Winners and Highly Commended finalists 2023

Business school of the year
Winner

Kaplan Business School, Australia

Description

Kaplan Business school was the only business school to be granted Self-Accrediting Authority status by the national regulator, TEQSA, in 2022, making it one of only nine trusted by the regulator to accredit its own business programs.

Highly Commended

EHL Hospitality Business School, Switzerland

Championing diversity, equity and inclusion award
Winner

University of East London and Unicaf, UK

Description

UEL and Unicaf’s partnership delivers workable and affordable solutions to help resolve Africa's higher education capacity challenge.

Highly Commended

Western Sydney University, Australia – Thai-Myanmar Border Refugee Scholarship Program

Digital innovation of the year - assessment and credentials
Winner

Riiid, Korea - an online test preparation platform and app for the SAT and ACT

Description

Riiid's R.Test is the groundbreaking AI-powered platform revolutionising standardised test preparation. The platform's success in 2022 led to widespread adoption and positive outcomes for educators, institutions and students.

Highly Commended

Oxford International Digital Institute, UK - Oxford ELLT

Digital innovation of the year - learning
Winner

IBT College, Canada - Micro-credentials leading to a Personal Support Worker Diploma using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Description

IBT College provides virtual training through augmented reality and virtual reality simulations in healthcare courses such as dementia care, palliative care, safety, mobility, vital signs and more.

Highly Commended

The WorldGrad, Singapore

Digital innovation of the year - student recruitment
Winner

Successful Graduate, Australia - Recruiting Students Back Into Australia

Description

Post-covid, the Successful Graduate project was deployed to re-ignite student interest in Australia, providing free work preparedness and academic readiness training to thousands of students globally.

Highly Commended

Swinburne University of Technology, Australia - Swintopia

Digital innovation of the year - technology
Winner

BorderPass, Canada

Description

BorderPass streamlines the immigration process for international students with an AI-powered solution and expert guidance from immigration lawyers, improving student experience and recruitment for colleges.

Highly Commended

Otermans Institute, UK - OIAI

Emerging leader of the year
Winner

Yinbo Yu, UKCISA, UK

Description

A former international student, Yinbo has developed an influential career in policy and international partnerships that gives back to the global education community.

Elliott Lancaster, Keele University, UK

Description

Elliott's contribution to the global education sector directly contributes to policies, frameworks and programs being implemented across multiple domains that impact students today.

Highly Commended

Andy Howells, UUKi, UK

Employability international impact award
Winner

Twin Group and University of Greenwich, UK - Graduate Programmes with Industrial Practise

Description

Through Twin Group’s partnership with the University of Greenwich, international students are offered a combined STEM MSc and a year in industry in a bid to advance the network of pathways into long-term international employment.

Highly Commended

Study NSW, Australia

De Montfort University, UK - Supporting student employability and entrepreneurship through international experiences

International alumni of the year
Winner

Nam Nguyen, Vietnam - Johns Hopkins University, United States

Description

Nam is a resilient and passionate changemaker from rural Vietnam who graduated “magna cum laude” in Business Administration from Washington State University.

Highly Commended

Beauclaire Mbanya, Cameroon - University of Rochester, US

International student recruitment organisation of the year
Winner

Mozaik Play, Australia

Description

In 2022, Mozaik Play - the one-of-a-kind educational marketplace for the creative industries - forged innovative partnerships, expanded its course database and optimised its online consultation scheduling capabilities to provide an enhanced student experience from enquiry to application.

Highly Commended

AECC, Australia

Blue Ivy Coaching, Mexico

Language training provider of the year
Winner

LILA* Liverpool, UK

Description

The independent, family-run English language school, teacher training provider and sixth form college welcomes over 2000 students a year from over 60 different nationalities.

