News in brief: Nov. 10, 2010

Dr. Blouw goes to India

Wilfrid Laurier University president Max Blouw is one of fifteen Canadian university presidents on a recruiting trip to India that began this week.

The delegates have gone on behalf of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) to build ties with Indian institutions to encourage international students to consider Canadian schools.

Demand for higher education in India is immense, and it is estimated that 800 new universities would need to be built in the next decade to accommodate Indian students at home. Currently only about 4,000 Indian international students attend Canadian universities though tens of thousands are attracted by other nations.

Faced by funding uncertainty, Canadian institutions are increasingly looking abroad for lucrative international students who on average pay much more for their education here than their Canadian counterparts.

University obtains Olympic memorabilia

Wilfrid Laurier University now holds in the library archives over 40 years of personal documents and International Olympic Committee (IOC) correspondence from Avery Brundage, IOC president from 1952-72. Brundage is best remembered for his decision to allow the 1972 Munich Olympic games to continue after 11 Israeli athletes were killed by terrorists. The collection was brought to Laurier through an endowment fund and efforts from kinesiology professor Stephen Wenn.