Ottawa, October 6, 2016: CBIE is pleased to announce the 2016 Excellence Award winners showcasing the innovators, leaders, connectors and emerging stars in our field.
A total of 11 awards will be presented to CBIE members and colleagues who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the ideals of international education. They will be recognized at CBIE’s 50th Anniversary Annual Conference, November 13-16 at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa.
“It gives me great pleasure to recognize these dedicated and passionate people whose contributions pave the way for our collective internationalization goals,” said Karen McBride, President and CEO of CBIE, “and I am proud to join with our members and partners in celebrating their outstanding achievements.”
AWARD RECIPIENTS
Founders Award for Excellence in International Education
Awarded to an individual whose contributions to and support for international education is recognized and highly valued. This outstanding individual personifies CBIE’s central value proposition: ‘Expertise. Knowledge. Opportunity. Leadership’. This Award bestows Honorary Membership.
Thomas H.B. Symons
Thomas Henry Bull Symons was educated at University of Toronto, Oxford and the Sorbonne. As an academic and administrator he has played many roles. He was founding president of Trent University (1961-72), and founding vice-president of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (1978-84). He is perhaps best known as chairman of the Commission on Canadian Studies (1972-84). His view of the importance of a Canadian presence on the wider international academic stage is demonstrated by international service, which has included work with the Commonwealth Standing Committee on Student Mobility (1980s), chairmanship of the International Board of United World Colleges (1980s) and chairmanship of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (1970s).
Member Emeritus
Designation of an individual to recognize long-term service and support for CBIE as they retire from the field. This Award bestows Honorary Membership.
Susan Anderson, Queen’s University
Susan Anderson worked at the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) from the early 1980s until her retirement in 2016. She spent most of her career as an international student advisor at QUIC, although eventually became the Centre’s Director in her final year. Throughout her career, she was an integral part of all international student service programming. She was a long time intercultural trainer at Queen’s, and helped develop QUIC’s International Education Internship; she was also an original instructor for the International Educators Training Program. Susan has been a role model of the highest professional and ethical standards for a generation of international student advisors.
President’s Award for Distinguished Leadership in International Education
Awarded to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the internationalization of Canadian education and/or the international education profession beyond their home institution.
Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, University of Prince Edward Island
At twenty-six years old, Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz travelled to the University of Saskatchewan as an international student from Cairo University. Over the next 30 years he went from international student to President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). Dr. Abd-El-Aziz created the first International Development Relations Office (IRO) at UPEI in 2012. He has been active in the front-line participation of recruitment trips to China, India, South Africa, Brazil, and the Middle East. In just four short years, the international student population has increased by 50% at UPEI and UPEI students now have the opportunity to study abroad at 55 institutions in 21 different countries.
Chair’s Award for Meritorious Service
Awarded to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding service to international education primarily focused within his/her institution or organization.
Jinghua Nie, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Jinghua Nie has contributed significantly to the internationalization efforts at Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University and to providing high quality international student experiences on campus and in the community. She has demonstrated exceptional commitment to raising the profile of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS) and Memorial University internationally and she plays a central role in establishing international engagements and building international collaborations.
Board of Directors’ Award for Comprehensive Internationalization
Awarded to institutions or school districts that are executing well-planned, creative and purposeful strategies toward comprehensive internationalization.
University of Calgary
University of Calgary (UC) embodies internationalization as an institution, with an aim to become a global intellectual hub. Leveraging the four pillars of its international strategy: diversity, cross-cultural competencies, partnerships and international developments, UC has demonstrated, over a short span of time, tremendous results and outcomes linked to the success of its strategy. The most important outcomes are: launching the Global Research Sites, securing funding for international development, developing collaborative degree models and increased funding commitment to enhance the international learning experience, and holding international events with the support of Calgary Consular Corps.
Panorama Award for Outstanding International Education Program
Awarded to a team or individual who has demonstrated innovation and excellence in design, planning, implementation and management of high quality endeavours in international education.
Academic Category: University of Guelph – The India Field School is unique in its educational design and collaborative relationship between academic and non-academic units. The field school consists of a 12-week, for-credit, pre-departure course which combines disciplinary learning in political science with the theory and application of intercultural competence acquisition; students then spend four weeks in India involved in intensive, community engaged, experiential learning. This combination of intercultural learning with discipline-specific content was further enhanced by engaging the students in a research project to measure the trajectory of their intercultural development over the course of the program. The result is a program that is interdisciplinary, sensitive to local host organizations, stimulating to students, and productive in its contributions to the research on teaching and learning in an intercultural context.
Extracurricular Category: Ryerson University – Glocal Links program provides opportunities for international students to make Canadian friends and to establish connections with on and off-campus communities by breaking down barriers in intercultural communication. The program champions cultural diversity with one-on-one cultural discussion with cultural links, international film screenings, excursions to cultural hubs in the city including learning about local aboriginal communities, and informative workshops that celebrate differences and help students to become more globally engaged. These activities allow international and Canadian students to expand their social circles, learn more about Canadian culture, and gain knowledge and respect for other cultures.
Capacity-Building Category: Bureau de l’international et du recrutement de l’UQTR – Plan d’action de l’INFASS du Gabon
Developing a Canadian network of international expertise, increasing student and faculty mobility, and attracting Gabonese students to graduate programs in Canadian universities are meaningful outcomes of a cooperation that is efficient, structured and sustainable.
L’université du Québec à Trois-Rivières’ International Relations Office team, the strategy deployed with the support of its Gabonese partners, and the project’s outcomes created the winning recipe for Canadian expertise in international education.
North Star Award for Emerging Leader in International Education
Awarded to a new professional who has shown extraordinary promise in the field of international education.
Philipp Reichert, University of British Columbia
Philipp Reichert is an RCIC and Coordinator of Immigration Advising at International Programs and Services at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Just a few examples of Philipp’s dedication and work in the field of international education are his roles as the instructor for CBIE’s International Students and Immigration Education Program (ISIEP), intern instructor at the International Educators Training Program (IETP) at Queens University, his involvement in CBIE’s International Network of Tomorrow’s Leaders (INTL), and his completion of UBC’s Intercultural Certificate.
Elizabeth Paterson Award for International Student Leadership in International Education
Awarded to an international student or group of students who contributes in a positive way to the internationalization of education.
Adela Zyfi, Ryerson University
Adela Zyfi is an empathetic international student leader. She made noteworthy contributions to the internationalization of campus life by serving as Peer Mentor to first-year international students at International Student Support. Adela is passionate about mental health and has served as a mental health leader by spearheading and demonstrating exceptional leadership in the Speak Your Language project where she advocated for reducing stigma for mental health of international students. She helped establish the ISS Talk Series that promotes mental well-being through discussions on academics, social wellness, and general well-being of students.
New World Award for Student Leadership in International Education
Awarded to a Canadian student or group of students in order to recognize those who contribute in a positive way to internationalization of their campus community.
Jordan D’Souza, Ryerson University
Jordan D’Souza has built a sense of community by connecting international and domestic students to meaningful volunteering opportunities. He volunteers with the Ryerson WUSC Committee where he currently serves as the Chair. As a member of WUSC, he was the lead to organize the inaugural annual Refugee Summit and annual Uniterra Symposia that raise awareness and provide solutions to forced migration, sustainable international development, international educational opportunities and global youth employment. He serves as the Ryerson Athletics RAVE coordinator where he connects Ryerson’s athletes with volunteer opportunities in international development on campus.
For information, contact:
Alissar Hajjar
Membership Services Coordinator
613-237-4820 #210 | [email protected]
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