Highly Commended

Edify Education, Brazil

UCD English Language Academy, Ireland

Marketing campaign of the year
Winner

Universities UK International, Cormack Consultancy Group and Waterfall, UK - The #TwinForHope Campaign

Description

The #TwinForHope campaign told the story of UK universities 'twinning' with Ukrainian counterparts in response to Russia’s invasion, inspiring more universities to twin, attracting funding and improving public perceptions.

Highly Commended

National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU), UK - The India UK Achievers Honours

Membership organisation of the year
Winner

UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), UK

Description

Through informed advocacy and unrivalled specialist advice and guidance, UKCISA provides a unique service to the whole of the UK education sector. Among its 2022 efforts, UKCISA launched the #WeAreInternational Student Charter, enabling members to enhance the international student experience.

Universities UK International, UK

Description

UUKi enables its 140+ UK university members to thrive internationally through its unique ability to represent them and act in their collective interests, including recent efforts in coordinating the sector's response to war in Ukraine.

Highly Commended

Colleges and Institutes Canada, Canada

Outstanding contribution to the industry
Winner

Bobby Mehta, UK

Description

Bobby has dedicated his time on a voluntary basis for 20 years, relentlessly supporting the UK education sector, pulling together disparate groups for a common goal: to ensure international students can benefit from a UK education.

Cyndi McLeod, Canada

Description

With more than 30 years of leadership experience in international education, Cyndi’s expertise lies in building strategic partnerships with businesses and organisations, resulting in growth and expansion at the institutions she has worked at.

Edwin van Rest, The Netherlands

Description

Edwin is an outspoken advocate for access to higher education and co-founder of Studyportals, a purpose-driven organisation that has grown from a small student initiative into a highly valuable information source for students considering their education options across borders.

PIEoneer of the year
Winner

AFS Intercultural Programs, Global - AFS Global STEM Accelerators

Description

Through its Global STEM Accelerators programs, AFS is tackling the injustices holding young women back from accessing quality education globally.

Highly Commended

Education Above All Foundation, Qatar - Internet Free Education Resource Bank (IFERB)

Progressive education delivery award
Winner

THINK Global School, Global

Description

Established in 2010, THINK Global School is the world's only travelling high school, enabling students to live and learn in four countries annually.

Highly Commended

Australian Centre for Education (ACE), Cambodia, - Children’s Plus+ & Young Learners' Plus+ Programs

Public / private partnership of the year
Winner

IAE Business School & Inter-American Development Bank Lab and Hemispheric University Consortium, Global - Women in Stem Entrepreneurship (WISE)

Description

Led by universities in Latin America and the Caribbean, WISE seeks to strengthen the integration of women in the entrepreneurial ecosystem via access to financing and the generation of new jobs.

Highly Commended

Northumbria University (NU), UK & St George's University (SGU), Grenada - International Medical Degree Pathways – a unique collaborative partnership in medical education

Student support award
Winner

studentVIP, Canada - Virtual Health Clinic

Description

StudentVIP recently unveiled its newest accessible and barrier-free health care service, the Virtual Health Clinic, providing digital diagnostic care from anywhere in Canada, virtually.

Highly Commended

Nido, UK & EU

Study abroad and exchange experience of the year
Winner

Think Pacific, Fiji

Description

Think Pacific - Think Pacific is supporting the achievement of the UN SDGs and the Fiji National Development Plan through student mobility and employability projects.

Teens of Color Abroad (TOCA), US

Description

TOCA aims to address the racial disparities in studying abroad and global education programs by recruiting students at Title I schools that serve students from low-income families.

Highly Commended

Singapore Management University, Singapore - Cultivating global citizenship through SMU Industry x Project-Based Experiential Learning Overseas Approach

Sustainability international impact award
Winner

Hazaar, United Kingdom

Description

Hazaar exists to build circular economies on university campuses, aiming to ensure every item of reusable value gets a new lease of life through a zero-to-landfill strategy.

Highly Commended

Intercultural Outreach Initiative (IOI), US - 2025 Net Zero Strategy

University of Sydney, Australia - Sustainability Program