Mark Herringer, executive director, International Education, Office of Global Engagement (OGE), has received the Award for International Education Distinguished Leadership from the British Columbia Council for International Education (BCCIE).
He was honoured in Vancouver at a ceremony on June 25. The BCCIE International Education Awards were held in conjunction with BC International Education Week.
“This award is recognition of the privilege I have had over the years to work with teams and colleagues who have helped me to understand how to do international education differently,” Herringer said. “The greatest encouragement to risk creating change has come from our exceptional team at the Office of Global Engagement and the incredible Elders, faculty and management group at the Office of Indigenous Education at NIC.”
Herringer is responsible for the development and implementation of NIC’s indigenizing internationalization plan, Journeying Together, and global engagement initiatives. These include: Indigenizing internationalization; internationalization at home; education abroad; international recruitment and student support; and international projects and partnerships.
The BCCIE International Education Awards Program celebrates the professionalism, dedication and efforts of an exemplary group of experts and practitioners in the diverse field of international education in British Columbia. The BCCIE International Education Awards support the sector’s further growth and development, as well as recognize outstanding achievement.
Along with Herringer’s Award for International Education Distinguished Leadership, other categories included Rising Star in International Education, Excellence in International Education Marketing and Outstanding Program in International Education. A peer committee determines the award winners.
Herringer’s award is the latest honour for the program. In November, OGE and NIC’s Office of Indigenous Education (OIE) were chosen for the national Reconciliation & Internationalization Award of Excellence by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) in recognition of Journeying Together.
In April 2023, OGE and Journeying Together were also recognized with a bronze award at the College and Institutes Canada World Congress in Montreal.
Developed in 2022, Journeying Together is informed by NIC’s Indigenization plan, Working Together, and includes a range of actions to engage international students and introduce them to Indigenous knowledge.
NIC is very active in international projects, study abroad programs and partnerships. In 2023/24 the college supported 59 students, 17 faculty, two Elders and five administrators to gain international experience in Spain, Jordan, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Romania and New Zealand– Aotearoa. Since 2022 NIC has disbursed student scholarships amounting to more than $580,000 for 37 Indigenous and 49 non-Indigenous students to study abroad and more than $60,000 for specific study abroad/project support for faculty, staff and administrators.
For more information about OGE, Journeying Together and general international education background at NIC, see nic.bc.ca/international/.
