2020 British Columbia International Education Award winners honoured

The 11th BCCIE International Education Awards, distributed virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, honoured individuals whose work has positioned the province as a “leader in attracting and supporting international students and in delivering innovative global partnerships”, the organisation noted.

“We are honoured to highlight a group of international education professionals who are making a significant impact”

Winners of the five awards in British Columbia were:

International Education Lifetime Achievement Award: Guangwei Ouyang, vice president, International Education and Strategic Partnerships, Douglas College

International Education Distinguished Leadership Award: Sharon Curl, managing director, Oxford International

International Education Distinguished Leadership Award: Geoff Wilmshurst, vice president, Partnerships, Camosun College

Rising Star in International Education Award: Sarah Munawar, instructor, Columbia College

Outstanding Program in International Education Award: UBC Vantage College’s Vantage One Capstone Conference

Ouyang was recognised for his contributions to Douglas’s international program over the past 25 years, including negotiating the first dual degree business program involving post-secondary institutions in China and Canada.

Curl at Oxford International was awarded for her contributions to the province’s language sector, implementing quality assurance and international student protection measures, while Columbia College’s Munawar has been instrumental by leading and supporting initiatives providing international students new and unique opportunities.

Wilmshurst’s internationalisation work at Camosun College has transformed the college as well as the broader Victoria community, including increasing annual international student numbers from 350 to 1,900 students, judges said.

Vantage One Capstone Conference was recognised for its “significant contributions” to international student programming by engaging more than 1,700 international students in an authentic research experience as apprentice scholars within their first year of study, according to BCCIE.

“As we celebrate our 11th annual BCCIE International Education Awards, albeit in a different format this year, we are honoured to highlight a group of international education professionals who are making a significant impact in the international education sector and in communities across BC,” Randall Martin, executive director of the BC Council for International Education noted.

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