Kapil Verma has always known that he would chart a different path for himself. As a young person growing up in a small town in northern India, Kapil always wanted to go abroad and do something interesting. When offered the opportunity to study at Coast Mountain College (CMTN) in Terrace, BC, he wholeheartedly went for it. After finishing his studies at CMTN, Kapil was ready to establish himself in the community and pursue his dream of ...

A two-year pilot project between World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Camosun College had a successful wrap up after bringing two cohorts of refugee youth from their country of asylum, Kenya, to British Columbia. The Hospitality Industry Welcomes Refugee Employment-linked Sponsorship (HIRES) project, funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, was a unique employment-linked sponsorship pathway in collaboration with BC’s ...

“We have a longstanding partnership with Edith Cowan University (ECU), so this collaboration was a natural fit,” says Zainab Al-koubaisi, Director of Global Engagement, at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU). Two years in the making, the four-week, virtual Global Indigenous Learning Experience was a collaborative international learning experience between Indigenous Services at KPU and Kurongkurl Katitjin at ECU in Perth, Australia to help ...

Last spring, Kiel Harvey, a fourth-year nursing student at Selkirk College joined classmates from Selkirk’s and Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s Health and Human Services programs for a life changing six-week practicum at Sunrise Centre, a community in Uganda that is home to a school, medical clinic, birthing centre, and an outreach program. The practicum was made possible by Global Skills Opportunity (GSO), the Government of ...

Darrin Visscher has always loved travelling. Currently completing his diploma in Health Sciences at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC), Darrin jumped at the chance to travel abroad this past summer for an immersive, 10-day experience through the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) Consortium’s Discovery Summer Camp. Darrin, along with a group of students from Canada, Malaysia, and the Philippines travelled ...

“We saw an opportunity in early 2020 to create a space for international students to come together and share knowledge and experiences over a cup of coffee or tea,” says Adrian Bontuyan, Coordinator of International Student Success at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). What was born out of that idea was STEP Café. STEP, which stands for Settlement, Transition and Engagement Program, is a place for regular group meetings to ...

“I really believe the work the College of New Caledonia (CNC) and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is doing has really enhanced the multiculturalism of our city,” says Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall. “What we’re seeing now is that international students are becoming more involved in the community, including what city government and non-profit organizations are doing.” Mayor Hall, who is currently serving his third term, says ...

In its latest 10-year Labour Market Outlook (LMO), the Government of British Columbia forecasts more than one million job openings into the next decade. Nearly 80 percent of these future job openings will require some level of post-secondary education or training. To fill those job openings over the next decade, the Government of British Columbia’s StrongerBC Economic Plan focuses on inclusive growth and clean growth. But meaningful ...

From fall 2020 to winter 2021, BCCIE hosted a series of webinars as part of its new intercultural dialogue certificate program, the Intercultural Intersections in International Education: Reflective Practices Through Dialogue. The program facilitated conversations about intercultural issues facing the international education field today. Tricia McCuaig was one of the inaugural program participants and BCCIE recently caught up with her to ...

Langara College’s Centre for Intercultural Engagement recently established the Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning Virtual Exchange (COIL-VE) Fellows program to support and train faculty from Langara and partner institutions in the development of Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning (COIL) projects. The program was created as part of the College’s internationalization strategy with the goal to enhance learning and teaching in ...

BCCIE recently had the opportunity to sit down for a chat with Josie Jiang, Senior Manager, International Student Program, Comox Valley School District and Myrna Ordona, International Student Advisor, Coast Mountain College about their BCCIE Mentorship Program experience. Hi Josie and Myrna. Thanks for agreeing to share your mentoring program experience with us. Just to help orient me. May I ask who is the mentor and who is the mentee? ...

As the world begins to open to travel, the IDP Connect Crossroads V survey shows Canada’s International Education sector is well positioned for recovery. Globally, student interest in international education remains high. International students’ perceptions of Canada and its handling of the pandemic continues to be positive and ahead of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (USA). Canada led the ...

In 2016, just as the first wave of Syrian refugees started to arrive in Canada, Columbia College began its journey to help students displaced by social upheaval and/or conflict to gain access to formal education and support their transition to life in Canada. Starting from a couple of refugee bursaries, the program has grown by leaps and bounds, culminating in the establishment of the Columbia College Centre for Equitable Access to ...

In 1957, Minnijean Brown-Tricky changed history by striding through the front doors of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. As a member of the Little Rock Nine, she helped desegregate public schools—a milestone in civil rights history—and alter the course of education in America. Join us for a special intercultural webinar with Minnijean on February 23 as part of Black History Month. Q) Minnijean, looking back on photos of ...

