsible for this crisis. Hence, we need to hold them accountable.”
Greta Thunberg

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR GRETA THUNBERG:

Greta Thunberg has won several accolades for her climate change activism. The Swedish Women’s Educational Association in 2019, named her the Swedish Women of the Year. Time Magazine has named her a “next-generation leader”. Furthermore, In 2019, she was named the Youngest Time Person of the Year. In the same year, she was nominated for Time’s 100 most influential people in 2019. Touted as “The biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet”. Greta was nominated in 2019 for a Nobel Peace Prize.
“Miss Thunberg has offered a moral clarion call to those who are willing to act. They also hurled shame on those who are not,” Time magazine

HOW BUSINESSES CAN PLAY A ROLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE:

Despite all the effort, it seems the world has hardly budged. There is not much political support for Climate Change action, with the United States. The US is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. They have recently been pulling out of the Paris Climate Change Accords. The required change is nowhere near in sight, and Global emission levels are on the rise. Examples similar to that of Greta Thunberg are hard to find these days.

While climate change might be a harsh reality to accept. The science behind it is solid and our planet is changing. We are facing a humanitarian and planetary crisis and it is a crisis of global scale. The governments cannot do enough on their own to tackle it and the private sector is equally accountable. Therefore, the businesses must do more if we hope to win this fight to save our planet.

If businesses do their part, small efforts can add up to a significant impact on the environment. Companies can take action and draw up plans to reduce waste, set emission reduction targets and reduce food waste. They can also adopt renewal energy sources and recycle wherever possible.

Businesses can also act to reduce their power consumption. They can also encourage employees to switch to more eco-friendly modes of transportation. These modes include carpooling in company-owned electric cars or cycling to work. Business owners and leaders can also come together and influence government policies. The influence of climate change is a priority. Politicians and political parties are the ones that can be a big support in this agenda. The motive must be to shift government policies towards a low-carbon future.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Doing your part in the fight against climate change will not adversely affect your business and sustainability. Hence, it does not mean compromising on profitability. Averting a global crisis that threatens life on our planet. As we know it is reason enough to act, however, there is also a shrewd business sense in doing so. Greta Thunberg, The Nobel Peace Prize winner is a huge example to follow in the fight against Climate Change.

People like working for businesses that are eco-conscious and consumers support businesses. These are actively taking part in shaping a better future. The appeal of environmentally aware companies is on the rise and your business can benefit tremendously. These benefits can be from the popularity of a green, eco-friendly reputation. It also has great story-telling potential which can be used in your overall marketing strategy. Furthermore, to show your potential customers that your values align with theirs.