International higher education forum 2024

Aaron has 30 years of experience in the education field, and as a leader and an educator at heart, he is passionate about developing and supportingpeople. Aaron holds a Doctorate in Education (Durham University, UK), a Master of Science (Electrical Engineering) (National University of Singapore), a Professional Certificate in Coaching (Singapore Management University) and is a Certified MBTI practitioner. He is also a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (USA) and the Adult Education Network (Institute for Adult Learning). Outside of work, Aaron enjoys running, photography, and spending time with family and his two cats. 

Adam has worked in various Higher Education roles from international recruitment to marketing and student development at several institutions; Loughborough, City, University of London and Hertfordshire. After several years working in English language testing he joined AECC where he supports UK and EU universities in improving their international reputation and recruiting students from fourteen key source markets. 

Alan provides strategic leadership on internationalisation and works with senior leaders to advance the University’s international ambition and partnership. He directs the University’s international operation and has over twenty-five years’ experience in international higher education.  

He has an undergraduate degree in Public Policy and Management, Postgraduate Diploma in European Policy and Law and is an alumnus of Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Institute for Educational Management. He is a Commissioner for the US-UK Fulbright Commission, Trustee of the Council for At Risk Academics and member of the British Council Scotland Advisory Committee. 

With over ten years of experience working in market research, Alex is the Insights Manager at QS and oversees the analysis and design of a range of research projects they conduct. Alex has previously been part of a number of market research agencies, working with a diverse range of clients across multiple sectors. Since joining QS in 2017, he has managed the International Student Survey - the world’s largest survey of pre-enrolled international students, and the Employers Survey - the world’s largest survey of graduate employers. 

Dr Alex Bols is Deputy Chief Executive of GuildHE, which represents over 60 smaller and specialist universities and colleges. He leads GuildHE’s policy on a number of areas including international and immigration, and he sits on various sector-wide groups - including as a member of UK Standing Committee on Quality Assessment, the Home Office’s Education Advisory Group and observing the AdvanceHE board.  

He is on the Board at Writtle University College, Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance and was previously Board Vice Chair at the University College of Osteopathy. He has worked at NUS, Universities UK and the European Students’ Union. 

Alex Favier is Director of the ‘Midlands FDI into University R&D Programme’, leading a trail-blazing initiative formed by a coalition of seventeen universities, regional government and co-funded by DSIT, DLUHC and UKRI. The Programme leverages universities’ global connections to attract inward investment into UK R&D and support economic growth.  

Alex is also a Senior Advisor on Global, Investment and Clusters for the Midlands Engine and is the Founding Director of Favier Ltd, a company established to support universities and other organisation with UK and global political affairs, innovation strategy and partnership. He has most recently been the Director of Global Reputation and Relations at the University of Nottingham, where he founded and Co-Chaired the UK University Overseas Campus Network. 

Amy is an international education expert with over 20 years of experience in the industry. She started her professional life as a journalist and editor before building a media, recruitment and events business. A regular speaker and commentator on trends in the global education industry, she oversees all aspects of The PIE’s development, direction and enjoys travelling to meet and engage with the community in which she works when possible.   

After graduating as a veterinary surgeon from Trinity College Dublin, Andrea spent some time in veterinary practice before embarking on an academic career. This ledto her appointment as Professor in Veterinary Pharmacology at the University of Glasgow where her senior leadership career also developed through various roles before joining Edinburgh Napier University as Principal and Vice-Chancellor in 2013.  

Andrea held the Convenorship of Universities Scotland and Board membership of Universities UK from 2016 to 2020. She currently chairs the Universities Scotland International Committee and the Interface Strategic Board amongst other Boards on which she serves. 

Andrew has been Advisor to the China Britain Business Council since April 2024, having previously been the Council’s Chief Executive since 2021. Prior to joining CBBC, Andrew was the Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong 2015-2020.  Andrew was formerly a member of the UK Diplomatic Service, spending much of his career working on UK policy towards, and relations with, China and Hong Kong, including postings to the Embassy in Beijing, as Head of the China Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and as British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao. 

Anisa is Senior Research and Policy Officer at the UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR). Anisa undertakes policy research and provides oversight for the portfolio of work within UKCDR. Her current area of work includes analysing equitable partnerships at the funder level as an enabler for impactful research. Anisa is currently completing her PhD in International Development at King’s College London. Prior to pursuing her PhD, she worked in various public policy and research organisations. These include the Central Bank of Malaysia and the United Nations Development Programme in managing South-South Cooperation. 

Anne Marie Graham has been Chief Executive of UKCISA since 2019. She joined from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and was Director of Chevening, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s flagship global scholarship scheme. Previously, Anne Marie was Head of Outward Mobility and Assistant Director, Programmes at Universities UK International, where she led on several significant programme and projects promoting international mobility, including scholarships, TNE and outward mobility. As Head of Skills, Business and Adult Learning at the National Centre for Languages, she directed the development of new national standards in translation and interpreting, in support of the Government’s Routes into Languages programme. 

Bobby joined University of Portsmouth in 2017 to lead the strategic direction of the University’s Global Office. This includes global marketing and recruitment, international student support, student mobility, partnership and global business development. Bobby has worked in higher education since 1999 at the University of Luton (now University of Bedfordshire) and University of Glamorgan (now the University of South Wales) in various roles including Deputy Head of International Recruitment, Head of International & Business Development in the Faculty of Business and Society, Acting Director of the International Office, Head of Student Recruitment and Head of Enquiries & Admissions. 

Catriona is BUILA Chair and Director for Global Engagement at Ulster University. She has spent more than 20 years in the internationalisation of Higher Education, having previously worked for a number of Scottish Universities.

Catriona serves as a member of both the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) International Advisory Group and of the the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) Strategic Advisory Committee. She is a Non-Exec Director at Ireland’s largest overseas aid charity, sits on the Advisory Board of two successful Ed- Tech companies and is a member of the Visit Belfast Ambassador Circle Steering Group.

Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi is the Executive Director of the African Population and Health Research Center based in Nairobi, Kenya. She previously served as the Center’s Director of Research and Head of the research Unit on Health and Systems for Health. Catherine has a medical background and is a trained epidemiologist with research interests in the interface between Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Systems Strengthening.  Catherine is a strong advocate for the societal benefit of research beyond traditional research outputs. At APHRC, she has strengthened the Center’s approaches to policy engagement and advocacy and supported the development of policy and advocacy models to ensure timely and effective uptake of evidence in decision making.   
 
Catherine is also the co-Director of the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) – PhD and Post-doctoral fellowship Program to strengthen the capacity of eight public Universities in Africa to produce the next generation of African research leaders. 

  Catherine is a Joep Lange Chair at the University of Amsterdam and  also a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences and the co-Editor in Chief of PLOS Global Public Health journal.  

Professor Christopher Smith is Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and International Champion for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). He has been Professor of Ancient History at the University of St Andrews since 2002, and he was also Vice-Principal (2007-2009), before being seconded as Director of the British School at Rome, the UK’s leading humanities and creative arts research institute overseas, from 2009 to 2017. 

He is the author or editor of over 20 books from textual editions to museum studies.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Member of the Academia Europaea. 

Desmond serves as the Director of Global Business Development at Sinorbis, working with partners and clients to understand Asia's role in their organisation and create relevant digital marketing strategies. He is committed to helping institutions and businesses establish a strong digital marketing presence in Asia to reach their growth potential, having worked with partners and clients across APAC, EMEA, and North America. With a background in programmatic and digital advertising, two Bachelors degrees from UNSW majoring in Marketing and Advanced Chinese Studies, and having spent several years in China, Desmond has a deep knowledge of the various digital ecosystems in Asia. 

As CEO of London Higher, Diana is responsible for leading the organisation’s aims and objectives, being a voice for London’s universities and higher education colleges. Diana has previously worked in government as a policy adviser to three Ministers of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation. Prior to this she was the first Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI). 

