GSC hiring student writer(s) for International Student Stories

In 2023 the number of international students in Canada reached over one million, a surge representing a 29% increase from 2022. This unprecedented population growth has created a complex crisis for international students, triggering a largely negative response from the Canadian public and significant policy interventions from the Canadian government. Polls show Canadians are less open to more international students now, especially as concerns about housing shortages and the cost of living have intensified.

We have posted a primer on this issue already and want to follow up our symposium with a webpage of stories gathered from across Canada – stories that we might share with our partners and with the press if possible. International students in Canada are framed statistically, economically, and politically – as a population surge, a strain on resources, a policy lever, and increasingly, a problem to be managed and reduced. The scholarly literature shows international students tend to be problematized and stereotyped, with little interest shown in what they bring from diverse and rich cultural backgrounds. Yet, as followers of Christ, we are compelled to look beyond these earthly metrics. We must perceive the international student not merely as an economic unit or a demographic challenge, but fundamentally as an image-bearer of God, our neighbour, and a sojourner in the land.

Telling their stories, and framing these stories with a Christian perspective on strangers, guests, and young people, will help us understand the issues better, promote better policy-making, and present the students as agents of public good who have much to contribute and not simply consumers of certification and a drain on our social systems. This reflects our Christian faith and our passion for global higher education.

So how do we plan to do this?

We are looking for up to 5 student writers…

…who will interview some international students (ideally about 10-15 international students who live in Canada or have recently been schooled in Canadian universities). The resulting stories will be journalistic in style (anonymity is an option) and contain some Christian perspective, although this is not required. Compensation for stories is outlined below. Student subjects may be from any faith, racial or ethnic background; we will aim for an equal number of male and female student stories. 

Stories will be posted in a designated part of the websites of  GSC and partners and possibly find their way to podcasts that we think will be interested in featuring the project. We plan to host a webinar discussing the stories with the student writers and some expert commentators from the original symposium.

We want to add to conversations in Canada around the international student crisis, providing a faith-based Christian perspective that invokes Christ’s call to peacemaking amongst us.

Are you ready to apply to document important stories?

Contact GSC’s Executive Director, Dr. Peter Schuurman office@globalscholarscanada.ca

Details of Stories:

Length of stories: 400-1200 words

Number of stories: 10-15

Payment per story: 

400-800 words – $150

800 or more – $250

Here are a few of the questions we’d like to see in the stories we share:

1. Where are you from and why did you come to Canada? What program are you in where?
2. What did it mean for you to leave home? How did leaving affect your family and friendships?
3. How have you raised the money to pay for tuition? Can you say how your tuition is different from that of Canadian students in your program? Have you been loaned any money or received scholarships or bursaries?
4. How have government shifts in policy and their requirements affected you?
5. What have been the challenges of coming to Canada and pursuing a degree in a Canadian school?
6. How has your health been since arriving in Canada, and how would you describe your sense of belonging or community?
7. What have been some sources of help as you work on your degree? Who has encouraged or supported you along the way?
8. Are you a person of faith and how has your faith been a part of this journey?
9. What do you hope to do next and where will you do that and why and when?
10. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience as an international student in Canada?

Deadline for completed stories: Jan. 31^st 2026 (but we prefer to receive them ASAP)

Follow up – a *GSC Webinar – February or March 2026

*Student writers who appear in a Spring webinar may receive an extra payment for their time.