CLIC Celebrates 1,000 Student Milestone

Nov. 4, 2024

Chinese Ambassador Wang, Director Advocacy and Engagement of Global Affairs Canada Gregory Lemermeyer, U of A President Flanagan, Philippe Rheault of the U of A Chinese Institute, CLIC JC Chair and U of A AVP (International) Cen Huang, and CLIC alumni at the CLIC 1,000 student celebration reception in Ottawa.

The lives of 1,000 Canadian students have been transformed after studying abroad in China through the Canada Learning Initiative in China (CLIC) programs. “I’m very grateful for having had the chance to live and learn in China—it was an experience that changed my life in so many ways… As a student and future professional, the CLIC experience has had a big impact on my studies and personal growth…Looking to the future, I hope to build a bridge between Canada and China,” says Yasmina Chalabi, Summer 2024 CLIC alumnus from the University of Montreal to Renmin University of China.

Established in 2016, CLIC is a consortium of ten U15 universities connecting Canadian students with funded, high-calibre study and research opportunities at prestigious Chinese universities. Its mission has been to empower Canadian students to immerse themselves in China’s rich educational landscape, earn university credits, and develop a global perspective while fostering vital networks for Canada-China relations. 

By the summer of 2024, CLIC marked a milestone of sending more than 1,000 Canadian students to China, an important achievement in Canada-China people-to-people exchanges. To celebrate the milestone and strengthen the program for future participants, the CLIC Office hosted a workshop and reception for Canadian and Chinese universities during the annual Canadian Bureau for International Education conference in Ottawa on November 4. This celebration event is generously sponsored by Global Affairs Canada, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, the UAlberta China Institute, and the University of Alberta. 

CLIC partner representatives and alumni joined the CLIC 1,000 student celebration workshop and discussed the future development of CLIC programs.

As Cen Huang, Vice Provost and Associate Vice President (International) and CLIC joint committee chair, said at the celebration reception, “CLIC’s success is an exemplary model of collaboration and partnership in promoting international and cross-cultural learning. Through the CLIC programs, we also aspire to strengthen academic relations between our universities and deepen the ties between our countries. The 1,000 CLIC alumni are equipped to advance the well-established relationships among the peoples of the two countries, and they will be the future of fruitful connections between Canada and China.”

CLIC alumnus and current U of A student Maryam Sekandary echoed these remarks, sharing a common sentiment among program alumni, “The most prominent takeaway from my experience is my appreciation for the shared values and aspirations that connect us all… We all understood that we seek for understanding and a better future regardless of our backgrounds.”

At the celebration event, the CLIC Office expressed gratitude to our many funders and partners: the Chinese Ministry of Education, Global Affairs Canada, the China Scholarship Council, and our colleagues at the Canadian and Chinese Embassies in both countries. We also deeply appreciated the continuous support from the  U15 CLIC consortium and our Chinese partner universities. Their collaboration is essential to achieving this important people-to-people and educational exchange milestone between our nations. Last but not least, the CLIC Office thanked the CLIC alumni across Canada. We hope that the CLIC alumni stay connected with their Chinese hosts, and continue to deepen your global engagement in the years ahead. We look forward to reaching another 1,000-student milestone in the near future.