Dinah Birch is Emeritus Professor of English Literature at the University of Liverpool.  As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Cultural Engagement, she was responsible for a wide-ranging programme of cultural activities, while serving as Chair of Main Panel D (Arts and Humanities) in REF2021. She has extensive experience of the recruitment and care of international students.  Dinah has published widely on Victorian literature, and writes regularly for the TLS and the LRB. She contributes to Melvyn Bragg’s In Our Time and Sky Arts documentary broadcasts, and has served as a Booker Prize judge.  She is currently writing a book on Anthony Trollope. 

Emily is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge in History, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council on a 1+3 DTP. She holds a Bachelor's in Architecture from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and an MPhil in Economic and Social History from Cambridge. Her research employs visual geodemographic techniques in conjunction with traditional historical methods to study social formation and class segregation in nineteenth-century Manchester. She is a member of the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, as well as the Centre for History and Economics. 

Emma Skelton is currently the Associate Head of Client Success, UK and Europe at IDP Connect. Her team is responsible for ensuring UK and Ireland institutions achieve the best results across IDP’s products and services. Prior to her role at IDP, Emma worked at the British Council where she worked with the UK parliament, government and sector bodies on international education issues, including mobility and student recruitment. 

Esther moved to the Royal Agricultural University in 2023 after most of her 25-year career in sector agencies in higher education and research, including Head of International at Jisc; Assistant Director in the Universities UK International Unit and over 13 years at UKRI 

As Associate Director for Business Development at RAU, Esther leads the professional services in core areas which require academic engagement and support, partnership and business engagement, including international, research, knowledge exchange, business innovation and growth, and leadership and skills. 

Esther has a First-Class BSc Hons, Diploma of Imperial College, and PhD in Chemistry from Imperial College. 

Farah Faizal is a retired diplomat with several years of experience and a PhD in Politics. She specializes in the security and development challenges of small island developing states (SIDS), especially the Maldives and South Asia.  

As the former High Commissioner of Maldives to the UK and the Ambassador of Maldives (non-res) to several European countries (Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden), she advocated for the interests and values of Maldives in various forums and platforms. She received the Diplomat of the Year from Asia and Oceania Award in 2022, and had co-edited a book on women's perspectives on security in South Asia. She was also the 3rd President of the Women in Diplomacy Network in London. She is fluent in English and Dhivehi, and has a passion for human rights, gender, empowerment of women and development. She is currently working on various research projects and publications related to her field of expertise. 

Professor ’Funmi Olonisakin is Vice-President International, Engagement and Service (IES) at King’s College London. She is also Professor of Security, Leadership and Development at the African Leadership Centre in the School of Global Affairs at King’s. In her role as Vice-President IES, Professor Olonisakin seeks to facilitate the deployment of King’s assets locally, nationally and internationally, to enable transformative and lasting impact. She is committed to building inter-disciplinary and intersectoral collaboration, and sustaining equitable partnerships to realise positive and lasting impact within and beyond King’s.  

Professor Olonisakin founded the African Leadership Centre (ALC) both at King’s and in Kenya, as a collaboration between King’s and the University of Nairobi in 2010. The ALC aims to develop a new community of leaders generating cutting edge-knowledge for peace, security and development in Africa. Previously, Professor Olonisakin worked in the United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in New York, between 1999 and 2003. From 2003 until 2013, she was Director of the Conflict Security and Development Group at King’s College London.  

In 2018, she was appointed to the Council of the United Nations University, on which she currently serves as Chair. She was awarded the Fellowship of King’s College in 2020.  

Professor Sir Gerry McCormac has been Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Stirling since May 2010. A scientist who spent his early career working on the NASA Dynamics Explorer satellite program at the University of Michigan, he headed the high-precision carbon-dating facility at Queen’s University Belfast and was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for External Relations (2001–2010). A former board member of the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA) and UCEA Scottish Committee Chair (2010-2020), Sir Gerry was Convener of Universities Scotland (2020-2022).  A Universities UK (UUK) board member, Sir Gerry is UUKi International Policy Lead (2023 -2026). 

