The awards, in their 10^th iteration, were celebrated during the annual BCCIE Summer Conference, held in Whistler at the end of June.

“BC has exceptional talent in the international education sector”

They recognise outstanding achievement in the field of international education in British Columbia and were awarded to a diverse cross-section of practitioners whose work has helped position the province as a leader in the sector.

“BC has exceptional talent in the international education sector,” Randall Martin, executive director, BCCIE, said in a statement.

“As we celebrate our 10^th BCCIE International Education Awards, we are extremely honoured to highlight a group of leaders whose work goes above and beyond in furthering international education in the province.”

The University of Victoria’s Indigenous International Work Integrated Learning Exchange Program was recognised with the Outstanding Program in International Education Award and praised for its high-quality and highly creative programming in international education.

The program enables Indigenous co-op students to complete work experience in Australia, while a cohort of Indigenous students from Australia travels to UVIC to participate in community internships.

Sarah Mines, recently appointed vice president, sales at ICEF, was awarded with the Excellence in International Education Marketing Award and recognised for her success in supporting the education export sector in BC.

The International Education Distinguished Leadership Award went to Ajay Patel, vice president, Enterprise & International Development at Vancouver Community College, for his contribution and lasting effect on BC’s international education sector, while

Hyeyoung Kang, International coordinator, Coast Mountain College, was named as a next-generation sector leader and received the Outstanding Program in International Education Award.