Transnational education conference 2024

Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi is a storyteller, leader and innovative educator. He developed Purpose-Driven Education, pioneered the CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) framework, delivered the first MOOC in Malaysia and initiated the first Grand Challenges Scholar Programme outside the US.  

Besides being the Provost of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, he serves as Chairman of the Vice-Chancellors Council for Private Universities in Malaysia and Board member at the British Malaysia Chamber of Commerce. He published several papers and books including, “Driven By Purpose,” “Think Like an Engineer” and “Leading With Stories” and he has numerous awards and honours. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Eve Alcock is Director of Public Affairs at QAA where she leads the organisation’s policy, stakeholder relationships and communications work. She is also a Fellow on Aspen UK’s Rising Leader fellowship programme. Prior to QAA she spent two years at the Clean Air Fund, an international charitable foundation tackling air pollution globally, where she worked across communications, advocacy and strategic partnerships. Her background in the higher education sector comes from two years as President of the University of Bath’s Students’ Union where she was also a governor of the University and Chair of the SU’s Board of Trustees.

Phil has over 28 years’ experience in higher education. He has held numerous senior positions, including Head of School (Dean) of the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Cambridge; Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bath; and Chief Academic Officer at Forward College, Paris. 
   

Phil’s research is in urban planning and cities. His most recent book, The Forgotten City, was published in 2021 and a fourth edition of his Planning Theory is in progress. He is the co-editor of Planning Futures with colleagues at UCL and the University of Cardiff and holds honorary positions at the universities of Cambridge and Bath.

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).

Jamie was appointed Director of Universities UK International (UUKi) in November 2022. Prior to taking on this role, Jamie led Universities UK’s research and innovation policy programme (2014-2017) before becoming Assistant Director for Policy Engagement at UUKi (2017-2022).  Before joining Universities UK in 2010, Jamie was a research associate and ESRC research fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Education and Social Research Institute.

LSBU Global is led by Stuart Bannerman, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor International of London South Bank University (LSBU). Having taught at the universities of St Andrews and Glasgow, he launched the first International Study Centre in the UK at Queen Margaret University in 1998, introducing Graduate Diplomas for the first time as a pre-masters award for international students. He was also Head of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and Director of the Centre for Applied Language Studies at the University of Dundee, and worked at the University of Essex, setting up and running the International Academy. He then took up the post of Director International for the launch of the new University of Suffolk. In 2016, he moved to London South Bank University, where he combined all the international functions into one Directorate and established, with QS Enrolment Solutions (QSES), the first comprehensive enquiry to enrolment assist service. As Associate PVC, he is now focussed on combining the online with traditional TNE in the newly created LSBU Global. Stuart is also attached to the Centre for International Higher Education Management at the University of Bath.

Dr Alexis Brown is Head of Global Insights at the British Council. Prior to that she was Director of Policy at HEPI, where she published on research security and overseas R&D investment, and a Policy Manager at the Russell Group, where she managed a portfolio of policy issues related to higher education and financial sustainability.

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, published in the Journal of Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.

Charles Cormack, Chairman of the Cormack Consultancy Group (CCG), is an expert in higher education internationalisation with over 20 years of experience. Charles has long-standing experience developing strategic international projects and innovative TNE models for universities, government agencies, and EdTech companies across 30+ countries. He is also the co-founder of the Twinning initiative, demonstrating an innovative approach to supporting higher education in crisis.

Kuldeep Dagar, Joint Secretary with Association of Indian Universities, is leading a team of experts in accreditation/recognition of School and Universities level foreign qualifications in India. He works closely with universities across the world for accreditation/recognition of qualification awarded by them and has served as Member and expert in various Inter Govt Joint Taskforce of India including the recently concluded India- UK, India-Australia committees that drafted the MoU on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications. He is actively contributing in various initiatives of AIU on Internationalisation of Indian Higher education involving the capacity building of Indian universities on Internationalisation at Home, forging Academic and research partnerships, promoting Indian TNE initiatives, organising various international conference, moderating panel discussions on contemporary educational issues etc. Prior to joining AIU, he has worked with the JP Morgan Chase, Nokia Siemens network and Indian Navy. He is alumni of IIT Kharagpur and IIFT, Delhi.

Anna Dukes is Director Global Engagement at Cardiff Metropolitan University and is responsible for delivering across a range of strategic internationalisation priorities to include global partnerships, global civic mission, global student support, student and staff international mobility, and the University’s Transnational Education (TNE) provision. Anna leads on the University’s TNE strategy, business and operations that delivers education to over 17,000 students across 13 partners in 12 countries. An experienced leader in international higher education, Anna has worked in the field for over 17 years, since graduating from the University of Exeter with a BA (Hons) Spanish with complementary Italian. 

