Australia’s international education sector has celebrated its leading people, projects and innovations, with the winners of the 2026 IEAA Excellence Awards announced at the opening plenary of the 40th Australian International Education Conference in Sydney on Tuesday 27 October.
Presented by the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), the annual awards recognise achievements across leadership, best practice, innovation, research and emerging talent. This year’s winners arrive at a time when the sector continues to navigate policy uncertainty, political pressure and questions about its value to Australia.
The awards provide a reminder that, beyond the debate over student numbers, visa settings and economic contributions, international education ultimately depends on the quality of the experience delivered to students and the people working to improve it.
IEAA President Professor Ren Yi said the winners demonstrated the impact individuals and innovative programs could have across the sector, from strengthening the student experience to advancing leadership and professional practice.
CEO Phil Honeywood acknowledged the difficult operating environment, noting that sector leaders continued to adapt and innovate despite ongoing policy shifts and political pressure.
The awards recognise those efforts, with several projects offering practical examples of how institutions can respond to challenges rather than simply manage their consequences.
Student success takes centre stage
Southern Cross University’s Academic Portfolio Office won Best Practice in International Education for the Southern Cross Model, which replaces traditional semesters, lectures and examinations with focused six-week terms, active blended learning and authentic assessment.
More than 930 units have been redesigned across the university and its transnational education partnerships in China and Papua New Guinea.
The university reports that international student success rates increased from below 70 per cent to more than 90 per cent across onshore and offshore locations, alongside improvements in student satisfaction and retention.
The results offer a useful counterpoint to the tendency to frame international student outcomes primarily through recruitment, enrolment volumes and regulatory compliance. How education is designed and delivered matters, and improvements to the academic experience can have measurable consequences for student success.
Kaplan Business School received a high commendation for its Student Voice Week initiative, which tackles another familiar challenge in higher education: getting students to provide meaningful feedback and demonstrating that their views lead to action.
Implemented across all six campuses, the program combined a national communications campaign, automated surveys and more formal student involvement, with a commitment to communicating improvements promptly.
Student participation exceeded 60 per cent, reaching its highest level to date, while feedback was delivered within 48 hours of surveys closing. Kaplan also reported improved student satisfaction measures and reduced administrative workloads.
The lesson is straightforward. Students are more likely to participate when they can see that their feedback makes a difference. Collecting survey responses is one thing. Closing the loop with students is another.
Leadership recognised across the sector
Professor Simon Ridings received the Distinguished Contribution to International Education award for a career spanning three decades, six universities and significant service to IEAA.
His university leadership has included Deputy Vice-Chancellor roles at Curtin University, the University of Canberra and Edith Cowan University. He is currently Interim Vice-Chancellor and President at Swinburne University of Technology.
As IEAA President from 2020 to 2024, Ridings led the organisation through the pandemic, overseeing membership growth, expanded professional development and strengthened research.
Rongyu Li received the Excellence in Leadership in International Education award in recognition of his contribution across several Australian universities, including the University of Queensland, the University of Canberra, RMIT, Deakin and the University of South Australia.
His work has covered international recruitment, transnational education, alumni engagement, research collaboration, global partnerships and international marketing. Beyond individual institutions, he has served on the IEAA Board, chaired the Universities Australia Deputy Vice-Chancellor International Group and contributed to the Australian Universities International Directors Forum.
Both awards highlight a dimension of international education that can be overlooked in policy debates: the importance of experienced leaders who can build relationships across institutions, government and industry, particularly when the operating environment is unsettled.
Innovation moves from anecdote to evidence
The Innovation in International Education award went to Emily O’Callaghan, Greg Gawinowski and Peter Muntz of miXabroad for From Anecdote to Evidence: A Global Benchmark for Learning Abroad.
The platform provides a standardised framework for universities to measure the experiences and outcomes of students undertaking learning abroad. Developed with researchers and university practitioners across Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, it allows institutions to compare experiences across programs, cohorts and countries.
The objective is to better understand why students choose to participate in global mobility, what they gain from the experience and where programs can be improved.
That evidence matters. In a climate where international education is regularly required to justify its value, institutions need more than testimonials and participation figures to demonstrate what students gain from international experiences.
