Joining the panel discussion on Sustainability

After 16 years in the university sector in Australia, including 10 years in senior international roles, Ailsa switched her focus to climate change. In 2016 she set up Pomegranate Global, a company specialising in helping the international education sector respond to the climate challenge. In 2019 she co-founded CANIE: Climate Action Network for International Educators. Her work focuses on how the climate crisis can be transformed into an opportunity to improve the business of international education: to reshape global mobility and international recruitment operations to factor in environmental costs and to engage international students through climate action.

Joining the Country Spotlight - USA panel discussion

Dr. Andrea Felder is the Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Admissions at American University in Washington, DC. She is responsible for executing the recruitment and admission efforts of undergraduate applicants to the university. Prior to her time at AU, Dr. Felder recruited domestic and international undergraduate students to the University of Florida and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Felder earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and both her Master of Education degree and Doctor of Education degree from North Carolina State University.

Joining the Country Spotlight - Canada panel discussion

Mr. Ness has dedicated his entire career to working with students around the world in post-secondary education. He has over 30 years of experience in post-secondary education, with accomplishments and awards in student recruitment, admissions, marketing, student success and internationalization. He currently leads the International Education operation at Humber College, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive polytechnic institute. During his time at Humber, he has presided over unprecedented international enrollment growth and expansion of international activities around the globe.

Joining the Q&A huddle with Diversity Abroad

Andrew Gordon is a social entrepreneur and CEO & Founder of Diversity Abroad. With a passion for student success, international education, and social entrepreneurship, he founded Diversity Abroad in 2006 with a simple vision: that the next generation of young people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and global acumen to thrive in the 21st century interconnected world and competitive workforce. As the chief national advocate for student success through equitable access to global education, Andrew speaks, writes, and consults extensively on such topics. Andrew is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and proficient in French. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and has studied, worked, and traveled to over 54 countries.

Joining the Q&A huddle with IUA

Anna Cunningham is Director of the International Office at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway). The University currently has 3,000 international students from over 115 different countries. The post involves advising senior management of the University on strategic, policy and operational aspects of international affairs. Anna is responsible for implementing University policies and procedures in international affairs and has 20 years experience at SIO level. A graduate of University of Limerick and University of Sheffield, Anna recently completed a Diploma in Executive Coaching through the Irish Management Institute.

Joining the Marketing panel discussion

Marketing & Communications professional with a passion for internationalization and education.

Joining the Employability panel discussion

Bob Tricklebank is the Head of Engineering Programme for the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology. The Dyson Institute is in the process of applying for New Degree Awarding Powers with the aim of teaching its own cohorts of Students from September 2021. As Head of Engineering Programme, he is responsible for the academic and work based learning provided to our students. This includes recruiting and leading the academic team that will develop and deliver the course, as well as working closely with Dyson Technology to develop work rotations that apply and complement the academic programme. He started with the Dyson Institute in January 2017 working closely with WMG to develop the programme and facilities ready for the first cohort in September 2017. Previous to helping create the Dyson Institute, he spent 15 years working in industry applying his engineering knowledge in the design and development of new products and technologies.

Joining the panel discussion on Sustainability

Brad is passionate about international education and travel. After graduating from the University of Newcastle, where he was also awarded a cultural scholarship and coordinated the second ‘Cultural Awakenings Festival’, Brad travelled the world and has since visited 60+ countries. Brad has been involved in international education for 25 years, working at a number of Australian Universities (The University of Newcastle, Bond University and Navitas at Griffith University), and for international companies in Korea, China and the US. Brad studied abroad at the University of Canterbury - NZ and Harvard University - USA, has volunteered in the Philippines and has been an active volunteer with Surf Life Saving Queensland for 8+ years. He loves the outdoors and hiking, has completed the Australian Ironman, hiked Kokoda and to Base Camp Mt. Everest. Brad is on the reference group for the EPITOME Research Project (Enhancing Programmes Integrating Tertiary Outbound Mobility Experiences) and has presented at international conferences such as NAFSA, ISANA, the Mobility Forum, AIEC and CCIS.

