Award Categories

What makes an association vital to their membership and what have they achieved for their members in 2020? In the Association of the year award, we recognise associations who have supported their membership in ways that go above and beyond standard expectations, and whose work has had a long-lasting or significant impact.

International education and study abroad experiences can be life-changing but also expensive. The Championing diversity award recognises organisations that have been successful in widening participation across their student cohort and enabling a more diverse range of students to access their teaching or services.

The importance of preparing students for online assessment, running secure online assessments and managing students’ credentials has grown exponentially, particularly as a result of the pandemic. In this brand-new category for 2021, we recognise organisations that are excelling in delivering these services to international students.

In the Digital innovation of the year – technology award, we showcase how digital innovation is solving problems faced by professionals working across the international education sector. These are very wide-ranging in their scope and there are examples that have an impact on all facets of our industry. 

Using technology to lead learning or implement online or blended modules can have a significant impact on the way teachers teach and on how students learn, and since the Covid-19 pandemic started, using digital technology to deliver successful remote teaching has been a primary focus for the global education sector. Through the Digital innovation of the year – learning award, we aim to uncover innovative and successful uses of technology that help international students of any age to learn. 

Students choose to undertake an international study experience for a multitude of reasons, but one overriding factor is to improve their long-term employment prospects. For the Employability international impact award, we recognise organisations who are proactively changing what and how they teach their students, or offering new services, to ensure students have a genuinely improved chance of finding and securing meaningful employment post-graduation.

The International student living award recognises any type of organisation providing housing for international students, that can demonstrate a pro-active effort to deliver innovative and high quality services specifically designed for international students, and show very high levels of student satisfaction.

In the Language educator of the year category, we recognise language providers around the world who are going the extra mile to provide their students with a stand-out experience and an exceptional level of service, whether they are studying for one week or one year, and those who are innovating the student experience to ensure students develop their language skills and become confident communicators. 

The Marketing campaign of the year award celebrates inventive and inspirational marketing campaigns from across the global education industry that have achieved significant results in terms of reach, messaging or impact. Campaigns can have been run by any type of organisation operating in the sector, and we will take into consideration the success of the campaign within the context of budget and other resources available.

In the Outstanding contribution to the industry award, we accept nominations on behalf of others. This award recognises individuals who have helped evolve or shape the global education sector in a significant way. There are many people who have dedicated their career to influencing or changing the landscape of our industry in a positive way, and this award enables us to celebrate their individual achievements and the impact their work has had. Their influence in the field and how the global education industry has developed as a result of their work must be clearly evidenced.

Our flagship award, PIEoneer of the year, is open to organisations and individuals that can demonstrate their commitment to improving some facet of the global education industry and show how their entry has genuinely changed the landscape we operate in. Anyone from across the industry can apply for this award if they can evidence real change and innovation that is impacting the wider industry for the better. There is no timeframe to this award - it can be awarded to an organisation or person who has been working on their nominated project, business or idea for more than one year. Entrants in other categories can also enter this category, which is considered the ‘crowning achievement’ award, if they believe their entry demonstrates genuine change and innovation that can impact the wider industry.

How do we actually learn? How do we measure impact? How do we make learning relevant to the real world? The Progressive education delivery award recognises education programs that have innovated how they teach and who they reach, that are unique, successful in their approach to teaching, and focused on the student’s life journey in the 21st century.

Public private partnerships continue to be a defining trend of the global education industry, as education providers have looked to innovate areas such as student recruitment, accommodation, market-entry facilitation, and the remote delivery of education, by leveraging the expertise of private companies. This award recognises successful partnerships and achievements that occurred during 2020.

More and more students are seeking international learning experiences that take place beyond the classroom and into the workplace or within a new community. The Real life learning award recognises organisations offering innovative learning programs or products that include an immersive international learning environment, whether that is virtual or real world.

The Secondary learning international impact award is a chance for any type of institution teaching 11-18 year olds to showcase how they are innovating the delivery of learning and support to their international students, to ensure their experience is first-rate and that they leave ready for further education or the world of work as global citizens. Any type of institution can enter, as long as you have a minimum 10% students whose parents primarily reside overseas or who would be considered expats in-country.

Student counselling is a vital part of the international education industry. The Student counselling organisation of the year award is an opportunity for organisations to showcase outstanding innovation, global collaboration, successful business expansion, diversification of portfolio, and exemplary support for students that goes above and beyond standard expectations. This category is an opportunity for companies that support institutions with student placement to submit their own entry, or for schools, colleges and universities to nominate a partner for the award.

It is critical that international students who are undertaking an overseas study experience feel welcomed, supported, and become integrated with domestic students, those from nationalities other than their own, and their local community. In the Student support award, we are looking for innovative and successful ways that organisations support international students, to ensure their overall student experience is exemplary. In 2020, there were myriad of creative solutions developed at super fast speed to support international students during the Covid pandemic and we would love to hear about the success of yours in this category, if relevant.

Global education as an industry inherently involves many activities that impact negatively on the environment. With climate change and sustainability at the forefront of people’s minds, the Sustainability international impact award enables us to recognise organisations working in our sector that are proactively making positive changes to reduce the impact of their international operation on a global or local scale.