international educational pathways and opportunities for students. Community and industry partnership development is ongoing and remains crucial to ensuring program access and relevance for remote learners and local economies. NIC currently has over 80 active partnership agreements, enabling students to transfer seamlessly from NIC to the University of Victoria, Vancouver Island University, the University of British Columbia and universities around the world.6 NIC’s work with partner institutions through B.C., Canada and beyond, as well as with the British Columbia Council on Admissions & Transfer (BCCAT) is focused on supporting student access to higher education. Applied research NIC’s applied research initiatives have grown in recent years through the work of the Centre for Applied Research, Technology and Innovation (CARTI),7 created in 2012 to match students and staff with opportunities to work on challenges proposed by local business. CARTI has secured more than $3.7M in project funding since its inception, supporting 43 projects with 71 paid student researchers and engaging with 62 partner businesses and organizations. Applied research at NIC provides exceptional opportunities for students and staff to apply their skills to address challenges identified by local business, industry, not-for-profit and community groups. Innovative and collaborative community projects provide students with hands-on experience in applying knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world challenges. Faculty researchers benefit from opportunities to engage with stakeholders and remain current with new developments in their area of expertise. These practical and innovative projects also support economic growth and social improvement. NIC’s research partners utilize the expertise of students and staff to innovate in the creation of new products, processes and ideas. Community partners are provided with an opportunity to see the breadth of skills and expertise of NIC students and build relationships with those who may be candidates for future employment. Strategic direction Build 2026 Dr. Lisa Domae was appointed NIC’s sixth President and Chief Executive Officer on April 12, 2021 and, since then, has worked to finalize NIC’s 2021-2026 strategic plan, BUILD 2026, which received Board of Governors approval on May 27th. BUILD is founded on the values and core ideas heard in the NIC region in 2019 and 2020; integrates the learnings of the fall 2020 academic plan, Widening Our Doorways -COVID 19 & a 10-Point Plan to Reset, Reshape and Renew Learning at NIC; 16 and, is informed by ongoing discussions with students, employees, and communities - including through the engage.nic.bc.ca portal. The consultation