2020 Excellence Awards Recipients

With chapters written by leading scholars from across Canada, this cutting-edge volume illuminates the uniqueness and complexity of the Canadian story of international education, increases our understanding of challenges and possibilities, and contributes to policy and practice in international education. This book offers a comprehensive critical analysis of Canada’s international education policy approaches and makes a major contribution to the global discussion on international education.

Saher became a RISIA in 2018, revamped and improved the Intercultural Development Program (IDP) to become one of the most successful programs in the portfolio and supports a wide variety of intercultural and social justice focused programs across campus and within the larger Kelowna community. Most recently, Saher has created an “Intercultural Foundations” program that, is specifically focused for students and staff in the School of Engineering (SoE). In addition, Saher has contributed and has co-written the UBC Okanagan’s Truth and Reconciliation Intercultural Understanding report that provided direction for UBCO strategic planning for the calls to action. Saher also runs workshops, and presents at conferences, UBC, and the broader community focused on welcoming newcomers and issues related to social justice, intercultural understanding and reconciliation.

Over the past eight years, Janaka has created an impact through nurturing and building relationships locally and globally and supported internationalisation in the best way forward. Travelling many miles, spanning continents, he has learnt the value of bringing people and ideas together to advance internationalization at the global level and create long-lasting impact. Playing a significant & influential role in internationalisation, Janaka has led UC’s international strategy and won six competitive awards recognizing these contributions. He also actively engaged in advancing innovative ideas, knowledge and collaboration related to internationalisation within Canadian and global networks. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership, passion, and dedication to the sector by spanning from innovations in the establishment of international research initiatives, funding for students, award-winning research on internalization, and active participation in international associations related to the sector.

A game-changer as the first hybrid at UVic and elevating the value of a hybrid agreement as a strategy for achieving exchange agreement balances at both Waterloo and Victoria in the subsequent countries of the Netherlands, Brazil, and China. Internationalization strategies of the consortium partners have all benefitted with evidence that the hybrid model is validated as a viable way to undertake international mobility agreements. The “Can you co-op?” program demonstrates how the founding members creatively brought together available resources and expertise to develop an impactful sustainable opportunity that now benefits students, institutions, and employers across continents.

Under the leadership of professors Isabel Desgagné-Penix and Hugo Germain from the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières (UQTR), this research team is made up of students from all over the world and illustrates a mosaic of countries, religions, gender, colours and traditions. In recognition of the admirable efforts made by professors Desgagné-Penix and Germain, the student-researchers were keen to nominate the team for CBIE’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s Award. This team demonstrates how our very differences can become our biggest strengths, rather than a source of weakness. Thank you to professors Desgagné-Penix and Germain, as well as their students, for their unique contribution towards, and their exceptional engagement in, enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion.