Dr. Philipp Reichert has been connected with UBC Okanagan for over 15 years, first as a student during his undergraduate studies and returning in 2012 as a staff member. Currently, Philipp is the Director, Global Engagement at UBC’s Okanagan campus and also serves as a Senior Advisor, Learning and Development at the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE).
Before joining UBC, Philipp worked at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) with their International and Executive MBA programs, and prior to that, at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) in the Netherlands.
Philipp holds a doctorate from the University of Calgary where his research and dissertation focused on the internationalization of higher education, specifically the nexus of government policies, institutional programming, and international student career transitions. Philipp received his Master’s degree with honours in International Relations from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands where he was a Nuffic Huygens scholar and also holds his RCIC designation in Canadian immigration law.
Outside of his work at UBC, Philipp is actively involved in various volunteer roles at the local, provincial, national, and international level. He volunteers with the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE), NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA). He is also a member of the Central Okanagan Local Immigration Partnership Committee (COLIP).
Philipp engages in community activities that focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and welcoming newcomers to the Okanagan Valley. He contributes to the national international education community through his volunteer positions, including his membership and leadership roles in CBIE’s National Immigration Advisory Committee (2018-2022) during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. As the co-chair of the IAC from 2020-2022, Philipp collaborated closely with stakeholders from all over Canada, sharing the constantly changing policy directives and decisions, and engaging in conversations with IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) to bring about significant policy shifts impacting post-secondary institutions and international students.
Philipp values the importance of mentorship and frequently finds ways to support new professionals in the field via CBIE, NAFSA and AIEA. Philipp is often called on as a subject matter expert, frequent facilitator, and presenter to work through national and international challenges. Most recently, he co-designed a series of focused training programs for the Government of Saskatchewan, Edu Nova and is currently leading a team of subject matter experts at CBIE in the development of new programming and training opportunities in the International Education field. His contributions to the field of international education have been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. In 2016, he received the CBIE North Star Award for Emerging Leadership in International Education from the CBIE Board of Directors. In September 2020, he was received the UBC Okanagan Staff Award of Excellence for Global Citizenship, acknowledging his contributions within UBC, the local community, national organizations, and government agencies. In 2021, he was awarded the Harold Josephson Award by AIEA for his doctoral research and related work. In 2022, he received the Top 40 under 40 award for the Okanagan Valley, and in 2022/2023, he was appointed as a Presidential Fellow by the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA).
