President Deane to chair international education body

McMaster President Patrick Deane is working with colleagues across Canada to help Canadian academic institutions shape ethical international education policies.

Deane recently assumed the role of Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE), a non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to the support and promotion of international education.

During his two-year term Deane will oversee the CBIE’s work in promoting a principled and respectful approach to internationalization that aims to educate students as global citizens with an understanding of other world-views, developing mutually beneficial connections between diverse cultures and communities, ensuring that international students are valued and recognized for all of their contributions to institutional life, and establishing a collegial approach to the development of global partnerships.

“In this time of increasing globalization, it is critical that Canadian educational institutions develop a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to international engagement,” says Deane. “As chair, I look forward to working with my CBIE colleagues to shape a Canadian approach that integrates international perspectives into the delivery of education, fosters intercultural understanding and educates students as true global citizens.”

Deane has served on CBIE’s board of directors since 2012 and participated in the work of the International Leaders Network which developed the CBIE’s Internationalization Statement of Principles for Canadian Educational Institutions.