In Gemma’s role as Executive Director – International Development at Staffordshire University, she is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of the internationalisation agenda, including International Recruitment and Admissions, Partnerships and English Language. Having worked in the HE sector for over 20 years, Gemma has cultivated corporate relations with overseas governments and led multiple reorganisation and cultural transformation initiatives. As a Chartered marketer, she has also led B2C and B2B omnichannel campaigns and digital transformation projects.

Gwen Williams has been Assistant Director for International at Universities Wales for two years having previously held the positions of Head of the Global Wales Programme and International Policy Adviser. Prior to joining Universities Wales, Gwen spent several years in Brussels working in the European Parliament, UK Permanent Representation to the EU and Welsh Higher Education Brussels. 

Harry Anderson is Deputy Director for Policy and Global Engagement at Universities UK International (UUKi). As Deputy Director, Harry oversees UUKi’s work across a range of policy areas, including Global Research & Innovation, International Mobility, and Transnational Education (TNE). Prior to his current role, Harry led UUK’s policy work in areas related to immigration,  free speech, and academic freedom, and previously worked on education and skills policy for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). 

Hetan Shah is Chief Executive of the British Academy, the UK’s national academy for humanities and social sciences. He is Chair of Our World in Data, which brings together research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. Hetan was appointed in 2024 by the UK Parliament to the board of the National Audit Office, the UK’s independent spending watchdog. He is Visiting Professor at the Policy Institute, Kings College London and a Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. Hetan serves on a number of advisory boards including the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, the UCL Policy Lab and the Resolution Foundation.

Isabella is Chair in Africa Research and Partnerships and Director of the Perivoli Africa Research Institute (PARC), and Professor of Gerontology in the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol.  Her research and engagement focus on understanding and shaping necessary change in Africa-global North research relations centred around her work on the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations, and ii) issues of ageing, intergenerational relations and care in African contexts.  Isabella joined the University in 2020 from the African Population and Research Center (APHRC) in Nairobi where, as senior research fellow, she established and led a research and policy engagement unit on Ageing and Development in Africa.     

James Coe is a senior partner at specialist consulting firm Counterculture where he leads work on higher education policy, working on issues ranging from research and innovation, to programme development, and much else in between. 

Janie is a seasoned strategy developer in enhancing Higher Education Institutions' internationalization and competitiveness, with track record of student engagement, leadership, team building, structural refinement and surplus maximization.  She specializes in sustainable student recruitment and mobility, channel marketing, transnational education, sponsorship and other areas relevant to international students and their studying institutions.  

Jennifer Wilkinson is Director of Student Recruitment & Business Development at London Metropolitan University. Her expertise is in international higher education, primarily study abroad and partnership management, while she also leads domestic and international student recruitment, widening access and outreach, enquiry and conversion marketing and collaborative partnerships, including London Met’s flagship work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She is also an Academic Associate at UCL, tutoring on the MBA Educational Leadership (International).  Jenny is currently working towards her PhD in Educational Leadership, considering the intersection between climate action and internationalisation in higher education. 

Jess Lister is an Associate Director at Public First, where she leads higher education and skills work with a number of universities, both in the UK and internationally. She was previously Public Affairs Coordinator at the University of Cambridge. 

Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, has propelled the company's growth and strategic acquisitions, capitalising on her global expertise gained from senior roles at Clarivate Analytics, Thomson Reuters, and McKinsey & Company. Holding a B.Sc. in Pure Mathematics from the University of Sydney and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard, she personifies QS's mission to empower individuals through education, career development, and international mobility. Her leadership has transformed QS into a key strategic partner for higher education institutions (HEIs), further solidifying its reputation as the leading source of insights, analytics, and global enablement solutions for universities, students, employers, and policymakers. 

Jo served as Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation under three different Prime Ministers between 2015-2019 and before that as Head of the Number 10 Policy Unit. 

Jo today maintains a number of roles across the education system, including as Visiting Professor at King’s College, London; Member of the Council of the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology and Fellow of Birkbeck, University of London.  

He is also Chairman of Access Creative College, the largest independent provider of further education for the creative industries, and Chairman of the House of Lords Special Inquiry into 11-16 Education. 

