Mr Jeff Nankivell, Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao, discussed Canada’s education system, immigration policy and global positioning with teachers and students at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 19 March. 

This was the second dialogue activity in CityU’s “Dialogue Series with Consuls General” under the theme “Globalisation and Your Future”.

In his welcoming remarks, Professor Way Kuo, CityU President, said CityU had brought together talent from around the world, echoing Hong Kong’s international characteristic. To widen the international horizons of CityU students, consuls general in Hong Kong were invited to campus to introduce the culture and latest developments of their countries, he said.

Mr Nankivell cited his personal experience to illustrate the multicultural features of Canada. His father was from Australia and his mother was Canadian. He went to Indonesia as an exchange student when he was at high school, and he studied French, German and Putonghua at university. He said Canadian citizens came from all over the world and Canada had two official languages: English and French.

Canada had a deep relationship with Hong Kong, the speaker added. The country helped to defend Hong Kong during the Second World War and there were now around 300,000 expat Canadians living in the city. In addition, Canada was a popular emigration destination for Hong Kong people, he said.

When asked in the Q&A session about Canada’s education system and immigration policy, Mr Nankivell replied that although anti-immigration campaigns had become prevalent in many other countries, Canada firmly adhered to an open-door policy, accepting around 400,000 immigrants each year. The quality of its education system was well recognised throughout the world, and Canada encouraged non-local graduates to work and live in the country, he said.

Mr Nankivell began his career in diplomacy in 1988. He served as the Consul General of Canada in Beijing for 10 years and was appointed Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao in 2016.

Guests attending the dialogue included Professor Horace Ip Ho-shing, Vice-President (Student Affairs); Professor Matthew Lee Kwok-on, Vice-President (Development and External Relations); and Dr Ron Kwok Chi-wai, Dean of Students.