British Columbia International Education Week (BCIEW) Conference 2025

IDP is proud to support British Columbia International Education Week 2025 as a Gold sponsor. We look forward to connecting with our colleagues in Whistler in June.

Stop by and see us in the exhibit hall, attend of our sessions, or schedule a meeting with one of our team members attending the conference:

Livia Castellanos - Vice President, External Affairs

Luna Das - Director of Client Partnerships

Robin Garcha - Partnerships Director, Solutions Lead

Nelson Tome - Partnerships Director

Kristianne Viher - Client Success Manager

Christine Wach - Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, USA & Canada

Our sessions:

Using the Latest International Student Data to Build Best Practices

Monday, June 23 | 3:30pm - 4:30pm PT

This session will explore findings from IDP’s latest survey of international students and hear from two institutions about best practices they’ve implemented or are exploring to support the stated needs of students. IDP’s survey, Voice of the International Student: Emerging Futures, analyzes the motivations, perceptions, and concerns of international students to provide a robust understanding of current international student mobility trends. New in this round of research, students will share feedback on drivers of institution selection (both academic and non), importance of and types of rankings consulted, and reasons for switching institutions after arrival.

Presenters -

Robin Garcha - Partnerships Director, Solutions Lead - IDP

Nelson Tome - Partnerships Director

ZiPing Feng - Director, International Marketing and Recruitment - Thompson Rivers University

Gareth Jones - Director, International Enrolment, Recruitment & Market Development - Douglas College

Decolonizing International Student Recruitment: Moving Beyond 'Markets'

Tuesday, June 24 | 10:30am - 11:30am PT

International student recruitment has increasingly focused on Africa due to significant student population growth. In our industry, terms like "market" describe recruitment efforts. This 60-minute session examines colonial-era terminology, particularly 'market', analyzing student representation data and brainstorming DEI-aligned alternatives. We aim to raise awareness of historical contexts and reshape terminology for inclusive global education, responsibly acknowledging historical legacies. The session explores how framing countries as 'markets' unconsciously commodifies people, hindering decolonization and cultural sensitivity.

Presenters -

Sakura Hirata - Associate Director of International Education - Okanagan College

Kristianne Viher - Client Success Manager - IDP

Using Data to Effectively Respond to Shifting Perceptions of Canada

Wednesday, June 25 | 10:30am - 11:30am PT

International students' perception of Canada has greatly declined since the beginning of 2024, causing challenges for institutions across the country. How do we work together as a sector to respond to these changes?

In this session, we'll take a panel approach to combine voices from Canadian institutions to explore how they are adapting to a changing recruitment environment. Considering cooperative initiatives like the Brand Canada Campaign, we'll explore how collective action can have a positive impact during difficult recruitment periods. The session will dive into our learnings from the past year, supported by data gathered from across IDP’s global network to identify best practices that can inform decision-making. We'll look at positive global interactions, areas of growth, and the impact of strategic cooperation in mitigating difficult recruitment periods.

Presenters -

Luna Das - Director of Client Partnerships - IDP

Kristianne Viher - Client Success Manager - IDP

Brooke Klassen - Manager, International Student Recruitment - Royal Roads University

Eric Simard - Director, International Recruitment and Market Development - Fanshawe College