John Strachan is Director of GuildHE Research. He is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at Bath Spa University, where he was previously Dean of the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries. He previously held chairs at Northumbria University and the University of Sunderland. Professor Strachan is an Associate Editor of the Oxford Companion to English Literature, a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Royal Asiatic Society. He is an Ambassador for the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Chair of the Global Academy of Liberal Arts. 

Professor Kingsley Abbott is an experienced international criminal and human rights lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in international non-governmental organisations, the United Nations, academic institutions and domestic legal practice.   

He is currently Professor of Practice and Director of the Institute for Commonwealth Studies at the University of London.  Prior to that, he spent over nine years in Thailand where he served the International Commission of Jurists as the Director of Global Accountability and International Justice. He has also worked as a Senior Legal Adviser at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia and as Trial Counsel in the Office of the Prosecutor at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the Hague. He started his career in his home country of Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Laura has worked in careers and employability within HE for 20 years, as a manager, practitioner and researcher. She has worked extensively with undergraduates and postgraduates at various institutions, such as UCL. In 2014 Laura was the award-winning instructor of the world’s first careers and employability MOOC via Coursera, Enhance Your Career and Employability Skills which had over 89,000 active users from across the world. Laura’s work has been published in a range of academic and professional journals, including her 2023 work on transdisciplinary approaches to TNE careers education. 

Laura Hammond is Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Knowledge Exchange at SOAS University of London, and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. She has conducted research on food security, conflict, migration and diasporas. She is Head of the London International Development Centre-Migration Leadership Team, Team Leader of the EU Trust Fund’s Research and Evidence Facility on migration and conflict in the Horn of Africa, and Co-Director of the SOAS Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies. 

Laura is an experienced educator working in the UK education sector. She has worked within the International Office at Newcastle University since 2018 and has played a key part in the development and delivery of the University’s Global Strategy, working with colleagues to create a cohesive, institutional approach to enhance the global impact and visibility of research, education, and engagement. She has extensive international recruitment experience and leads the teams in the development and delivery of work across student recruitment, partnership development, alumni engagement, corporate engagement, and marketing and profile building.  

Li Li is Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Exeter, responsible for the global strategy, engagement and activities of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS). She provides leadership in developing global partnerships, enhancing global reputation, leading international student recruitment, and enriching student and staff global experience.  She also co-leads the UK-China Humanities Alliance for Higher Education and serves as Deputy Secretary General for the Alliance. Li is a professor of applied linguistics and language education, specialising in teacher education, thinking skills, and technology-enhanced learning. 

Dr Liang-Fong Wong graduated with BSc Hons (1st) degree in Microbiology at the National University of Singapore and undertook her PhD in Neuroendocrinology at the University of Bristol on a Wellcome Trust Prize studentship. Her research career includes industry experience at the biotechnology firm Oxford BioMedica (UK) Ltd where she led regeneration research and genomics programmes, and she returned to Bristol on a RCUK fellowship to establish her research laboratory specialising in viral vectors and stem cell technology to study neural repair. She currently holds teaching leadership roles in the Bristol Medical School,  and as Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Internationalisation), oversees institutional strategy for developing global partnerships.  

Dr Alijeva is Presidential Fellow at the City Law School (City, University of London). She specialises in Law and Political Science and her research focuses on international organisations, implementation of international norms, and the activity of civil society actors. 

Her projects analyse the latest developments in international human rights norms, with a specific focus on minority rights, and the role of higher education institutions in global cooperation. Before taking up her postdoctoral fellowship at City, she was the Knowledge Diplomacy Project Manager at University of London Institute in Paris. She has worked extensively with NGOs and international civil service institutions. 

Lya is Deputy Director for the International Placements Division at the Department for Education (DfE). In her current role, she is primarily responsible for the development and delivery of the Turing Scheme. Lya has also held senior roles in the DfE on school building programmes and in the Department or Work and Pensions. 

