Now in its seventeenth year, the International Education Association of Australia’s Excellence Awards continues to shine the spotlight on the individuals and teams that lead our industry. IEAA acknowledges the people and projects that raise the bar for excellence in Australian international education.
“While the challenges are many in international education around the world, Australia still sets the standard in providing a launchpad for the leaders of tomorrow. Millions of professionals around the world owe their beginnings to Australia and its international education community. Australia remains committed to launching the careers of millions more,” says Professor Ren Yi, President of IEAA.
“Adversity often brings out the best in us. As visa restrictions, student allocations, global turmoil and artificial intelligence test our community, these disruptions can provide boundless opportunity for leadership and innovation. IEAA is ready to celebrate the best Australian international education has to offer,” says Hon Phil Honeywood, CEO of IEAA.
The Award categories are:
- Best Practice
- Distinguished Contribution
- Innovation
- Leadership
- Professional Commentary
- Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis
- Tony Adams Rising Star
This year’s Awards ceremony will be hosted at the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) in Sydney from 27 to 30 October 2026. See the 2025 IEAA Excellence Award winners here.
Anyone in international education can be nominated, but nominations must be submitted by an IEAA member (except Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis, which is open to any nominator). Nominations close Sunday 12 July 2026.
The IEAA Excellence Awards 2026 are supported by IDP, Macquarie University, Pearson, TOEFL and The University of Sydney.
To learn more and nominate, visit the Excellence Awards page on the IEAA website.