In mid-June, the final CBIE Regional Meeting was hosted by Memorial University of Newfoundland on their St. John’s campus and welcomed over 130 international education professionals from across the east coast.
The two-day event started with Danai Bélanger from Mount Allison University and Georginne Worley from the Marine Institute delivering a presentation that explored how post-secondary institutions can work towards improved student support models for Black students. Following this thoughtful opening plenary, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) held its last consultation on the next international education strategy inviting attendees to provide feedback on several pillars and themes.
Key highlights from the concurrent sessions included hearing from international students during panel discussions on navigating Atlantic Canada’s immigration landscape, housing challenges, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Didan, an international student who came to Canada with her partner and child, shared her experience with the immigration process and highlighted some of the barriers she faced on her journey. Another student, Charvi, joined the panel discussion on SDGs and shared with the audience her thoughts on the benefits of involving students in developing a framework and achieving the goals outlined by the institution.
Day one concluded with a networking event featuring live jazz music and the opportunity for attendees to deepen connections among colleagues from across the region.
Day two of the event began with two concurrent sessions. In the first session, presenters discussed storytelling through an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and anti-racism (AR) lens. The second session sparked a frank conversation about ethical recruitment with various perspectives from sector stakeholders being shared. The event ended with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) presenting updates on the international student program and answering curated questions from the participants.
CBIE would like to thank the event sponsors, ApplyBoard, Guard.me International Insurance, iCent, TD and World Education Services (WES), for playing a vital role in the success of this event.
With immense gratitude, CBIE would also like to acknowledge the tremendous work of the host institution, Memorial University of Newfoundland, the organizing committee, and volunteers for welcoming all participants to the beautiful city of St. John’s for a memorable and engaging event.
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