International students resist surprise tuition hike

In 2012-13, my job was helping produce the University of Alberta’s International Week. There were only five staff in our office, and we were responsible for a massive event series, featuring nightly keynotes and over 50 events total. Success relied heavily on the participation of volunteers. Most of these volunteers were international undergraduate students, a lovely and diverse bunch hailing primarily from China, Japan and Brazil. I love working with students and I found that these volunteers were especially eager to help, to learn new skills, and to simply chat about life in general.

Half a year later, I’m working in a new office. But I immediately thought of these wonderful people when I learned that the University of Alberta had hiked tuition for international students. This story shares the voices of international students and local leaders who are organizing to resist the tuition hike and protect the rights of international students in the future.

This story originally aired on the CJSR Edition in September, 2013.