TORONTO, ONTARIO – Humber College was honoured on the national stage for outstanding achievements by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). Humber won gold in the Excellence in Global Engagement category for its ongoing leadership and commitment to internationalization and globalization efforts. This is the second award for Humber in this category in the past two years, after receiving Bronze in 2021.
"This award further recognizes Humber’s ongoing leadership and commitment to global engagement, which prepares our students to become global citizens in our interconnected world," said Chris Whitaker, president and CEO, Humber College. “We are proud of the work of our teams and of the innovative international opportunities they were able to offer to students particularly throughout the pandemic.”
Humber's Gold award for Excellence in Global Engagement highlights many of the college's diverse and industry-leading international initiatives, which include:
- The opening of the International Graduate School in 2020, which now includes 899 students from 55 countries.
- The 2021 launch of Humber’s Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Global Virtual Exchange Framework (COIL website).
- The expansion of international opportunities on campus through Humber's Global Summer School.
- The enhancement of virtual mobility through the award-winning Global Systems Gap Challenge.
Humber’s International Development Institute (IDI) also brings together the college community and development partners to contribute to effective and sustainable development around the world. Currently, seven projects valued at $6 million are running in two countries.
Humber's international partnership strategy currently focuses on 34 international academic collaborations across 24 countries. In 2019, Humber formed the Global Polytechnic Alliance (GPA) - an international partnership of three global institutions - Humber, Otago Polytechnic (New Zealand) and VIA University College (Denmark) - to work on global solutions. To date, the GPA has developed micro-credentials, explored program development and collaborative research.
Humber's 2018-2023 Internationalization Strategy drives international learning and initiatives at the college.
Humber received its award at the 2022 CICan Connection Virtual Conference. The CICan Awards are awarded annually and recognize best practices from institutions across the country and individual leadership and achievements. Since 2015, Humber has won eight CICan Awards of Excellence, including three gold, one silver, and four bronze awards.
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About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Humber College is focused on our students' future. As a global leader in polytechnic education, Humber students receive in-depth theoretical learning and hands-on experience with applied research and extensive industry connections. Humber provides career-focused education to more than 38,000 full-time and 19,000 part-time students and professional learners in-person at three main Toronto locations and online. A comprehensive range of credentials, including honours undergraduate degrees, Ontario graduate certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships, and certificates, prepare career-ready global citizens to move seamlessly from education to employment. More than 86 per cent of Humber graduates are employed within six months of completing their studies. Visit humber.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Nadia Araujo
Media Relations and External Communications Specialist
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
nadia.araujo@humber.ca