Maddalaine Ansell joined the British Council as Director Education in November 2018.  Prior to this she was Chief Executive of University Alliance.  Maddalaine previously worked for 15 years as a Civil Servant with stints in the Treasury, Number 10, the Home Office and the then Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.  She began her career as a corporate lawyer, working for both Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Sullivan & Cromwell. 

Maddalaine leads the Global Education Strategy and Portfolio working collaboratively with colleagues in British Council offices across the world and with HMG, the Devolved Administrations and the Higher Education Sector. 

Sir Mark Walport is Foreign Secretary and Vice President, the Royal Society.  He chairs Imperial College Health Partners, Imperial College Academic Health Sciences Centre and the Kennedy Memorial Trust. He is a non-executive board member of NHS England, and trustee of the British Museum, the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, and Health Data Research UK. 

 Professor Nishan Canagarajah was born and educated in Sri Lanka, receiving his BA (Hons) and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Cambridge in 1989 and 1993 respectively.  

He joined the University of Bristol in 1993 and became a Professor of Multimedia Signal Processing in 2004. Nishan has led a number of successful international research partnerships and is currently theme leader for the joint £5M EPSRC/DST collaborative programme on next generation Telecommunications Systems and Services, which includes a number of UK and Indian Universities and industrial partners.  

Nishan has served on a number of national and international panels on research funding, governance and postgraduate education. He acted as a Technical Consultant for several industrial partners including Sony, BT, BBC, Orange, Thales, Toshiba and the Met Police. Previously, Nishan chaired the University Executive Committee for the National Composites Centre, was a Non-Executive Director for North Bristol Trust and served on the HEFCE STEM Review Advisory Board. 

Malcolm Offord is a Scottish businessman who was appointed Minister for Exports in the Department of Business and Trade on 24 April 2023. 

He was born and educated in Greenock and graduated in Law from Edinburgh University in 1987 before embarking upon a 25-year career in The City of London. He returned to Scotland in 2014 and established the private equity boutique Badenoch & Co which invests in Scottish SMEs, that focus on manufacturing their products at home and selling abroad. He is a regent of Edinburgh University and a Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. 

Professor Mathieson read Medicine at the London Hospital Medical College and qualified with First Class Honours from the University of London in 1983. He obtained a research training fellowship at the University of Cambridge, leading to a PhD in 1992. He became Director of Studies for Clinical Medicine at Christ’s College, Cambridge.  

Peter moved to Bristol in 1995 as the foundation Professor of Renal Medicine at the University of Bristol and Honorary Consultant Nephrologist, North Bristol NHS Trust. In 1999, he was elected to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.  In 2007, Peter became Head of the University Department of Clinical Science at North Bristol, was appointed as Director of Research & Development for the North Bristol NHS Trust, and was elected President of the Renal Association.In 2008 Peter was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Bristol.   

Between 1999 and 2013 he taught Medicine annually in Mbarara, SW Uganda and also conducted some clinical research there.  In April 2014, Peter assumed office as the 15th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, a post he held until January 2018. In February 2018 he took up his present post at the University of Edinburgh. In 2021 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He received his Knighthood in 2023.  

Phil has been the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) Chief Executive Officer since November 2011. Previously, he was a Member of the Victorian State Parliament (1988–2006), Minister for Tertiary Education, Training and Multicultural Affairs (1996–1999) and Deputy Leader of the Opposition (2002–2006). Since retiring from politics, Phil worked at Stott’s Business College and Cambridge International College. Phil is the Convener of the National Council for International Education, Chairman of the Roundtable of International Education Peak Body CEOs and a member of the Tuition Protection Service Board. He also sits on the New South Wales, Queensland and StudyPerth International Education Advisory Boards.  

Philip Landon is Chief Operating Officer at Universities Canada. He is responsible for the strategic and operational effectiveness of the organization. He recently served as Universities Canada’s interim president and CEO. 

Landon brings over 30 years’ experience in the higher education, international development, and not-for-profit sectors. His work has focused on shaping organizations and partnerships to deliver programs and initiatives that create and share knowledge to improve lives. 