She holds a BA in English Language and Literature, an MA in Second Language Learning and Teaching and a PGCE. She taught in the UK and in Cyprus in Secondary and Higher Education. She has extensive experience in English Language examinations and served as a Chief Examiner for GCSE exams. She also served as a secondary school Head teacher. Among her other duties at the Department of Higher Education, she represents the Director of the Higher Education Department in the Bologna Follow-Up Group  on Learning and Teaching and the Bologna Thematic Peer Group B on the Lisbon Recognition Convention and  a member of the Department’s committee for Internationalisation of Higher Education of Cyprus.

Josh Fleming is the Director of Strategy and Delivery at the Office for Students, overseeing strategy, delivery, communications and evaluation. He previously served as Sir Michael Barber’s Chief of Staff, helping to establish the Office for Students in 2018.

Jazreel joined the British Council in 2004 where she led on the UK’s largest education marketing and partnership initiatives in China. She set up the British Council’s Education Intelligence Unit – the first e-marketing platform dedicated to international education research for the industry globally. In 2013, she launched the UK’s flagship outward mobility programme - Generation UK which led to a 104% growth in British students to China. The UK became one of the largest providers of transnational education in China
and the first country to initiate a multi-lateral education collaboration platform bringing together institutional partners from UK, China, Sub-Saharan Africa and ASEAN countries in co-funded projects during her tenure. Jazreel returned to Malaysia in September 2020 to take up the roles as Director Malaysia and Head of East Asia Insights Hub. She was awarded an MBE in 2017 for her services to UK education in China and listed as one of the top 50 Voices in the Australia-ASEAN international education sector by The PIE Insider Leadership Digest 2023

Professor Simon Guy’s remit is to develop, connect and lead Lancaster University’s digital, international and sustainability plans. He is leading on the growth of Lancaster University Leipzig, while continuing to develop Lancaster’s partner campuses in Malaysia, China, and Ghana, and intensifying their inter-connectivity. He is currently working to establish a fifth campus in Indonesia in collaboration with Deakin University. He also the executive lead on Lancaster’s programme of digital transformation and is responsible for delivering on plans for de-carbonisation to meet Lancaster’s climate emergency declaration.

An international HE Professional with 10 years of HE experience, I have operated in the TNE space since 2014 and currently lead on the commercial management of Northumbria’s TNE partnerships. My team collaborates with 17 partners in 10 markets, and I am responsible for implementing strategies for driving commercial performance and growth.  

I lead on projects to maximise efficiency including partner health checks and reporting on recruitment trends as well as the development and implementation of new processes and systems that ensure all of the University’s income generating academic partnerships outside the UK are managed effectively from a commercial perspective.

Delia has 30+ years experience in HE. Starting her career as an academic and moving into senior strategic roles across the globe. In the last 25 years she has focused on all aspects of Internationalisation Strategy, International Recruitment , Marketing,  and Operations, TNE and Partnership Development,  Tax ,Risk  and Regulatory compliance, and Enrolment Management.In the University sector Delia has held positions of Dean, Director of International and Pro Vice Chancellor Global Engagement and most recently was VP Global Education Practice working in Strategic Consulting including living and working in India for 5 years . She is now an independent practitioner advising universities and private providers on a range of projects.

Kelly Koh is CEO of Ngee Ann Academy, a private education institute owned by one of the biggest philanthropic organisations in Singapore, and which works with prestigious universities like King’s College London, University of Nottingham and University of Adelaide to deliver their degrees in Singapore. Prior to this, he has had more than a decade of experience in the field of university admissions, and was also Director, Education at the British Council, Singapore, working on partnership building, education marketing, market intelligence provision, and thought leadership in Higher Education. He began his career as a teacher in Singapore and Japan. 

Annabelle Lee is a Policy Advisor at Universities UK International (UUKi), supporting the UK higher education sector in responsible internationalisation with a focus on transnational education (TNE). Previously, Annabelle was UUKi's policy lead for East Asia/Asia Pacific, where she supported members with international engagement and managed various projects, events and delegations with key stakeholders including British Council, UKRI and DBT. Annabelle has worked in the field of international education since graduating with an MSc Education Policy and International Development (Distinction) from the University of Bristol. She has worked across both international NGO and policy contexts.

Lito Miranthi, an MBA holder and current PhD candidate, has extensive managerial experience in Higher Education. She served as Academic Director for 12 years and worked as an Assessor and External Examiner for the National Vocational Qualifications Framework with the Human Resource and Development Authority for 8 years. Since joining Invest Cyprus in 2015, she has overseen the Higher Education Sector and initiated the Headquartering Unit, responsible to attract tech companies to the country. Additionally, she represented Invest Cyprus on the Committee of Supervision and Control for the implementation of the Cyprus Investment Program.

