Market mechanisms' distortions of higher education: Punjabi international students in Canada

This study explores the experiences of Punjabi (i.e., from the Punjab region in India) international undergraduate students (hereafter PS) attending Canadian higher education through a case study of a teaching university in British Columbia. The primary focus is on unpacking how PS’ experiences were underlined by labor mobility, immigration policies, and the marketization of international higher education. To recruit international students, many lower-tier Canadian universities apply a business model that relies heavily on agents. The outcome is that educational considerations are not central to admission and retention processes. The findings critique the Canadian education-migration model by identifying the complicity of Canadian higher education in lower-skill immigration and the negative educational and professional outcomes for PS that result from this complicity. The study highlights PS’ voices and experiences that can go overlooked in the context of market-driven higher education.