A new partnership between Camosun College, Nova Scotia Community College (NCSS), De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the Philippines, and the Canadian embassy in Manila is offering culinary students the chance to learn about local cuisine through interactive virtual lessons. Since September, culinary students at Camosun, along with their instructors, have been preparing dishes and cooking demos, sharing recipes, and taking part in Zoom ...

Like most post-secondary institutions in British Columbia, Douglas College had to transition quickly during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide online learning for their students, including new and returning international students who were back in their home countries. “When we transitioned to online in March 2020, we decided early that our international students would need online support in a way that we’ve never done before,” ...

Twenty-four-year-old Myrene Tesico knows what it takes to make an in enticing video blog. Prior to moving to Dawson Creek last September to attend the Social Services Worker diploma program at Northern Lights College (NLC), Myrene worked in marketing back home in the Philippines where she developed a savviness for vlogging. “I started vlogging because I’m adventurous person,” says Myrene. “I love filming my adventures. When I came to Dawson ...

Sam Hudson had already completed two co-op work terms during his Master’s degree at the University of Victoria (UVic) when he decided to sign up for one more. “I thought a co-op with an organization in Vietnam, this could be an amazing experience,” says Sam. Through the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program, Sam travelled to Ho Chi Minh City for a four-month co-op with the Southeast Asian ...

“When I started six years ago, we had 24 international students. This September, we’ll have 120 students from 18 different countries,” says Shannon Behan, District Principal of International Programs, School District 47 Powell River. “Madagascar, Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, and Brazil just to name a few!” Located along the picturesque Sunshine Coast, Powell ...

With a diverse student population including more than 3,300 international students, as well as high percentage of Indigenous students, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is leading the way in providing faculty, staff, and students with opportunities to enhance their intercultural understanding. At the forefront of these initiatives is interculturalization coordinator Dr. Kyra Garson, who has been delivering professional development, training, ...

Arriving at a new university can be daunting for any student but it can be especially intimidating for international students who may be adapting to new cultures, overcoming language barriers, and living on their own for the first time. “A student’s well-being directly contributes to their learning and success while at university,” says Martin Mroz, Director, Health & Counselling Services at Simon Fraser University. ...

Joanna Yao moved to Vancouver when she was 19 years old to learn English, enroll in post-secondary education, and create more opportunities for her future. Joanna is one of many international students currently enrolled in Vancouver Community College’s two-year Hospitality Management diploma program. “This program has opened so many doors for me,” says Joanna. “More importantly, it’s encouraged me to stay in ...

For Indian student Smit Joshi, the town of Smithers, BC was an easy choice for an international education. “I came to Smithers because I share my name with the city!” exclaims Smit. He’s one of 30 international students enrolled in a two-year business administration diploma program at Coast Mountain College’s Smithers campus. Like many of his classmates, Smit has travelled a long distance from his hometown of ...

With fewer than three percent of Canadian post-secondary students pursuing study periods overseas, increasing the number of students abroad is a priority for Canada’s and BC’s International Education sector. Currently, the most popular destinations for Canadians are Australia, Europe and the United States, where they are not as challenged linguistically or culturally. Not often high enough on the radar for Canadians, study ...

Canada is recognized as the Country of Honor this year at the China Education Expo (CEE) at all four stops (Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai). We are pleased to report that a record number of Canadian participants (over 140) attended the Expo. BCCIE participated in the CEE Beijing stop under the brand of StudyinBC together with over 30 BC exhibitors from both public and private K-12, PSE and language sectors.  ...

A signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the BC Council for International Education (BCCIE) and the Jalisco Higher Education Consortium took place October 9 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The MOU was signed by Mr. Leonel Roldan-Flores, Director, Operations and Communications at BCCIE and senior representatives from the Consortium, which is comprised of the Jalisco State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and ...

September 28, 2017 Vancouver, BC BCCIE and the Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today, witnessed by representatives of the BC education system at the Recruitment and Partnership Opportunities in China event. The new agreement is an update to the 2011 one and has several objectives, including Collaboration in promoting education exchange between Chinese and British Columbian ...

Every year, BCCIE donates to an education-related cause on behalf of our Summer Conference presenters. This year, we chose TechStart, a five-month program that provides refugees and immigrants to BC with intensive web coding training to prepare them for a career in tech. Funds contributed by BCCIE directly support student access to this initiative. TechStart increases the probability that newcomers will find meaningful work, says ...

25 high school students and chaperones from across British Columbia participated in the 10-day Beijing International Student Summer Camp in China from July 14 – 23. Every year, a selection of BC students are invited to participate in the educational camp to gain exposure to a new culture and act as ambassadors of the province. During the trip, they visited the historic landmarks, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the ...