Joining the panel discussion on Sustainability

Brett Berquist leads international strategy and operations at the University of Auckland, ranked #1 in the inaugural THE Global Impact ranking measuring universities on SDGs. He has over 25 years experience in the sector, in Europe, the US, and Asia. Recent publications include: -Crawford, P. & Berquist, B. (Eds.) (2020). Community Engagement Abroad: Perspectives and practices on service, engagement, and learning overseas. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press. -Berquist, B., Moore, K., & Milano, J. (Eds.). (2018). International internships: Mission, methods & models, a collection of papers from the Global Internship Conference. Boston, MA: Academic Internship Council. 

Joining the Country Spotlight - Australia panel discussion

Bronte Neyland leads the Future Students and Marketing Portfolio at VU, Australia. This portfolio brings together Brand and Marketing, Media and Corporate Communications, Web Services, Future Students and VU International. Prior to her appointment to the PVC role, Bronte led the University’s international student recruitment activities as Director, Victoria University International (VUI). During this time she was instrumental in driving strong international student load and revenue growth, and more broadly in growing the University’s international reputation.

A well-known and respected figure with more than 19 years in the Australian international education, Bronte is a regular presenter at international conferences and industry workshops on key topics relating to international education. She is passionate about supporting the career development of emerging talent. In 2019, she was Chair of the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum (AUIDF) and in September 2019 she became the inaugural IEAA Fellow, in recognition of her commitment to giving back to the international education sector through delivering workshops and webinars. This commitment also saw her awarded the 2015 Tracy McCabe Future Leader Fellowship.

Joining the Country Spotlight - USA panel discussion

Deputy Assistant Secretary Casagrande is responsible for all academic exchanges supported by the Department of State, including the Fulbright and Gilman scholarships, English language learning programs, study abroad initiatives for Americans, over 600 American Spaces around the world, and the promotion of U.S. higher education overseas through 435 EducationUSA centers. Ms. Casagrande previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly for eight years, rising to Deputy Republican Leader, and is the youngest woman assembly member ever elected in New Jersey. Ms. Casagrande spent more than five years as a practicing litigation attorney and as chief legal counsel for various towns in New Jersey. As an American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) exchange alumna, Ms. Casagrande served as a delegate to Nepal in 2010; later she received an ACYPL fellowship from the East-West Center in 2015, for which she traveled to India. She has been an honorary fellow of Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics since 2015. Ms. Casagrande holds a JD from Rutgers School of Law and a BA from Pennsylvania State University.

Joining the Country Spotlight - Canada panel discussion

With over 20 years experience in International Education, including public and private sectors and roles ranging from summer camp director to university international director, Cath has led academic, programming, marketing and communications teams to deliver on internationalization and international business development goals. A master’s degree in Leadership along with an education degree and two totally unrelated undergraduate degrees, Cath’s commitment to learning and leading has extended beyond work to include volunteering on boards for NGOs, and currently as President of Languages Canada. There is no doubt that this is fueled by passion for languages, culture, people, and coffee! Cath also has a love for her active family, and her two golden retrievers.

Joining the Q&A huddle with Kaplan International 

Clare Cairns heads up a global recruitment team across 20 countries, that provides advice on higher education opportunities for students and parents, and supports Kaplan’s trusted partner agents. She has worked within the Kaplan International Pathways recruitment team since 2008. Previously, she worked in the international exchanges and educational travel industries in the USA. She has lived in 4 countries and worked in over 40. Clare studied Political Science at Glasgow Caledonian University (UK) and Stockholm University (Sweden).

Joining the panel discussion on Employability

Responsible for all Coventry’s international activities including joint ventures, student recruitment, collaborative partnerships, curriculum internationalization, mobility, and cultural enhancement. Pilsbury leads a sector leading global engagement agenda recognised by many awards including the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and EAIE’s premier award. He holds a number of Board level positions including of the China-Britain Business Council & EURIE. Previously the founding CEO of the Worldwide Universities Network, HEFCE Head of Research Policy and Assistant Director R&D at Cambridge University Hospital. He spent a number of years in strategic consultancy and investment banking after completing a D.Phil and research at Oxford University.

Joining the Country Spotlight - USA panel discussion

David L. Di Maria has nearly two decades of experience designing and leading global engagement initiatives at public universities. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of Internationalisation of Higher Education – Policy and Practice, on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of International Students, and he is chair-elect of NAFSA’s International Education Leadership Knowledge Community. Previously, he served as president of the American International Recruitment Council. Di Maria earned a doctorate from the University of Minnesota, where he focused his research on campus services for international students. His most recent book is Senior International Officers: Essential Roles and Responsibilities.

