University Canada West continues to grow at a record-setting pace.

BC’s fastest growing university recently welcomed 186 students for orientation for the Summer 2018 Term.

“We’re thrilled to welcome so many new students to University Canada West,” said UCW President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Arthur Coren.

During orientation, students learned about UCW’s academic standards, school departments, the campus and living in their new city.

Students have come from a number of countries around the world including Jordan, Colombia, Indonesia, Mexico, China, India, Iran, Bangladesh, South Korea and elsewhere, as well as from various parts of Canada.

Daniel Valdez, 32, from Mexico City, is starting his studies at UCW in the MBA Foundation Program. He is joining his wife, Bethlem Andrade, who took MBA Foundation last term and is starting her degree this Summer.

In Mexico, he earned a degree in electromechanical engineering, but was only able to work his way up to a supervisor position in a prominent company. He couldn’t get a promotion to a management position without a master’s degree.

“In Mexico, they ask for a Master of Business Administration degree,” Daniel explained.

Together, the husband-and-wife team decided to look for a quality university in Canada that would meet their needs. They learned about UCW at an education fair, and it worked well for the couple.

They’ve been in Vancouver since October and have really enjoyed the city and its people.

“Canadians are amazing people,” Bethlem said.

Sara Banaeirad, 28, is from Tehran, Iran. She too is starting MBA Foundation before proceeding into her degree program.

Sara arrived in Vancouver two months before orientation took place so she’s had some time to settle into her new city.

“Vancouver is much more beautiful than I imagined and the people are very friendly,” she said.

Sara has a degree in biomedical engineering from Iran, but has been working in sales and marketing for medical devices. She sees a Master of Business Administration as a way to further her career goals and build upon her strengths.

She heard about UCW from some friends, who started at the university last year. They spoke highly about University Canada West, so she decided to follow them to Vancouver.

While students such as Daniel, Bethlem and Sara are pursuing their graduate degrees, other students are pursuing an undergraduate degree at UCW.

Ramesh Kumar, 30, is from India and is pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce at University Canada West.

He worked for a multinational company in India for three years before moving to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

He worked his way up to a supervisor position, but was unable to step into a management role without a degree.

“I made the decision to further my education,” he said, adding that he’s always had an interest in business.

His future career goals include finding a management position and gaining experience before starting his own company.

To meet the surging demand for a UCW education, renovations are currently underway on the 3rd floor of the historic London Building, which houses the UCW campus. Additional classrooms, offices and student amenities are expected to be complete for the fall term. Renovations to the 6th floor were completed in time for the Spring term.

“The continued growth of UCW is truly phenomenal,” Dr. Coren said. “It’s rewarding to see years of effort and perseverance pay off. Students are realizing the quality of an education at UCW and we’re expanding to meet that demand.”

UCW is a business focused university in the heart of downtown Vancouver. UCW offers both online and on-campus Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication, Associate of Arts and MBA programs.

WRITTEN BY BRADLEY FEHR