International student recruitment conference 2024

Harry Anderson is Deputy Director for Policy and Global Engagement at Universities UK International (UUKi), the body which represents the UK’s higher education sector and supports universities with their global engagement. 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 related to immigration as well as free speech and academic freedom, and previously worked on education and skills policy for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Mehvish is Director of Global Engagement at Ulster University, Northern Ireland. She is passionate about fostering inclusive, impactful global experiences for students and staff. The Office for Global Engagement drives the University’s international student recruitment, international partnerships and study abroad activities and leads initiatives to support the international student experience. Prior to joining Ulster, Mehvish held internationally focused roles at UCL, Goldsmiths, and Cardiff University.

Jenny is the Director of Recruitment and International Relations at the University of Glasgow, with responsibility for student recruitment, international partnerships, study abroad and international networks.

Prior to joining Glasgow, Jenny was Director of External Relations at the University of Aberdeen. An alumna of the University, she had worked as Head of its International Office (2024 – 2019).

She was Vice Chair and subsequently Chair of the SUIG (2006 – 2010).  She served on the BUILA Executive Board (2017 – 2021).  She was a University Governor, at the University of Aberdeen (2017-2020).  She was a member of the CASE UK and Ireland Cabinet (2021-2023) and the CEAC Planning Committee (2022 – 2024).

Rachel is the Director of Partnerships and Stakeholder engagement at IDP UK. Her role is to work 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 in the UK, 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.

Celia joined UUKi in 2017 and leads on UUKi’s external grants and contracts, as well as events, communications, engagement and insight. She previously worked at the Royal College of Music and the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), where she led on the Prime Minister’s Initiative for International Education, launching projects that enhanced the international student experience. Her private sector experience includes managing Barclays UK-wide flagship community investment programme on financial capability for young people. As a consultant, she has also worked on strategic reviews, programme development and sustainability strategy for a range of organisations across the private and not-for-profit sectors.

Charley works in UUKI’s policy and global engagement team on our international student recruitment and outward student mobility policy and programmes. She has worked in universities in roles covering international student recruitment, partnerships, and outward mobility since 2007, most recently as Head of International at Goldsmiths University of London. She was previously on the British Universities International Liaison executive and chaired the China Regional Interest Group.

Dr Heather Rolfe is Director of Research at British Future, a think tank focused on immigration, integration, race and identity. She has expertise in immigration, in particular on migration for work and study and on public attitudes. She was previously Director of Employment and Social Policy at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and was Director of Research at the think tank Demos. In 2020 she was awarded a fellowship of the British Academy of Social Scientists.

Emma Skelton is currently Head of Client Success, UK and Europe at IDP. 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 and sector bodies on international education issues, including mobility and student recruitment.  

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.

Professor Jennifer Watling leads on developing and delivering the University’s International Strategy which includes enhancing the global profile of our education and research, attracting international students, developing international partnerships, providing international experiences for our students, and engaging with our international alumni. She has held leadership positions in universities in both the UK and Australia, and is a past co-chair of UUKi’s PVCi network. Professor Watling is an internationally recognised plant scientist and has published widely on photosynthesis, plant respiration, climate change, and plant responses to environmental stress.

Professor Chris Wigginton leads Sheffield Hallam University’s global activity and wider educational partnerships. He has both an academic and commercial background, having begun his career with the Saatchi and Saatchi group internationally, before moving into higher education and maintaining industry links throughout. His academic work has focussed mostly, but not exclusively, on the arts and humanities, most recently publishing a biography of Dylan Thomas. His funded research has a particular focus on place, on which he has also led major education initiatives. He is a board member of various external bodies including STEM Learning and the National College Group.