A MOOC to teach refugees English, an online map showing wheelchair accessibility at campuses across Europe and a call back advice service to guide students towards a study abroad experience are among the entries shortlisted for the first ever PIEoneer Awards.
Hundreds of entries were received and pared down to just three to four for each of the 12 categories which include Marketing Campaign of the Year, International Alumni of the Year and Digital Innovation of the Year.
“With entries sent from all over the world including Colombia, Bhutan, the Netherlands and Nigeria, the shortlist truly represents the best of the global education sector,” commented Amy Baker, managing director of The PIE.
“Shortlisted entrants provide a kaleidoscopic overview of outstanding forward-thinking occurring across the international education space”
“We launched these awards to champion the innovation in international education we see daily through our coverage of the global sector and we were blown away both by the quality and calibre of entrants. I can’t wait to see who wins in September.”
PIEoneer of the Year could go to the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, the Global Leadership League or the International Alumni Job Network.
The shortlisted international alumni feature students from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Aizan Sofia Amin, a Malaysia student who studied at the University of Glasgow. Amin is a bone cancer survivor who lost a leg aged 16. She completed a PhD in Disability Studies university and is now a leading expert and advocate for disability in Malaysia.
Up for agency of the year is ESL in Switzerland, UKEAS in Nigeria and Global Reach in India. Meanwhile the UK’s #WeAreInternational campaign is shortlisted for Marketing Campaign of the Year as well as Loughborough University’s Road to Rio project, ETS’s #TOEFLGrownUpMoment campaign and Study Queensland’s summer scholarship program.
Jason Newman, commercial director at QS, gold sponsor of the awards, said, “QS is extremely proud to support the PIEoneer Awards: an initiative that we believe is providing essential support and recognition to those driving sectoral transformation.
“QS has supported entrepreneurship, original thinking, and educational development for nearly three decades, and we are delighted to partner with a scheme that shares our commitment to these valuable ideals.”
The shortlisted entrants provide “a kaleidoscopic overview of outstanding forward-thinking occurring across the international education space” commented Newman.
“The work done by these entrants both empowers students to make better educational choices, and improves those universities that are seeking to become the preferred destination of international students. Both aims remain integral parts of QS’s mission”
The final decisions will be made by a 15-person panel of international education leaders worldwide. The winners will be announced at a formal ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London September 8 with an after party at the top of the iconic Gherkin building.
Go here to see the complete shortlist and read more about the finalists.
