Prime Highlights

• The conference pushes institutions to move beyond traditional classroom delivery toward applied, experiential learning models built for a changing world.
• A major focus of the event is AI’s growing impact on higher education, covering ethical use, literacy, and integration into teaching and assessment.

Key Facts

• The IDGI BC Conference is a gathering of leaders from British Columbia’s independent degree-granting institutions, focused on the future of post-secondary education.
• The 2026 edition is hosted at Western Community College in Surrey, bringing together participants from institutions across the province.

Background

The leaders from the private institutions in British Columbia are scheduled to meet in Surrey for the 2026 IDGI BC Conference which will take place at Western Community College during the last week of April and the first week of May. The two-day event centres on how post-secondary education must adapt to artificial intelligence, experiential learning, and workforce demands.

Running under the theme “Beyond Content: Empowering Achievement through Experiential Practice for a Changing World,” the conference brings together faculty, researchers, and institutional decision-makers from across the province. Some of the participating organizations include Yorkville University, University Canada West, LaSalle College Vancouver, New York Institute of Technology, and Acsenda School of Management.

Sessions on both days involve discussions about work-integrated learning, curricular innovation, career readiness, student achievements, reflective learning, and practical approaches to assessment. A significant portion of the programme focuses on artificial intelligence, addressing ethical use, AI literacy, and how institutions can integrate AI into teaching and assessment practices.

The conference sees itself as a collaborative process between institutions that seeks to have conversations and exchange knowledge for better alignment within the sector amidst increased pressure on the educational system to adapt.

The conference also features indigenous representation through its program. This includes a cooking session by indigenous people, key note presentation by Musqueam artist Debra Sparrow, and discussions about cultural sensitivity, place-based learning, and indigenous knowledge in inclusive education. Additional keynotes feature Dr. Delbar Niroushak, a leadership and business development coach, and Morten Rand-Hendriksen, principal instructor at LinkedIn.