Message from the Co-Chairs

The International Network of Tomorrow’s Leaders (INTL) is organized and governed by volunteer CBIE members who seek to foster leadership in the field of international education. This past year has been a wonderful experience working with an amazing group of emerging leaders employed across the pan-Canadian international education sector. With sincere gratitude, we recognize the dedication of each sub-committee and its members and their commitment to our professional learning community (PLC) and everything it stands for.

This year INTL grew significantly, allowing the PLC to better serve the Canadian International Education sector. We maintained programming that we are best known for, the Mentorship Program and the CBIE New Professionals Conference Scholarship while increasing our breadth of activity and improving our outputs. The EDI subcommittee ensured that all INTL activities were within the EDI principles. Each sub-committee rose to the task of creating a sense of community in an online space and raised our profile within CBIE. We organized eight events, among which five were open to the CBIE community.

• The Mentorship Sub-Committee updated the four newsletters by including accessibility and inclusivity. They created new opportunities for mentorship for those who could not participate in the full program by creating a mentorship circle. Overall, thirty (30) mentors-mentee pairs participated in the full program, while ten (10) mentees joined the mentorship circle.
• The Scholarship Sub-Committee received over fifty (50) applications and awarded twelve (12) bursaries to attend the Annual CBIE Conference CBIE2022.
• The Communications Sub-Committee created an online event request form and assisted each sub-committee with their communications needs. They also organized two events, a two-part series that brought together job search, application, and interview strategies for student affairs professionals in the Canadian context and as well as hosted a guest speaker session on Mindful Leadership.
• The Networking Committee facilitated the INTL connect program, which matched INTLers and organized ice breaker activities during team meetings and speed networking events.
• The Championing Sub-Committee built on previous years’ work by updating the CBIE International Handbook. They also successfully organized a panel discussion “Bettering Best Practices: Cultivating Agency for International Students”.
• The Conference Sub-Committee organized a panel discussion about building your professional brand in the international education sector.
• The Conference Sub-Committee and Networking Sub-committee are fulfilling the tasks usually assigned to INTL at the CBIE conference in November, which include an INTL Speed Networking Event and hosting the INTL Breakfast Session.

At the end of 2022, the PLC consisted of a three-person Leadership Team, including two co-chairpersons and a CBIE Liaison. INTL’s Working Group comprised of thirty-seven(37) members, seven (7) sub-committee leads and thirty (30) Associates. Members of INTL were invited to attend six (6) team meetings throughout the year, Leads met monthly, and the sub-committees each met as needed for their own projects and activities.

We are pleased to present to the broader CBIE membership our annual report and look forward to another great year for INTL in 2023.

Sincerely,
Ishari Waduwara-Jayabahu and Shaye Belanger