Celebrating our finalists in the 2026 PIEoneer Awards – the Oscars of international education!

Finalists for the 2026 PIEoneer Awards have been announced, with THREE Navitas teams shortlisted for prestigious awards that celebrate innovation and achievement in global education!

Every year The Pie News holds its signature event, The PIEoneer Awards, that honours innovation in the global education sector and recognises both individuals and organisations who are pushing professional standards, evolving their engagement or redefining the international student experience.

This year, The PIEoneer Awards mark their milestone tenth anniversary with our biggest celebration yet. For a decade, The PIEoneer Awards have stood at the forefront of international education, celebrating the people and organisations transforming our sector – firmly cementing their place as the Oscars of international education, celebrating exciting innovations and outstanding achievements.

You can view the full list of finalists on The PIEoneer Awards website.

Meet our 2026 Finalists!

Sustainability International Impact Award
Navitas, Australia – Agent Emissions Model

Navitas has been shortlisted for the work we have done to calculate and report on agent emissions. The ‘Agents Emissions Model’ initiative is aimed at improving how agent‑related environmental impacts are measured within our international education operations. The initiative introduces an activity‑based survey to better understand emissions associated with education agents – moving beyond high‑uncertainty spend‑based estimates. At this stage, the initiative primarily supports accurate and consistent reporting across Navitas, however the methodology has been designed with scalability in mind, so over time it may offer a practical reference point for broader adoption across the international education sector. Congratulations to Neelam Ganatra and the fantastic work of the Agent Emissions Working Group at Navitas!

​Partnership of the Year
Deakin University Lancaster University Indonesia (DLI) partnership

Deakin University Lancaster University Indonesia (DLI) is a transnational education partnership bringing together Deakin University in Australia, Lancaster University in the UK, and Navitas, to deliver a distinctive foreign branch campus model in Bandung, Indonesia. Launched in early 2025, the partnership represents a pioneering trilateral collaboration in the first-ever joint international branch campus featuring two top 200 global universities from different nations.

The primary objective for DLI is to democratise world-class education by providing Indonesian students with access to prestigious dual degrees locally. Students graduate with two distinct qualifications – one from Deakin and one from Lancaster – ensuring global recognition and enhanced employability.

​International Alum of the Year
Oluwadamilola (Dami) Iyanda – Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) & Birmingham City University 

Dami is an international student from Nigeria who came to the UK in 2023 to complete a Pre-Master’s at BCUIC, followed by MSc Project Management at Birmingham City University (BCU). In 2024, struck by the cultural and academic transitions and financial strains experienced by international students, she put herself forward and was selected for the role of Vice President (Equity and Inclusion) in BCU Students’ Union.

Dami was re-elected as the Student Union Vice-President Welfare for 2025/26 after receiving the highest number of votes ever recorded for a single candidate in the history of BCUSU elections.

However, Dami’s real impact is in embedding accessibility and equity into institutional infrastructure, ensuring inclusive practice endures beyond a single campaign or event. Through her position on the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the Audit & Risk Committee, and multiple policy working groups, Dami has brought the international student experience into strategic decision-making.