Rachel is the Director of Partnerships and Stakeholder engagement at IDP Connect. Rachel works with university partners on their student recruitment ambitions, as well as leading on government and sector stakeholder management, B2B Marketing and Global Communications. Prior to her joining IDP Connect in early 2022,  Rachel held roles as Director of International at the University of York, Head of Recruitment at University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and roles with Navitas for seven years in both Edinburgh and Melbourne.  

 Rachel is passionate about ensuring successful outcomes for her clients, sharing IDP’s unique data sets to help improve the policy environment in the UK and working with a wider group of colleagues in the sector to constantly improve the applicant experience. 

Reese Chamberlain is a fourth year undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh and a #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador at UKCISA.  

Reese joined UKCISA in 2020 shortly after moving from the United States to pursue a degree in international relations. At UKCISA, he has focused on improving recruitment and admissions practices, student employability, and graduate outcomes. He has spoken across the country to members of government, university staff, and sector organisations to ensure that the student voice is fundamental in sector decision making at all levels. 

  As an Ambassador he contributed to UKCISA’s #WeAreInternational Student Charter, a student-written document that establishes guidance on the fundamental principles required to deliver a world-leading international student experience in the United Kingdom. 

Sanam Arora is the chair of National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK and the India UK Achievers Honours; and a consistent voice championing for international students in the UK.  

Sanam is a Commissioner of the UK's International Higher Education Commission. Professionally, she is a senior strategist to the Investment Management industry, providing transformation advice to global asset & wealth management houses. For her work towards the welfare of young Indians abroad and promoting the India-UK educational relationship, Sanam has won numerous awards, including most recently the prestigious PIEoneer award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry and holds the Honorary Studentship of the London School of Economics SU.

Sandy Bhangal is the ETS Associate Director for TOEFL® Client Relations within the UK and Ireland. She has more than twenty years of experience in working with government bodies, employers, careers services, university academic departments, international offices, marketing and admissions offices as well as graduate recruiters, aiding these groups in attracting and recruiting both domestic and international students.  

Based in London, Sandy is responsible for the growth of TOEFL across the UK and Ireland as well as overseas. Sandy continues to manage valuable partnerships with key strategic stakeholders globally. In her current role she supports prioritized growth initiatives in Asia, EMEA and Latin America working in close collaboration with the TOEFL in-country teams. 

Sarah Spreitzer represents the American Council on Education (ACE) and its members before the U.S Congress and the administration on matters related to research policy and funding, international students, immigration, and other legislative issues.  

Before joining ACE, Sarah held senior positions in higher education advocacy at the University of Missouri System, Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, and the University of Washington’s Office of Federal Relations. At the University of Missouri System, she served as the director of federal relations, working to connect system and campus leadership, as well as faculty and staff, with congressional offices and key science and education agencies to influence federal policy. At Lewis-Burke, she represented an array of public and private institutions of higher education before Congress and the federal agencies. Before Lewis-Burke, Spreitzer served as the Assistant Director of the University of Washington’s Office of Federal Relations. 

Shruti Pawar is a current Master’s student in Health Management at City University of London and a trained dentist from India. Motivated by a deep commitment to healthcare and aiding others, Shruti has actively contributed to society through extensive volunteer work, including serving in COVID wards during the pandemic. Moving to the UK to expand her knowledge, Shruti is dedicated to enhancing her skills in the health care sector to better serve communities and improve healthcare systems globally. 

Sibongile Muthwa is the Vice-Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. She has a distinguished career both in South Africa and internationally, working in development and public-sector institutions, and in academia. She is the former Director of the University of Fort Hare Institute of Government; a former Director-General of the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, South Africa; and the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Institutional Support, of Nelson Mandela University. 

Sibongile is deeply committed to gender justice, social inclusion and active democratic participation. She is the former Trustee of South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID).Until December 2023 she served for two terms as Chair of Universities South Africa (USAf), a membership organization representing all 26 South African Public Universities.  

She is a member of the International Governing Board of the BRICS NU. She is a member and Trustee of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Council 

Simon leads the strategic direction and operational delivery of IDP Connect, the business-to-business division of global education company IDP Education. With more than 20 years of experience in Higher Education sector, Simon is a leading figure within the industry and regularly provides expert comment and analysis on policy, trends, and sector developments. 
   