In 2015, the government of Mexico established Proyecta 10,000, which aims to support 10,000 Mexican students, teachers and researchers to study in Canada by 2018. The initiative resulted from conversations that took place between Canada and Mexico during the North American Leaders’ Summit. Both countries agreed education was a strategic cooperation priority. Now in its third year, Proyecta 10,000 has nearly 1,500 students in Canada. ...

On April 24, 2017, the BC Council for International Education and Global Affairs Canada co-hosted a roundtable in Vancouver, BC on the topic of strengthening education cooperation between BC and the Pacific Alliance members, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. The roundtable was attended by Canadian federal diplomats from the four Pacific Alliance countries, including: Marcel Lebleu, Ambassador of Canada to Chile Gwyneth A. Kutz, Ambassador ...

From January 29 – February 5, 2017, BCCIE’s Alan Schroeder, associate director, external relations and Alfredo Moros, coordinator, programs and events, visited Mexico’s three largest metropolitan areas – Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey – on a feasibility mission with the aim of establishing strategic contacts with colleagues and partners in Mexico for the purpose of advancing and strengthening ...

Read the op-ed written by BCCIE's Executive Director on the positive benefits of international students in BC. 

On Feb. 9, 2017, over 50 local BC students who studied abroad in China gathered at the Chinese Consulate General in Vancouver as part of a BC Studies in China Alumni Network (BCSCAN) Reception. The event was organized by the BC Council for International Education in collaboration with the BC Government and the Consulate General of the People`s Republic of China in Vancouver. This was the fourth reception held through BCSCAN, since the ...

IPSEA’s inaugural education mission led to great successes for the K-12 sector overseas From January 8–14, 2017, BCCIE and the BC International Public School Education Association (IPSEA) partnered on a successful education mission to Vietnam and Thailand with the aim of attracting more K-12 (elementary- and secondary-level) students to British Columbia and promoting the province as an ideal study destination. Eighteen public ...

On January 20, 2017, mentors and mentees of the BCCIE Mentorship Program gathered to celebrate new professional relationships at the program’s mid-year event. The mid-year event in Vancouver gathered mentors and mentees from across British Columbia to celebrate the learning achieved in the BCCIE Mentorship Program so far. The evening provided opportunities for dialogue and networking among attendees and culminated in an interactive ...

BCCIE and the Beijing International Education Exchange Center (BIEE) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Monday, November 28 in Vancouver, BC. BCCIE's Executive Director Dr. Randall Martin and BIEE's Director General Mr. Tiangang Gu gathered at BCCIE's Vancouver office for the event.  "We are delighted to renew our long-standing relationship with BIEE, the international arm of the Beijing Municipal ...

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has been a national voice in our thriving sector for 50 years now. We were delighted to attend their 50th Annual Conference in Ottawa last week, where we met with President and CEO Karen McBride. She shares her thoughts below. BCCIE: What led to your interest in International Education and work at CBIE? KM: After I completed my graduate work in International Affairs, I was employed at ...

In my life so far, I have had two adventures: The first happened unexpectedly and involuntarily, but deeply shaped who I am today and led to my second adventure. My first adventure happened when I was 15. Back then, I was an innocent boy, born and raised in Taiwan, who never set foot out of Asia. When my parents told me on short notice they had decided to immigrate to Canada, I was afraid and angry: “No! I don’t want to go ...

1. Tell us about yourself and your background.  During my 28 year career in the Japanese Foreign Service, I have worked extensively in areas such as development cooperation and post-conflict issues. For instance, I served as Director for Humanitarian Assistance and for African Affairs. Vancouver is my sixth posting abroad after serving at Embassies in countries such as the UK, Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka and Maldives, as well ...

The third and final interview in our 25th anniversary series is with Dawn Sutherland, former BCCIE Board Member and President of Maple Leaf Education North America. Maple Leaf Education is the largest operator of BC certified offshore schools, with nine schools alone in China. BCCIE: What led you to pursue a career in International Education? International Education is not something I set out to do, I more or less fell into it. I had worked ...

BCCIE recently honoured the University of Victoria’s CANEU-COOP Program with the 2016 Outstanding Program in International Education Award. Why is this Program so unique? To discover more, we spoke with Karima Ramji, Manager, International Programs at the University of Victoria’s Co-operative Education Program and Career Services. Launched in 2009, the CANEU-COOP Program was built on close partnerships between four ...

As a tribute to BCCIE’s 25th year anniversary, we are interviewing BC International Education practitioners who have made significant contributions to the sector throughout the years. Below, Donna Hooker, former BCCIE Board Chair and Director, Vancouver Community College International, and now Director at Capilano University’s Centre for International Experience shares her insight on how the field has changed. BCCIE: ...