“Sitting with myself by myself”: Indian students in Canada during the pandemic

Abstract

The number of international students from India in Canada has increased rapidly in the last five years. Students from India now comprise 34 percent of Canada’s international students. This article places the remarkable growth of Indian international students within the broader context of Canada’s internationalization of higher education. Drawing from a national survey, qualitative interviews, and secondary data, it examines the changing profile of Indian international students and the major trends and challenges experienced by Indian international students in Canada during COVID-19. The paper identifies a recent trend of “vocationalization” of Indian international students and several associated vulnerabilities due to the increasing commercialization of international education. Our findings also point to the complex intersections of psychosocial, academic, and economic disruptions during the pandemic, exacerbating the precarious position of Indian international students.