Program is subject to change.

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8:00 AM - 9:00 AMBreakfast 
9:00 AM - 9:30 AMOpening Remarks and Indigenous Welcome 
9:30 AM - 10:30 AMOpening Speaker - Edwin van Rest 
10:30 AM - 11:00 AMRefreshment Break 
11:00 AM - 12:00 PMPresidents' Panel 
12:00 PM - 1:00 PMLunch 
1:00 PM - 1:30 PMExhibit Hall 
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMWho Gets In? Rethinking Immigration Advising Practices (CPD Approved)Sonam Dema - University of Victoria
Mayah Stratton - University of Victoria
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMSurvival Mode Is Not a Strategy: Redesigning International Student Mental HealthChristina Furtado - GuardMe
Dana Mills - GuardMe
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMIntroducing the Languages Canada Joint Pathway Program and Partnership-Building SessionsJennifer MacDonald - Languages Canada
Rachel Lindsey - Languages Canada
Zainab Alkoubaisi - Kwantlen Polytechnic University
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMReclaiming Your “Why” - Part 1John Lucas - ISEP Study Abroad
Marina Casals - ISEP Study Abroad
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMRefreshment Break 
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMReclaiming Your “Why” - Part 2John Lucas - ISEP Study Abroad
Marina Casals - ISEP Study Abroad
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMHow a Different Vision for International Students Drove Enrolment Success in Tough TimesTony Mei - Northern Lights College
Scott Clerk - Northern Lights College
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMThe Student Voice: Latest Data from International Student SurveysNelson Tome - IDP
Robin Garcha - IDP
Jade Bethune - Okanagan College
Abul Hasnat - Fraser International College
8:00 AM - 9:00 AMBreakfast 
9:00 AM - 10:00 AMThought Leader Dialogue - An Economist’s Perspective on the International Education Industry in Canada and BCJock Finlayson - ICBA
9:00 AM - 10:00 AMThought Leader Dialogue - Fasten Your Seatbelt: Reading the Signals from New Agent IntelligenceAshley Fitchette - Ascent One
Kym Nguyen - Ascent One
10:00 AM - 10:30 AMRefreshment Break 
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMIntercultural AI: Ethics, Identity, and Inclusion in BC Higher EducationAndrew Osborne - Douglas College
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMDeveloping and Renewing Academic Programs with an Industry FocusRamin Shadmehr - Fairleigh Dickinson University
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMCracking the Code: The Hidden Drivers of Study Permit Success (CPD Approved)Jonathan Sherman - BorderPass
ZiPing Feng - Thompson Rivers University
Max Donsky - BorderPass
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMWhat’s Driving Southeast Asian Students in 2026? Insights From the Front Lines of International Recruitment Mike Henniger - Illume Student Advisory Services
Nancy Doan - Illume Student Advisory Services
11:30 AM - 1:30 PMBCCIE International Education Awards Lunch (Sponsored by GuardMe) 
1:30 PM - 2:00 PMExhibit Hall 
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMFrom Local Strength to Global Impact: BC and Alberta’s Collective Model for CollaborationRaynie Wood - Alberta Bureau for International Education
David Ross - SAIT
Randall Martin - BCCIE
David McGuire - University of the Fraser Valley
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMFrom 小红书(RED) to Enrolment: How Chinese Digital Marketing Leverages International Student RecruitmentEmily Dai - Grok Global Services
Victoria Steele - Grok Global Services
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMDialogues on InterculturalitiesMaria Adriana Aguilera Arrieta - University of Guanajuato
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMRefreshment Break & Exhibit Hall Passport Program Prize Draw 
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMMind the Gap: Aligning English Proficiency Across Study, Work, and Professional FuturesFrasier Sheppard - IELTS
Sheri Rhodes - Mount Royal University
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMPermanent Residence-Informed Post-Graduation Work Permit Planning: A Roundtable Discussion (CPD Approved)Sebastian Kolesar - The University of British Columbia
Brandi Toplak - The University of British Columbia
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMBuilding Intercultural Competence: A Collaborative Model for Intercultural Skill DevelopmentDerek Smith - School District No. 23 (Central Okanagan)
3:30 PM - 4:30 PMAfrica: From Potential to Enrolment – Understanding Student Preferences and Institutional ResponseSaurabh Malhotra - Student Direct Edu Solutions Inc.
Gareth Jones - Douglas College

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