PhD in Canada or PhD in Australia (houses, to buy)

[Ali Shaeb]

I have been awarded a PhD scholarship that is fully sponsored by my government. I am really confused where I shall apply. It is a Canada Vs Australia debate. I have never been to Canada or Australia. So I am really lost.


I am telecommunication engineer, and I have done my master in UK, Leeds, but never been to Canada or Australia. So I am really lost ..A PhD will take at least 4 years, so I surly need to choose the right place for me, and tick the right choice .....

I have conducted some research about this, but I am still confused. I need more sort of personal experience stories to help me decide.

How long does it usually take you to finish a PhD program in Canada? And can i find a research-based PhD program? I think, just like the UK, Australia universities offer three years research-based PhD programs, right?

It is much easier to have a post study work opportunity in Canada than Australia right? ; Although both countries have a point based immigration system.

When it comes to climate, Australia has a warmer weather than Canada (which would be great for me considering I am coming from a warm country). But the question is, is Canada weather really bad? Is it really hard to cope with it?

Would you please help me find out more details and to have a brief comparison between the two countries?

[UrbanLuis]

You have PhD scholarship that is fully sponsored by your government. But you want to say and work here After your finished studying?

That doesn't seem right.

[BIMBAM]

I won't judge him for that. Some governments give, but they ask for too much sacrifice of freedoms in return, I could not judge someone from a repressive or unstable country for not wanting to go back there.

Canada is like our British and Australian siblings in offering three year research-based PhD programs, but for the most part the length of your PhD program is based on how long it takes you to finish your dissertation, if for whatever reason you need a little more time to finish it I think you can take a bit longer. As for Canadian weather, I don't find it too bad, but I was born and raised up here and it is normal to me, I know that some people from warm climates find winter to be something of an adjustments. On that matter, coastal British Columbia, the region where the cities of Vancouver and Victoria are located, has the mildest winter weather in the country, with a climate that is very similar to what you have in Leeds. It rains alot in the winter but rarely ever snows, and the summers are pleasant but not very hot. A city like Montreal or Toronto has cold winters, but summers that get properly hot and sometimes muggy, which I find very enjoyable, although they are of course not like tropical countries, and rarely go very much above 30 degrees celsius. The Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) have the worst weather in my opinion, with very cold winters and summers where the weather changes often and is hot most days, but can also be cold some summer days as well. They are however the area where there is the most sunny days in all of the country and the sun shines very often. The cold winters are not too bad either, because outside of coastal British Columbia the houses are built very warm and even in the coldest parts of winter they are always toasty warm inside. Going outside isn't too bad either because we have perfected excellent winter clothing that makes being outside perfectly feasible, and we northern people have invented lovely winter sports to make the season fun, like hockey, curling, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, tobogganing and many other fun experiences you can only have in winter. Big cities like Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City are even famous for their big winter festivals where people glory in the season and enjoy the nice things about it, so while it can be cold in some parts, it also offers some unique and fun experiences and you may have an adventure getting to learn how to enjoy it.

As for staying in Canada or Australia afterwards, I don't know much about Australia's immigration system, but our government has recently changed the system to make it easier for people who study in Canada to settle here after their studies have been completed, and I think this would offer you a solid opportunity to live in Canada. I don't know all the details about this, it is some very recent changes that the minister has decided to make, so I don't know if all the new guidelines are out yet but hopefully you can look into this.

I personally think Canada is a better choice then Australia because the cost of living in Australia is higher then in Canada and the wages are similar (although the cost of living in coastal British Columbia is closer to what they have in Australia but still cheaper). Canada also has more selection of things to buy and much cheaper prices for things like electronics.

[Paparappa]

Originally Posted by UrbanLuis

You have PhD scholarship that is fully sponsored by your government. But you want to say and work here After your finished studying?

That doesn't seem right.

Huh?

[UrbanLuis]

Originally Posted by Paparappa

Huh?

[arctic_gardener]

Canada is much safer in general. Muggings and random violence are more common in Australia.

The weather in Canada depends on where you go. If you go to BC or Southern Ontario, it's really not that bad. If you go to the Prairies, then yes the winters are long and cold. Of course we dress warmly and drive in heated vehicles and work in heated offices and all that jazz. The question is - do you mind not seeing green grass, flowers and birds for 6 months of the year? If no, then it doesn't matter. I always get cabin fever in a Saskatchewan winter, and I always take my annual vacation in January.

How long a Ph.D takes is up to you. It's fairly flexible here, which means it can drag on much more than 4 years if you are slow or your supervisor is slow (or both). The vast majority finish in four to six years, but I knew someone who took 16 (!) years. There were special circumstances in her case.

[Paparappa]

If you're interested, you can compare Canada with Australia (and some other countries) on a wide variety of issues (economy, crime, education etc.) on this website:
How Canada Performs: A Report Card on Canada

[maclock]

For the love of all things holy, go to Australia unless some Canadian universities are significantly better than the stronger Australian universities in the field of telecommunications engineering.

[Ali Shaeb]

Originally Posted by UrbanLuis

You have PhD scholarship that is fully sponsored by your government. But you want to say and work here After your finished studying?

That doesn't seem right.

what's wrong with that? first, the scholarship policy doesn't require me to go back ..and second, i need to strength my work experience, my career, and working in such countries would boost my CV.

[Ali Shaeb]

Originally Posted by Paparappa

If you're interested, you can compare Canada with Australia (and some other countries) on a wide variety of issues (economy, crime, education etc.) on this website:
How Canada Performs: A Report Card on Canada

Thank you so much