Sitting on the Global Leadership Team for IDP Education, Simon leads the direction of strategic partnerships and government relations for IDP across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Simon is responsible for the delivery of IDP’s client-facing data and insight, marketing and recruitment solutions for higher education clients across the world. In addition, Simon leads student facing research websites and apps including The Complete University Guide and Whatuni. 

Professor Sir Steve Smith is the UK Government International Education Champion. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter from 2002-2020. In November 2020 he was also appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative to Saudi Arabia for Education.  

Sir Steve served as President of the world academic body in his field (the International Studies Association) from 2003-2004.  

Sir Steve was President of Universities UK (UUK) from 2009-2011; Chair of the UCAS Board from 2013 – 2019 ; Board member of the Russell Group (2012-2020); Chair of UUK's International Policy Network and Chair of UUK's International Strategic Advisory Board (2015-2020); Member of the UUK Board (2006-2020). He is currently a Fulbright Commissioner, a Trustee of the Education and Employers Task Force, a Non-Executive Director of Unite Students, Chair of the Liveable Exeter Place Board, and a Patron of Exeter College. From 2007 until 2010, he led for higher education on the Prime Minister’s National Council of Excellence in Education.  Sir Steve was knighted in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to higher education locally and nationally.  

Steve Tsang is Director of the China Institute, SOAS, London, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and an Emeritus Fellow of St Antony’s College at Oxford.  He previously served as the Head of the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies and as Director of the China Policy Institute at the University of Nottingham.  Before that he spent 29 years at Oxford University, where he earned the DPhil and worked as a Professorial Fellow, Dean, and Director of the Asian Studies Centre at St Antony’s College.   

Tano is a student at London Metropolitan University, currently completing their final year in Criminology and International Security. Tano spent their second year of university in both Japan and San Francisco in the USA. In San Francisco, Tano was represented international students as president. 

Tim Gore is Chief Executive Officer of the University of London Institute in Paris. He has held senior leadership roles in career postings in France, UK, India, Jordan, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong and has substantial experience of higher education in a global context; cultural relations; diplomacy and commercial enterprise. His main expertise is strategy applied within higher educational contexts as well as in internationalisation of higher education and leadership.  He has worked closely with a range of government organisations in the countries he has served and received the OBE for his work in India-UK bilateral relations while he was leading the British Council’s education work in India. 

Victoria provides strategic leadership for the University of London Careers Service, supporting 45,000 global distance and flexible learners as well UoL’s small and specialist institutions. Victoria has worked in HE for over 13 years and sits on a number of institutional committees focused on employability, as well as the GLA’s Higher Level Skills Advisory Group. A qualified Careers Consultant, Victoria has taught at several UoL institutions and was joint winner of the Roger Mills Prize for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.  Outside of work, Victoria is a school governor and enjoys tennis and running around after her young children. 

Professor Wendy Alexander is Vice Principal, International at the University of Dundee, Scottish Government International Trade & Investment Envoy for Higher Education, a Trustee of the British Council and member of the UK Government’s Education Sector Advisory Group.  She chairs the Global Advisory Board for Times Higher Education Student, is a Venture Partner at Emerge Education and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.  As a Member of the Scottish Parliament (1999-2011), she served in the first three Scottish Cabinets, including as Minister responsible for Further and Higher Education. She holds honorary degrees from University of Strathclyde and University of West of Scotland. 

Professor Wendy Thomson CBE has been Vice-Chancellor of the University of London since 2019, following a distinguished career in government and higher education.   

She has held roles as the UK Prime Minister’s Chief Advisor on Public Service Reform, as well as Director of Best Value Inspections at the Audit Commission, CEO of the London Borough of Newham and  MD of Norfolk County Council. 

At McGill University, she was Director of the School of Social Work and Professor of Social Policy.  Wendy has served on various government commissions and boards of directors.  

She is a member of the Board of Universities UK, London Higher, and The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).  She also is chair of the Social Market Foundation.