Program is subject to change.

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5:00 PM - 7:00 PMOpening Reception 
8:00 AM - 8:45 AMBreakfast 
8:45 AM - 9:30 AMOpening Remarks and Indigenous Welcome 
9:30 AM - 10:30 AMOpening Speaker - Althia Raj 
10:30 AM - 11:00 AMRefreshment Break 
11:00 AM - 12:00 PMGovernment Update 
12:00 PM - 1:00 PMLunch 
1:00 PM - 1:30 PMExhibit Hall 
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMAI for Empathy: Leveraging GenAI to Enhance Intercultural UnderstandingBrian Leacock - University of Victoria
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMStudent-Centered Success: Belonging as a Recruitment and Retention StrategyTheresa Lundy - University of Victoria
Jeannine Boutin Flegel - University of Victoria
Antonio Rivadeneira - Camosun College
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMEmpirical Internationalization: Leveraging Data in Service to Equity, Diversity, and Intercultural LearningKyra Garson - Thompson Rivers University
Dr. Amie McLean - Thompson Rivers University
Alana Hoare - Thompson Rivers University
Yujie Jiang, MEd - Thompson Rivers University
Mara Nanaman, MEd - Thompson Rivers University
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMSenior International Officer Challenges and Opportunities in a Changing International Education EnvironmentCarolyn Russell - Vancouver Island University
Cynthia Murphy - Vancouver Island University
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMNavigating Spousal Open Work Permit Refusals: Trends, Insights and Strategies (CPD Approved)Sonam Dema - University of Victoria
Juan Sun - Douglas College
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMRefreshment Break 
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMInsulating International Students from ExploitationLarissa Strong - College of the Rockies
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMInternational Delegation Programming 
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMUsing the Latest International Student Data to Build Best PracticesNelson Tome - IDP
Robin Garcha - IDP
Gareth Jones - Douglas College
Ziping Feng - Thompson Rivers University
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMGlobal Minds: Integrating Mental Health Support in Learning AbroadJesse Poulin - keep.meSAFE by guard.me
Steven Cameron - keep.meSAFE by guard.me
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMSupporting Higher Education Institutions through language assessment reformDahlia Younan - British Council IELTS
4:30 PM - 5:30 PMDelegation Reception 
8:00 AM - 8:45 AMBreakfast 
8:45 AM - 9:00 AMNetworking Break 
9:00 AM - 10:00 AMThought Leader Dialogue - State of Affairs in Study AbroadMelissa Torres - The Forum on Education Abroad
John Lucas - International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP)
9:00 AM - 10:00 AMThought Leader Dialogue - Education and the Indo Pacific StrategyDr. Vina Nadjibulla - Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
Dr. Paul Evans - The University of British Columbia
10:00 AM - 10:30 AMRefreshment Break 
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMDecolonizing International Student Recruitment: Moving Beyond 'Markets'Sakura Hirata - Okanagan College
Kristianne Viher - IDP
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMEmpowering Graduates for a Successful Transition into the WorkforceNatalia Bussard - Simon Fraser University
Isabella Silvestre - Simon Fraser University
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMInternational Delegation Programming 
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMUMAP Partnerships SessionChelsey Laird - University Mobility In Asia And The Pacific (umap)
Michelle Johnson - University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) International Secretariat/VCC
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMBest Practices for Authenticating International Academic DocumentsAliyyah Nazeem - World Education Services (WES)
Franklyn De La Rosa - World Education Services (WES)
Brian Chand - Simon Fraser University
11:30 AM - 1:30 PMIE Awards Lunch 
1:30 PM - 2:00 PMExhibit Hall 
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMInternational Delegation Programming 
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMImplementing BC's EQA Code of Practice: Lessons Learned in Marketing, Recruitment, and Agent ManagementYalda Ahmadi - University of the Fraser Valley
Gareth Jones - Douglas College
Angela Liang - Vancouver Community College
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMBeyond Graduation: Understanding International Graduates’ Transition to Work and Life in CanadaMelissa Payne - Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMEnabling Access and Participation in International Mobility ProgramsMai Khanh Nguyen Thi - Tra Vinh University
Thu Do - SEAMEO RETRAC
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMMaking the Case for What Your Team Needs – Essential skillsPhilip Cernik - Ecctis (UK ENIC service)
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMRefreshment Break 
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMDedicated B2B Meeting Time 
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMData-Informed Decisions, from Effective Recruitment to Strategic Enrolment ManagementJay Baik - Vancouver Community College
Angela Liang - Vancouver Community College
Alison Rudko - Vancouver Community College
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMInsights That Matter: Better Decisions for Students, Agents, and InstitutionsElyse Pipitone - Edified
Sharyn Martin - Edified
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMIt takes a village: How a peer mentorship program fosters belongingTeresa Brooks - Langara College
Masashi Yoshida - Langara College
Lucas Hames Shiguehara - Langara College
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMWhat’s Driving Students in 2025? Real Talk from the Front Lines of RecruitmentMike Henniger - Illume Student Advisory Services
8:00 AM - 8:45 AMContinental Breakfast 
8:45 AM - 9:45 AMInclusion Strategies for Faculty-led International ProgramsMathew Lyle - Go Global, University of British Columbia
Denise Gabriel - Integrated Science/University of British Columbia
8:45 AM - 9:45 AMAI and Labour Market Trends You Need to KnowDenis Gravelle - Devant
Justin Kohlman - Thompson Rivers University
8:45 AM - 9:45 AMOptimizing recruitment and yield: How Canadian institutions can attract the right students in a restricted landscapePeggy Kelleher - Studyportals
Daria Dons - Douglas College
Gareth Jones - Douglas College
Yalda Ahmadi - University of the Fraser Valley
8:45 AM - 9:45 AMPathways to Global Talent Development: Internationalizing Education to Meet Workforce Needs Claudia Bognar - Bow Valley College
Suhayl Patel - Bow Valley College
8:45 AM - 9:45 AMDedicated B2B Meeting Time 
9:45 AM - 10:00 AMRefreshment Break 
10:00 AM - 11:00 AMUsing Data to Effectively Respond to Shifting Perceptions of CanadaKristianne Viher - IDP
Luna Das - IDP
Brooke Klassen - Royal Roads University
Eric Simard - Fanshawe College
10:00 AM - 11:00 AMWhen Access Meets Opportunity: Supporting Refugee and Globally Vulnerable StudentsAlyson Murray - Duolingo English Test
Emma Mcleavey-Weeder - Duolingo English Test
10:00 AM - 11:00 AMDedicated B2B Meeting Time 
10:00 AM - 11:00 AMInnovative Work-Integrated Learning: A New Approach to International Student EmployabilityRamneet Brar - Wayble
Candace Stewart-Smith - University of the Fraser Valley
10:00 AM - 11:00 AMCOIL From the Trenches: Faculty Perspectives—Is It Worth It?Janice Sestan - Douglas College
KARL SPRACKLIN - ITESO
1:00 PM - 4:00 PMPost-Conference Workshop - Unlocking the LATAM Education Landscape: Insights for Universities ($149)Abigail Wagstaff - Ecctis (UK Enic Service)
Philip Cernik - Ecctis (UK ENIC service)

Thank you to our
International Student Support, Advising and Transitions Stream Sponsor

IDP