Joining the Q&A huddle with Western Union

Dino and his team partner with Universities and Colleges throughout the UK and Europe, consulting, developing and implementing payment and treasury hedging solutions. He is overall responsible for the revenue and strategic direction of the European education business. This includes partner relationships, overseeing key accounts, planning, forecasting, and supporting the development of our products, as well as managing the team of Key Account Managers and the Dealing function.

Joining the Q&A huddle with IUA

Douglas Proctor is Director, UCD Global at University College Dublin (Ireland’s Global University), where he has management responsibility for the international office and provides leadership to the broader university community on internationalisation and international engagement. Douglas leads the activities of UCD’s five Global Centres (located in the USA, China, India, Asia-Pacific and Middle East), as well as international recruitment, partnerships and mobility. A Senior Fellow of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), Douglas holds a PhD in international higher education from the University of Melbourne, and is currently Chair of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) Publications Committee.

Joining the Q&A huddle with IELTS

Tony Clark is a Senior Research Manager at Cambridge Assessment English, managing research on the IELTS test. Since joining Cambridge in 2018, he has been responsible for the IELTS Joint-funded Research Programme, the Caroline Clapham Master’s award, Permanent Secretary / Chair of the IELTS Joint Research Committee, and led on a number of high profile cross-partner research projects. His other principal research interests include Chinese and Japanese educational contexts, academic writing for overseas learning, test preparation, pedagogy, diagnostic assessment and lexical studies.

Joining the Marketing panel discussion

Edwin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Studyportals. He is continuously looking to optimise our long-term world impact, while seeking strategic partnerships and focusing on further developing Studyportals products and services together with students and universities. Edwin’s areas of expertise include global supply and demand trends in higher education, decision-making processes amongst international students, technology in education and study choice, and entrepreneurship. He has a Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Management from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU Eindhoven) in the Netherlands and Osaka University, Japan, and has won numerous awards. He is also an Advisory Member for AACSB and EAIE.

Joining the panel discussion on Marketing

Eero Loonurm has been active in higher education internationalisation for nearly 15 years. His responsibilities in Archimedes Foundation (Estonia) include the development and execution of the national higher education marketing strategy for "Study in Estonia" and representing Estonia in communications-related working groups on the state level and European level. He is the marketing and communications expert in promoting Europe as a study destination for the European Commission project “Study in Europe”.

Joining the Q&A with LCI

Erin Adams is an experienced professional in international education. She has worked extensively in English as an Additional Language, in K-12, and in post-secondary. She has also lived and worked in Indonesia, South Korea, and Germany, as well as her home country of Canada. Erin believes that education is key to deepening our mutual understanding and advancing equality, and in her current post as Director of Admissions for LaSalle College Vancouver (part of the LCI Education Network), she is proud to play a role in encouraging students to build better futures for themselves and for the world.

Joining the Country Spotlight - Canada panel discussion

Feroz is a driven entrepreneur with international experience in growing post-secondary education institutions and developing pathways for domestic and international students. As a board member and advisor with governance in both private and government-owned entities, he has over 20 years of experience with a proven track record for establishing new businesses, mergers and acquisitions. As the President/COO , he works closely with the CEO to operate and expand ILAC groups offerings particularly in the private post-secondary environment. He has also conducted his own business ventures in countries such as New Zealand, Philippines and the Indian subcontinent.

Closing remarks

Graham Stuart was elected as the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness in 2005. He joined the Department for International Trade in January 2018 as Minister for Investment. In February 2020 he was appointed Minister for Exports. Graham was born in Carlisle. He attended school in Scotland before going to Selwyn College, Cambridge to read philosophy and law. At Cambridge he chaired the Cambridge University Conservative Association, and founded ‘What’s On in Cambridge’ After university Graham developed a successful career in publishing, and was a member of Cambridge City Council from 1998 to 2004. In Parliament Graham: chaired the Education Select Committee (2010 to 2015) was Assistant Government Whip with responsibility for the Department of Health, and later for HM Treasury and the Ministry of Defence (2016 to 2018).