David was previously Deputy Vice Chancellor, International at Coventry University - responsible for all international activities including joint ventures, recruitment, collaborative delivery, curriculum internationalization, mobility and enhancement. He implemented an ambitious agenda involving a more than 6-fold increase in recruitment; establishing the UK’s largest overseas collaborative delivery programme ~20,000 students in 27 countries; and developing the world’s largest international enhancement programme which has ranked No.1 for overseas mobility since records began. 

Nishat has over 24 years of experience in education leadership. Over these years, she has developed, managed and supervised large scale programmes on health, gender, skills, culture and education. Nishat is one of the founding members of Karakorum International University- the first university in the Gilgit Baltistan province of Pakistan. She has also been chairperson of innovative women social enterprise CIQAM. At present, Nishat is the global head of higher education systems and TNE lead at British Council.

As the global TNE lead, Nishat provides advice and technical expertise to governments, sector agencies, networks and partners in developing and nurturing sustainable education systems across seven regions. Nishat is also a member of the International Advisory Committee of Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) of the UK, Mentor for Women Leadership Programme, Australia Awards, Board member- Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Member of ARC8 Expert Group on Equitable Access and Success in Higher Education, Europe and Asia and others. Prior to this role, Nishat led British Council’s education work in Pakistan as Director Education. In her over 10 years leadership, Pakistan’s education portfolio became one of the biggest education programmes in the UK missions around the world. 

Dr Gary Rivers has worked in TNE partnerships for thirty years, mainly focused in East and South-East Asia for both Australian and British universities and in academic and management roles. He has broad experiences in crafting strategies for partnership development and the management of the same. In his current position, as Dean (Operations) at the Surrey International Institute at Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, he has gained significant experience from being posted in China since appointment in 2010, including active involvement with strategic developments, TNE management of multiple business programmes and participating in multiple quality assurance processes.

As Head of Transnational Education (TNE) at Universities UK International (UUKi), Griff leads UUKi’s work with universities, government, and international partners to support the delivery of high-quality UK degrees around the world. His role encompasses policy development, research, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

Griff has six years of experience working for UUKi in a range of roles, starting as immigration policy intern in 2018, and working on TNE from 2018 to 2021. Most recently prior to his role as Head of TNE, Griff was Policy Advisor for Global Mobility. 

Stuart Smith, BA Hons, MA joined NCUK in 2021 as Chief Executive, and leads the company during a time of evolution and change within the Higher Education sector.  Prior to joining NCUK, Stuart held roles such as Director of International, Head of International and Head of Student Recruitment at UK Universities and for private education providers, bringing a wealth of commercial and international experience from within the Higher Education Sector.  Stuart and the teams he has managed have been nominated for multiple awards, including the Times Higher Education awards and winning a PIEoneer Award.

Shannon is responsible for QAA’s international engagement and partnership building, including managing QAA’s Memoranda of Understanding. She also supports on the delivery of QAA’s TNE work and the development of QAA’s insights. Prior to this, she worked in roles focused on policy at Universities UK International and global mobility at Goldsmiths, University of London. Shannon holds a master’s degree in International Education and Development from the University of Sussex.

Oscar has worked in a range of leadership, policy and delivery roles across the UK civil service including the Department for Education, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Home Office and Cabinet Office. He has also worked in Brussels supporting the Council of the EU.

Lead Consultant for Global Citizenship Education programmes in West Africa. Fostering Global Education programmes, collaborations and partnerships for teachers in Africa.

Dr. Marinos Voukis is a staff member of the Cyprus University of Technology and holds the title: Director of Communication, Marketing, and International Relations Services.  

He owns a BSc in Business Administration, a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and possesses, 20+ years of work experience in 5 esteemed higher educational institutions, in 3 countries, both in Europe and the USA.  

Following an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Republic of Cyprus, he has been seconded to the MFA to perform specific duties which include Branding, Sustainable Development, and Educational Diplomacy.

Victoria provides strategic leadership for the University of London Careers Service, which supports 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.

I work with UK and International Higher Education providers, national quality assurance agencies and other stakeholders supporting the development and enhancement of international education. 

I manage the Quality Evaluation and Enhancement of UK Transnational Higher Education scheme (QE-TNE) liaising with stakeholders and overseeing the country focused, institutional, and thematic enhancement outputs.

Prior to joining the QAA, I had nearly 30 years' experience of working in higher education across the public and private sectors. Working primarily in international education, I have been a teacher, lecturer, trainer and senior academic working in quality assurance, accreditation, teaching and learning, and TNE.

Prof Sally Wheeler OBE is the Vice-Chancellor of Birkbeck, University of London.  Sally was formally Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Australian National University (ANU) and Pro Vice– Chancellor at Queen’s University Belfast.  At ANU Sally held the corporate and international portfolios.  She is a lawyer by academic background and still pursues an active research career.