The international education sector across Canada has faced an extraordinary number of changes this year as a result of various Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) policy updates. Throughout this period, BCCIE demonstrated its continued effort to advance and support international education in and for British Columbia, while delivering on the priorities listed in the 2023/2024 Mandate Letter.

BCCIE kicked off the new year with the first BC Symposium: Advancing Student Support from January 18-19. While the snowy weather in Vancouver proved challenging, the symposium carried on virtually, creating space for meaningful conversations about best practices, priorities, and challenges across the sector. You can find information and register for the 2025 Symposium here.

Working alongside the sector, BCCIE held a number of information sessions starting in February 2024 with the IRCC and British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) update. BCCIE then hosted a two-part session on the Provincial Letter Attestation System with the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

Throughout February and March, BCCIE ran a series of webinars entitled Supporting the Student Journey – A Lifecycle Approach, exploring each stage of the Student Lifecycle Framework, demonstrating the framework’s application in improving international student retention and overall success. This coincides with the creation of a new student support resources page on the BCCIE website, a space for resources to assist practitioners in supporting students throughout their academic journey.

In February, BCCIE signed the Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE) Accord. The CANIE Accord enables international educators to demonstrate a shared commitment to align with scientific recommendations and international climate agreements. CANIE aims to connect with international education practitioners from around the world and build greater engagement and literacy around the intersection of their work and the urgent need to take action on the climate crisis. By becoming a signatory to the CANIE Accord, BCCIE deepened its commitment to a sustainable future.

BCCIE has long supported the development of intercultural capacities as foundational to increasing cultural diversity on BC campuses. Since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action in 2015, BCCIE has expanded its efforts to support institutions’ commitments to meaningful reconciliation. With the support of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, BCCIE organized 4 regional workshops on Vancouver Island and in the Thompson-Okanagan, Kootenay-Boundary, and Northern BC regions that brought together local band members and elders, community members, and international educators to explore these conversations at a local level. Through dialogue and learning activities, participants considered how, where, and whether international education can be reimagined to align with these other institutional imperatives. The final workshop, “Local to Global – Re-imagining International Education to Align with DRI and JEDI initiatives,” took place at the University of Northern British Columbia in March 2024.

BC International Education Week (BCIEW) is an annual highlight in the BCCIE calendar, bringing together delegates from all over the world for insightful sessions and dynamic networking opportunities. This year, BCIEW was held in Vancouver from June 23-26. Participants enjoyed 4 days of programming, including pre- and post-conference workshops. Over 500 attendees were present with delegations meeting with BC institutions from Mexico, Colombia, Thailand, Philippines, and Ecuador, including Trade Commissioners. Find out more about the 2025 BCIEW conference here.

2024 saw a variety of successful partnership building efforts for BCCIE. The third annual BC/Taiwan Virtual B2B Partnership Development Event was held in May, co-hosted by the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) and the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT). It served as a preamble to in-person meetings for those who attended NAFSA 2024, as many of the participating Taiwanese institutions were also in attendance. BCCIE, a longstanding partner in East Asia, renewed MOUs in Beijing with the China Education Association for International Education (CEAIE) and the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), and in Seoul with the Korean Council for University College Education (KCCE).

Throughout the year, BCCIE hosted Trade Commissioner updates which provided information on market trends, developments, and opportunities from different countries around the world. BCCIE thanks the Trade Commissioner Services for their ongoing support.

BCCIE brought a BC delegation to the AMPEI/ANUIES/FIMPES 2024 Conference in November, organizing additional value-added events to offer BC institutions more opportunities to connect and explore partnerships with institutions from Mexico and Latin America. This provided the opportunity to further engage and strengthen the bilateral academic exchanges with Mexican institutions. BCCIE further participated in the conference by delivering a workshop and contributing to a panel discussion.

Throughout the year, BCCIE represented BC at major international education conferences and signature events: Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE), European Association for International Education (EAIE), Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) and NAFSA. At NAFSA, BCCIE hosted a BC Zone, a space for BC institutions to meet with their partners.

BCCIE continues to adapt to and support the evolving needs of BC’s International Education sector, and looks forward to fostering new opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and enhancing BC’s international reputation in the year ahead.