Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) announces the winners of its 2020 Excellence Awards

CBIE is pleased to announce the 2020 Excellence Awards winners showcasing the innovators, leaders, connectors and emerging stars in our field.

Seven awards will be presented to CBIE members and teams who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing the ideals of international education. They will be recognized at CBIE2020 November 16-20, 2020.

“It gives me great pleasure to recognize these dedicated and passionate people whose contributions pave the way for our collective internationalization goals,” said Larissa Bezo, President and CEO of CBIE, “and I am proud to join with our members in celebrating their outstanding achievements.”

Award Recipients

Board of Directors Leadership Award

Awarded to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of international education.

  • Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura – University of Calgary

Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura has led the University of Calgary’s international strategy with exceptional leadership, passion, and dedication to the sector, driving innovation by establishing international research initiatives, funding for students, award-winning research on internalization and active participation in international associations related to the sector.

Panorama Award

Awarded to a team or individual to recognize innovation and excellence in design, planning, implementation and management of high-quality endeavours in international education, with programming that focuses on academic, extracurricular, capacity-building and/or learning abroad.

  • Canada-European Union Co-op Program (CANEU CO-OP)
    • Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University – DHBW, Germany
    • FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences (FJH), Austria
    • University of Victoria, Canada
    • University of Waterloo, Canada

The consortium partners’ internationalization strategies 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.

North Star Award

Awarded to a new professional who has shown extraordinary promise in the field of international education.

  • Saher Ahmed – University of British Columbia

Saher Ahmed has worked with International Programs & Services at UBC’s Okanagan Campus since July 2017. In those three years, she has emerged as a true leader, working to support international students, faculty and staff, creating ongoing and meaningful relationships with stakeholders from across the campus and community.

Catalyst Award

Awarded to an individual or group for bringing cutting-edge knowledge to the field of international education.

  • Glen A. Jones, University of Toronto
  • Roopa Desai Trilokekar, York University
  • Merli Tamtik, University of Manitoba

The team of Tamtik, Trilokekar and Jones are recognized for their foundational and ground-breaking contribution to research on international education through the publication of “International Education as Public Policy in Canada.”, a comprehensive critical analysis of Canada’s international education policy approaches.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Award

Awarded to an individual, a work team, or a campus group whose behaviour or initiatives demonstrate significant contributions toward enhancing equity, diversity and inclusion through international education.

  • Équipe IDEAL – Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

IDEAL— Inclusion, Diversity, Equity for All the Lands. True to its name, the IDEAL team embodies CBIE’S fundamental values: diversity, equity, international education and inclusion. Under the leadership of professors Isabel Desgagné-Penix and Hugo Germain from the University of Québec 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.