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Award Recipients

President’s Awards 2021 Recipients | Internationalization Award


Linda Hill Faculty of Social and Community Services

“Linda effectively promotes opportunities to the BCD (Bachelor of Community Development) students and faculty members and encourages them to participate by emphasizing how global experiences will add value to their learning while developing essential employability skills. She encourages students to approach their field of study through both community development and a global lens.”

Stephanie Byer, Manager, International and Strategic Initiatives


Linda was nominated for contributing to the internationalization of curriculum, adding value to the teaching and learning experience for students and faculty members within her program and across the Faculty and College as a whole.

Linda Hill’s nomination highlights her various contributions to the internationalization of curriculum within the Faculty of Social and Community Services and to her leadership and advocacy of global learning opportunities for the engagement of students, staff, and faculty across the FSCS and wider Humber community.

Through her work, Linda has made significant contributions to Humber’s Internationalization Strategy, directly supporting the four strategic pillars to:

  • Enhance and expand opportunities for the Humber community to contribute to, and be engaged in, the internationalization of our campuses and our communities;
  • Be the polytechnic institution of choice for the academically curious and creative from around the world to learn from, and contribute to the Humber community;
  • Connect members of our community and our partners to worldwide learning opportunities and
  • Maximize global learning opportunities through strong and deep strategic partnerships

Linda’s work on and support of international initiatives and global learning opportunities had a meaningful and positive impact to involve, engage, and benefit students, staff and stakeholders across the College community, both internal and external to Humber. This nomination recognizes her professionalism, enthusiasm, and dedication to internationalization efforts, which have significantly contributed to Humber’s mission and strategic direction.

Rossie Kadiyska Faculty of Business

“In Fall 2020, Rossie started a new initiative with Senac University in Brazil. This illustrates Rossie’s ability to chart pathways and establish relationships in places where there are none, in support for Humber’s strategic goal for internationalization.”

Bruce Sinclair, Associate Dean, Business Marketing, Fashion & Beauty


Rossie’s activities and initiatives have been aligned with Humber Strategic Plan 2018-2023 for building a 21st century institution and shaping our students as global citizens corresponding to Humber’s vision of “Transforming postsecondary education through global, polytechnic leadership”.

Internationalization of curriculum Rossie Kadiyska initiated and implemented:

First Collaborative Online International Learning Project

The first within the Business School, Collaborative Online International Learning Project (COIL) with Humber international partner, Saxion University, The Netherlands. The COIL Humber-Saxion was conducted in Winter 2019, following Rossie’s participation in Saxion Smart Solutions Conference Days in March 2018. The COIL Humber-Saxion was conducted as a part of the curriculum learning and offered students from both institutions the opportunity to work on an international simulation recruitment initiative for a global fashion brand.

Second Collaborative Online International Learning Project

In Fall 2020, Rossie started a new initiative with Senac University in Brazil. Senac University is not a Humber partner but due to the interest and relationship that Rossie established with a Brazil faculty member, the Brazil institution and Humber college had to sign an MOU in order to facilitate the initiative and make the learning happen. This illustrates Rossie’s ability to chart pathways and establish relationships in places where there are none, in support of Humber’s strategic goal for internationalization. Her approach towards internationalization from the ground through faculty engagement is creating and strengthening new institutional relationships based on grassroots growth. The actual classroom learning happened in winter 2021. During seven weeks, Humber and Senac students worked on a local, live case on Sustainable denim. The case was written by Rossie Kadiyska and Vladimira Steffek and was created for the specific purpose of teaching fashion sustainability in the classroom. The COIL project grew by incorporating students from FMCA (Arts Management and Public Relations) and turned into a truly interdisciplinary project.

Third Collaborative Online International Learning Project

During Fall 2020 and Winter 2021, Rossie solidified a relationship with Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in the UK and set the ground for another COIL, providing WIL opportunity (Work-Integrated Learning Opportunity) for students in May 2021. Over four weeks, Humber and NTU students worked on a consultancy project for a UK client, Nicholas Simon, as part of their placement WIL hours.

Engagement of students in international initiatives

Rossie has made sure that internationalization is set as a priority for fashion postgraduate students following industry and institutional goals and objectives. She has sought and offered to the students opportunities to grow their international experience and emphasize nurturing Humber global citizen students, as illustrated per the examples. Under her guidance, fashion management postgrad students formed a team and enrolled in KEA (Copenhagen School of Design) Charrette in October 2020. Similarly, under her guidance students have enrolled in the Humber Global GAP challenge in 2020 and 2021. Rossie has also incorporated international learning into her personal professional life, as well. Rossie has participated in various conferences and opportunities with Saxion University, Leave for Change (CECI Boliva), and KEA University.