Global engagement was in the spotlight this past spring.
Nearly 65 postsecondary leaders from 17 institutions across Ontario came together, May 25 and 26, at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus for the Ontario Capacity Building Session for International Engagement hosted in collaboration with Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan).
Attendees engaged in presentations, breakout discussions, and networking and brainstorming opportunities to share best practices and learn from one another.
This capacity building event aimed to strengthen CICan members’ ability to engage in international cooperation projects, contract training, student mobility, and student recruitment.
“We can achieve more by working together,” shared President, Sean Kennedy, who welcomed esteemed guests on behalf of NC. “Our global work is successful in large part because of our partnerships. Collaborative opportunities such as this allow us to develop and strengthen our partnerships with Canadian institutions to increase access, decrease barriers, support local and global communities, and create opportunities for students.”
CICan’s Manager of International Partners and Knowledge Development, Camille Joseph Khoury, hopes that attendees were able to gain a better understanding of how CICan supports the internationalization of its members, while learning about the many opportunities that exist for Ontario colleges to engage in international development cooperation projects, outbound student mobility initiatives, and other activities related to international partnership development.
“More than anything, I hope that attendees from all over the province were able to connect with each other and think about how they can work together,” said Khoury.
“There is always value in bringing likeminded colleagues together to solve complicated issues,” shared Dean of International at Humber College, Andrew Ness, who attended the session. “The team from Humber, and other colleagues I have spoken with this week, are enormously grateful to both CICan and Niagara College for not only the content but also the beautiful setting and the meaningful outcomes that we will be able to take away. This is not an event so much as it is the start of many new processes, and we are really excited by that.”
Director of Global Partnerships at George Brown College, Christine Walker, shared how incredibly valuable she found the session.
“While I have been in the college sector for many years, I am relatively new to working within the global education context,” said Walker. “The information that CICan provided was very useful in moving our work forward, but for me the best part about this session was the ability to learn and connect with others. So many people have offered to help us think through our projects and provide support when needed. I left feeling refreshed and ready to move forward with confidence.”
Attendees engaged in presentations, breakout discussions, and networking and brainstorming opportunities to share best practices and learn from one another. The two-day event also included a sustainability walk, which Khoury commented was a highlight for participants.
“We feel so fortunate to have been able work closely with Holly Catalfamo and her team, from the initial brainstorming sessions to hosting professionals from across Ontario,” shared Khoury. “Holly and her team did a great job injecting Niagara College’s own experiences into the agenda, which gave the attendees a glimpse of what a fully-developed international portfolio can look like given the right strategic focus and dedicated team. Every person we came across at Niagara College was generous and gracious, including the staff at Benchmark and the Wine Visitor + Education Centre.”
NC Sustainability Manager, Taryn Wilkinson, hosted a sustainability walk during the two-day event and is pictured speaking to attendees.
CICan’s 2022-2025 International Strategy strives to futureproof Canada in the world, and this event aligns with its pillar of strengthening the sector, supported by capacity-building sessions for international engagement. To date, these provincially-focused sessions have been held in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and now Ontario.
“During the development of CICan’s International Strategy, CICan member colleges expressed that they craved opportunities to learn from each other,” shared Khoury. “This kind of forum pulls people out of their day-to-day work setting, which creates space for creativity, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing. It’s also valuable for CICan, as the association is created and governed by its members. We need to stay close to members to understand them as well as possible so that we can advocate for them at home and abroad.”
This event also aligns with multiple areas of focus in Niagara College’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, including global reach and alumni and partner engagement.