A stronger evidence base can help universities improve programs and make a more persuasive case for the educational, personal and professional benefits of mobility.
Global Rev Gen received a high commendation for Atlas Ad Intelligence, an AI-powered platform developed by Bosco Anthony and Melanie Buckley to help education providers make evidence-based decisions about advertising creative before campaigns launch.
The platform analyses millions of live advertisements across markets and industries, identifying creative elements associated with stronger performance. Global Rev Gen reports that Atlas supports more than 60 per cent of Australian education institutions, with adoption also growing across several international markets.
The technology aims to reduce guesswork, improve marketing efficiency and generate better-quality leads.
While recruitment marketing is increasingly data-driven, the challenge remains to translate campaign performance into meaningful student outcomes. Tools that improve targeting and reduce wasted expenditure may be valuable, but their longer-term worth will ultimately depend on whether they support sustainable recruitment and a better match between students and institutions.
Research shines a light on leadership resilience
Dr Alison Taylor won the Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis award for Resilience in Senior Leadership in Higher Education: An Investigation of Perspectives, Practices and Experiences.
Her research examines how senior leaders in Australia’s international education sector develop, manage and restore resilience while navigating complex professional environments.
Drawing on a literature review and interviews, the research developed a conceptual model and practical tools to improve understanding of resilience. A central finding is that resilience can be cultivated and strengthened rather than being treated as an innate personal characteristic.
That is particularly relevant to an industry exposed to frequent policy changes, public scrutiny, recruitment pressures and shifting institutional priorities. Resilience is not simply about individuals enduring difficult circumstances. It also raises questions about the workplace cultures, support systems and leadership practices that allow people to perform effectively without compromising their wellbeing.
Recognising the next generation
Susan Schlinker received the Tony Adams Rising Star Award for her work at Study Queensland, part of Trade and Investment Queensland, where she established Talent-Ed, a flagship employability program for international students, graduates and industry.
The program has engaged more than 1,800 participants across Queensland and reported increased confidence among students and employers, alongside a 100 per cent industry recommendation rate. The release also attributes a contribution to attracting $130 million in investment to Queensland in 2026.
The program reflects a growing focus on employability and the connections between international education, industry and graduate outcomes. For students, the value of an Australian qualification is influenced not only by the education received but also by opportunities to develop workplace skills and build professional networks.
Felipe Augusto Fogaca Pereira received a high commendation in the same category for building a careers, employability and alumni engagement program at the Education Centre of Australia.
The program supports more than 2,000 international students across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane through career consultations, industry lectures, webinars, LinkedIn clinics and student-led entrepreneurship and consulting groups.
An international student himself, Pereira has drawn on his own experience to help other students navigate the transition from study to employment. His work is a reminder that students are not simply recipients of services. Their lived experience can be a valuable source of insight into what support is needed and how it should be delivered.
Life Membership recognises a lasting contribution
Professor Chris Ziguras was awarded IEAA Life Membership for his longstanding contribution to international education research, policy and professional leadership.
A Professor of Global Studies at RMIT University and former leader of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, Ziguras has been a prominent voice on the globalisation of higher education, including regulation, markets, education providers and student mobility.
He served IEAA as a Board Member, Vice-President and President between 2012 and 2018, and has continued to contribute to the association’s events, initiatives and sector discussions.
His recognition acknowledges the role research, advocacy and professional associations play in building a more informed and connected international education community.
More than an awards ceremony
The 2026 IEAA Excellence Awards celebrate individual achievement, but the projects recognised this year also point to broader priorities for the sector: better academic outcomes, more meaningful student engagement, stronger evidence of educational impact, improved employability and leadership capable of navigating uncertainty.
Those priorities are especially pertinent as international education continues to face scrutiny over its contribution to Australia and the experience it delivers to students.
The awards do not resolve the policy questions confronting the sector. They do, however, provide examples of the work happening within institutions and across the profession to improve practice and demonstrate value.
For an industry often discussed through the lens of migration, revenue and enrolment targets, that is a worthwhile reminder of what sits underneath the numbers.
The 2026 IEAA Excellence Awards were sponsored by IDP Education, Macquarie University, Pearson, TOEFL and the University of Sydney.
The full list of winners and high commendations is available through the IEAA Excellence Awards website.
