‘We are very proud of the diversity we have achieved here’

To demonstrate his point, Surette mentioned the addition of two research chairs, who are funded by the federal government to specialize in Acadian studies, and that the university also hosts an Acadian centre.

In recent years, Surette said they’ve actively broadened the university’s horizons by working to attract more international students, and by ensuring their French immersion program retains its top position in Canada for programs of its kind.

As the former provincial MLA and former minister of Acadian affairs, Surette is very clear in his vision for the university and for the province.

“We are very proud of the diversity we have achieved here with local, national and international students. My dream is that one day Nova Scotia develops the same diversity that we now see here on campus.”

This year, the Church Point campus is hosting 100 international students, down from 150 students who attended in 2016, a number that Batherson is expecting will soon rebound.

“We had more than 900 applications from international students for September. However, like other francophone universities and colleges, those students are struggling to obtain their visas in a timely fashion,” Batherson said. “It’s a very slow process. The desire is there and all of the tools are in place on the recruitment side, so like several other institutions, we’re hoping more students will arrive in January.”

Batherson also pointed out that there are more than 300 million francophones in the world. “With increased worldwide mobility, people are choosing Canada to attend school and as a destination to live because we have French as an official language and because Canada is considered a safe country.”

He believes there will always be a place for a French-speaking university in Nova Scotia.

“French is not our second language, it’s an official language,” he said. “To me, we should value our French as much as our English.”