Selling out your college to Islam

Does it make sense to sell seats at your college to Saudi students because you need the money?  For some it is a reasonable way to meet expenses.  For others it could be the pathway for jihad into Canada.  The college may walk away from this unscathed, or they may lose their shirt.  Is it worth the chance when dealing with potential jihadists and Islamists?


From The Globe and Mail March 18 by James Bradshaw

Dalhousie medical school to sell Saudis 10 seats

In an urgent bid to plug a hole in its budget, Dalhousie University’s medical school will sell 10 vacant first-year seats to students from Saudi Arabia for $75,000 annually.

Dalhousie’s medical dean, Tom Marrie, says a reduction in provincial grants last year left the program underfunded, and that generating money from empty spaces is crucial to balancing the books.

The scheme is a targeted, stopgap solution, and may not be repeated. But most Canadian universities, including Dalhousie, are trumpeting Canadian education and looking to increase their foreign student enrolment as global competition for top talent – including those with deep pockets – heats up.

Dr. Marrie saw an opportunity recently when Dalhousie established a satellite medical school in New Brunswick, allowing students from that province to study remotely instead of in Nova Scotia, thus freeing up seats on the main campus.

The 63 places the provincial government funds for Nova Scotia students are full, so Dr. Marrie looked abroad. He decided recruiting in the United States would take too long, but Dalhousie has a history of training Saudi resident doctors, making it a natural partner.

The Saudi students will pay considerably more than their domestic counterparts, whose tuition and government funding amounts to less than $40,000, but Dr. Marrie said “that’s not unreasonable” when compared with other international fees. The 10 students are expected to return to Saudi Arabia for their residencies.

“We’ve got to find a way to run the place. This is one of those ways,” he said. “We just need this money to function.”

It is not a good idea to sell your soul to the devil for a short-term bargain.

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