Bureau des Relations et de l’Éducation internationales

Located on the east coast of Canada and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the province of New Brunswick shares its borders with Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and the state of Maine in the United States. Its strategic geographical position allows it to serve as a hub for various markets. It is the only officially bilingual (English and French) province in Canada. With a population of approximately 850,000 inhabitants, one-third of whom speak French, it ranks second among provinces with the largest Francophone community after Quebec.

The Francophonie occupies a central place in New Brunswick and constitutes a fundamental element of its provincial identity. The Francophone population, mainly of Acadian origin, is recognized for its dynamism, cultural vitality, its warm welcome, and zest for life!

Internationally, the province stands out for its vibrant and diverse Francophone music scene, its seafood products, the beauty of its landscape, its quality of life that attracts many expatriates, and innovative and inclusive education. In recent years, New Brunswick has gained visibility on the international stage within the Francophonie, thus contributing to the promotion of the French language in the province.

The international activities of New Brunswick’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD), implemented since 2018 through the BREI, are the outcome of several decades of involvement and relationship building within the international Francophonie on the part of the New Brunswick government.

The BREI’s activities are intended to address the growing interest expressed by a number of foreign institutions and Entrepreneurs in collaborating with New Brunswick to benefit from its expertise and educational programs while also strengthening cooperation with other countries and regions of the international Francophonie. The BREI also aspires to become a true "hub" to attract new talents in the field of education.

The various projects carried out by the BREI are defined by their humanistic approach. They are driven not only by the desire to share an educational philosophy and proven pedagogical practices, but also by the willingness to contribute to the development of youth on an international scale. Youth is indeed a priority for New Brunswick, particularly regarding its involvement within the international Francophonie.

Its mandates fall into four key activity areas:

EECD’s international presence is the outcome of New Brunswick’s many years of involvement since the 1970s in various Francophonie organizations, among them the Conference of Ministers of Education of French-speaking States et Governments (CONFEMEN), the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), l’Institut de la Francophonie pour l’Éducation et la Formation (IFEF) and the Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Francophonie (CONFEJES); the relationships established; and the hosting of large-scale events (e.g. 1999 Francophonie Summit in Moncton, CONFEMEN ministerial meetings held in Caraquet in 2008 and Bathurst in 2018).

2014: Numerous actors in New Brunswick’s Francophone education sector express a willingness to collaborate in the area of international education through New Brunswick’s Linguistic and Cultural Development Policy (LCDP) in education. One of the LCDP’s strategic components recommends the implementation of learning and targeted outreach programs and initiatives—for students, school staff and the community—with a focus on international exchanges, development of intercultural competence and being open to the world.

2015: EECD, the Université de Moncton and their partners come together to align their efforts in international education.

2018: EECD adopts an internal strategy for the development of an innovative project leading to the establishment of the Direction des Relations et de l’Éducation internationales et interculturelles (DREII).

2021: The DREII changes its name to the Bureau des Relations et de l’Éducation internationales – Canada New Brunswick (BREI).

Rationale for establishing the BREI:

• Desire to share expertise and knowledge with the international Francophonie.
• Ambitious, cross-sectoral vision shared by New Brunswick’s immigration, economy and education (K–12 and post-secondary) sectors.

Vision

Through its educational institutions, both within the province and abroad, Francophone New Brunswick is successfully positioning itself internationally as a destination of choice for education in French and as a leader in instructional expertise and innovation. Using its know-how, it is helping to expand the education systems of the countries using its services while also promoting the province’s economic, social and cultural development and population growth.

Mission

The Bureau des Relations et de l’Éducation internationales – Canada Nouveau-Brunswick [office of international relations and education – Canada New Brunswick] (BREI) develops, promotes and delivers to the global community competitive, high-quality products and services that meet the needs and reflect the realities of the markets targeted.

It also contributes to the collective activities of the 88 member states and governments of the Francophonie to ensure equal access to quality education for all and promote lifelong learning opportunities.

Values

• Openness
• Respect
• Collaboration
• Innovation
• Culture of excellence

Our team is a group of enthusiastic, dynamic individuals who take a genuine interest in developing students. We strive diligently to provide high-quality services with attention to detail and a focus on transparency. We build strong, sustainable relationships of trust with our partners.

• Education agreement reached with Morocco (2024-04-30)
• Agreements reached with Ivory Coast to improve collaboration in education, training, labour force mobility, economy and culture (2024-04-24)