Collaboration isn’t optional anymore: Reflections from CBIE2025

November 24, 2025

What do you see when you look at that picture? Perhaps it's more what you don't see. You don't see people sitting silently, looking at their phones, disengaged in the moment, ignoring the person and possible inspiration right next to them. Instead you see colleagues reconnecting, strangers meeting, and community in action. 

That one picture sums up what I'll expand on below when Québec City hosted Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) | Bureau canadien de l’éducation internationale 2025 under a fitting theme: “The Future in Focus: Advancing International Education in Times of Uncertainty.” What became clear session after session, hallway conversation after hallway conversation is 1) that the sector is past the point of “should collaborate”, we’ve hit “must collaborate” and 2) while where we are isn’t great, the only way forward is through and that requires hope and consistent action. 

As someone outside the sector but who has worked very closely with colleges and universities in the sector for almost 10 years, it seems to me, we’re at a crossroads in many ways.  It’s not just about mitigating the risks and problems created by immigration policy changes,  it’s also about navigating a seemingly changing public perception in Canada about immigration (by the way, this is largely caused by concerns re: infrastructure and government mis-management), figuring how to action new investments in nation-building projects that require talented people, demographic trends such high retirement, declining birth rate, etc. and a low productivity rate to name a few of the intersecting factors.  In each of those factors there is both challenge and opportunity to create positive change and impact - if we seek to find it. 

Below are a few of the themes that rose to the surface for me— with the data, stories, and human moments that made them real. 

If you also attended, comment below with: 

• What stood out for you?  It doesn’t have to be a “new” or “innovative” idea, sometimes the aha’s are in the small, seemingly mundane yet consistent actions. 

• What do you think is a critical piece of the story we must share with others who weren’t there or aren’t even engaged in the conversation about the impacts of international education for Canada’s communities and industries?

1. The learning landscape is shifting fast

From free education models to the rise of micro-credentials, institutions are re-engineering what learning looks like. They're seeing the need for deeper engagement, shared resources, and integration that blurs the lines between “campus” and “community.”

There’s no world where institutions (even large ones) have “enough resources” to meet all student needs. Nimbleness is the only path forward — and it demands openness, experimentation, and yes, a bit of thriftiness.

Newer models like COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) are an example of innovation born from necessity, not luxury.

2. Talent mobility, career readiness, and student support are merging

With changes to the "Global Study Opportunities" program, micro-credentialing, low or no-cost mobility experiences, and continuity of relationships—not one-offs—are where mobility seems to be heading. 

To support this there is a need for faculty mindset and teaching philosophy shifts as shared by faculty members themselves. Faculty can no longer be just "deliverers" of content; there are big gains to be made when they step into active, intentional roles in student learning.

The message was consistent: the future must be human. Connection is the differentiator - connection with students, connection with industry, and connection with communities that institutions serve and work in. 

3. Partnerships need to be real, not performative

One of the most compelling case studies came from an institution and sector partner Wayable, who delivered a career-pathway program with BHER funding that aimed to support international students accessing the power of WIL. The numbers tell a powerful story:

• 2,000+ applications

• 380 accepted

• 70 SMEs engaged

• 35 industry mentors (TELUS contributed mentors through their Mosaic ERG - love this model for engaged mentors!

• 7 cohorts over 15 months

• 6-week prep + 2-week work-integrated experience

• Flexible, deliverable-based WIL projects

• Partnership with CACEE / ACSEE to prepare employers to participate fully

One of their biggest insights? Mentorship is what helps students “paint the picture - not just build a framework.” 

Mentorship in WIL isn’t just a transaction — it’s human guidance turning work into meaning.

Another institution echoed this with a different approach to mentorship via mentorship circles for Black students, acknowledging that 1:1 models aren’t always accessible or scalable, but community-based mentorship can be just transformative. (At EnPoint one of the things I enjoy doing most is helping organizations build the right mentorship program for their people - and seeing the light bulbs go off when they realize there is a way to make mentorship work within their resource constraints that doesn’t minimize participant impact.)

4. National and local context matters 

Presentations and discussions painted a candid picture of how Canadians perceive immigration and talent:

• Urban vs. rural sentiment toward immigration is far more similar than many assume.

• Atlantic Canada, once exceptionally positive, has moved closer to the national middle.

• Alberta has been the most skeptical since 2014, following shifts in its oil economy.

• Across the country, economic anxiety is high, shaping public attitudes more than anything else.

Business + Higher Education Roundtable ’s commentary was blunt but constructive: 'The sector has lost the narrative that this is fundamentally about talent development. Too many interventions operate in silos — WIL, international students, partnerships, etc. — without a coherent national story.’ (If you have not read their report with RBC from earlier this year re: PSE reform I encourage you to do.) They also noted the collaboration paradox: “Everyone likes the idea of collaboration. No one likes to be coordinated.” 

This gives even more importance to the sense of community CBIE2025 had and also for their efforts in coordinating a shared campaign to support rebuilding Canada's brand as a study destination with Learn Canadian. 

5. Institutions must protect what matters most

Fanshawe’s presented case study on “recruitment” was a masterclass in humility and listening. They shared:

• A dramatic shift from 70,000 to 7,000 international applications

• 80–100% international student retention

• 86% employment within 6 months of graduation

Their insight? The leak wasn’t in later stages. It was right at the top of the funnel. Their response was deeply human:

• Warmth and authenticity in all communications

• “Fanshawe Works” — a hands-on, career-oriented model

• Even a career closet so students can access professional attire

• A relentless focus on continuous improvement based on what students actually want

Every touchpoint either builds trust or erodes it. In tight budget times, trust is one of the few resources that can’t be cut. Lynn Mitchell, a CBIE leadership award winner, put it perfectly: “Keep calm and community on.”

Final thought: Collaboration is no longer the strategy, it’s the structure

If CBIE2025 showed anything, it’s that the future of international education ( and talent development via international education) isn’t defined by who can do the most, innovate the fastest, or scale the biggest. It’s defined by who can build the strongest ecosystem - one that is deeply connected.

As I was talking to a student services leader pre-conference, they shared a term that I’ve since been passing on although in a different context.  We were talking about how to make career services “structurally unavoidable” so that all students have to interact with them in some way and shape throughout their experience - and not that they “have to, have to” but that they have so much opportunity to do so (and in ways that matter to them) that they want to.  Translating that to the international education (and international talent development via education) sector, how does partnership - with employers and industries, complimentary service providers, and economic development agencies - become “structurally unavoidable”? And I mean that in the best way - one organization or school trying to do all things never works and/or it will work for some but continue to leave many out. 

We need more people in Canada. We need stronger, quicker, and consistent skill development. We need smoother transitions for students and newcomers. We need more integration between the world of work and learning. And none of that happens in isolation.

This moment calls for partnership, for shared leadership, for the courage to design together rather than compete apart.

The sector is changing — quickly — but the heart of it remains clear: Make it human. Make it collaborative. Make it count.