Joining the Country Spotlight - Australia panel discussion

Helen Kronberger is Senior Adviser International Education at Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). She worked previously as Director Victorian Tafe International at the Victorian Tafe Association, as Director and Consultant at IEC International Education Consultancy, and held roles at University of Melbourne and Edith Cowan University.

Joining the panel discussion on Study Travel

I was born in Barcelona in full revolution (May 1968). At the age of 21 I started working at British Summer while studying Economic Sciences at the university (UAB, Barcelona). My first job was to develop the commercial department, in particular focusing on the relationship with High Schools and Language Schools. In 1993, at 25,I became director of the company, which we ended up buying in 1998. In 1999 I was elected vice president of ASEPROCE and during ourterm worked to achieve state regulation and professionalize the sector companies. Between 2001 and 2003 I participated very actively with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in the development of a standard at European level. After three years of intense work, involving 20 countries, we were able to agree on a 15-page document on the regulation of our sector. In recent years I have continued developing new projects such as the creation of a management system, digital platforms (Blabloo), opening of an agency in Mexico (StudyFuera), and very personal adventures such as www.consolacion.com.es. 

Joining the panel discussion on Study Travel

Jack Zissler is the Owner and Director of 195 Training Group and 195 Global Study Abroad, a language and skills center and education agency based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He is also a teacher because that is his passion and it helps him understand what students want. Originally from America, Jack has resided in Vietnam for the previous 11 years. After spending the first ten years of his career on Wall Street, Jack has worked in management consulting in various countries throughout Southeast Asia and as Deputy Global Sales Director for Cambridge Education Group. He has consulted on many M&A deals and projects for the large organizations in the education industry. 

Joining the panel discussion on Digital Technology Innovation

Jan Lynn-Matern is a Founder and Partner at Emerge Education, a European seed fund investing in exceptional founders who are solving the $8.5tn skills gap. Emerge is backed by strategics such as Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Assessment and Jisc, as well as founders/investors of Trilogy and 2u. The team has a solid track record with 50+ investments, with those companies raising £100m+ from investors such as Local Globe, Stride, Project A, Rethink Education, Learn Capital and Reach Capital. Portfolio: www.emerge.education/portfolio Emerge also convenes Edge, a series of thought leadership forums for higher education and corporate leaders working on addressing the skills gap in their organisations and beyond. Through Edge, Emerge is able to help founders gain unique customer insights and build defining business partnerships that help their companies grow faster. Prior to founding Emerge Education, Jan was an Associate at Chelwood Capital, a boutique impact investment and advisory firm. Jan graduated from New College, University of Oxford, with a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Joining the Q&A huddle with Global Engagement Index

Janet Ilieva is founder and director of Education Insight, a research consultancy specialising in international higher education. Janet's research focuses on global student mobility, national policies and regulatory environment for higher education engagement, university partnerships and transnational education. Janet started her career as a university lecturer in economics before joining the British Council in 2004, to lead the department's work for higher education research and market intelligence. She joined the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in May 2013 as head of the HEFCE Observatory. There, she published on international student demand for higher education in England with a strong focus on transnational education. Janet regularly undertakes research on higher education engagement for government departments and international organisations in Europe and Asia and the universities' sector.

Joining the Country Spotlight - USA panel discussion

Joann Ng Hartmann is the Senior Director for International Enrollment Management-International Student and Scholar Services and Volunteer Engagement at NAFSA: Association of International Educators. In her capacity, Joann provides strategic staff leadership for professional development, publications and programs related to IEM-ISS. Prior to NAFSA, Joann spent 18+ years at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville managing and overseeing the student and scholar services unit, including institutional compliance, orientation, and student/scholar advising support services. Joann was a former volunteer leader for NAFSA serving in various regional and national capacities. She has written training curriculum, presented workshops and sessions at many conferences. She holds an MS in communication from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette.

Joining the panel discussion on Sustainability

Joanna Regulska is Vice Provost and Associate Chancellor for Global Affairs and Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at the University of California, Davis. For more than three decades Regulska has led large-scale programs that have transformed institutions, established collaborative partnerships, and substantially improved globally focused services and programs for students, faculty, and staff. In 2019, she was recognized with the inaugural Institute of International Education (IIE) Senior International Officer Award.

Joining the panel discussion on Study Travel

Johannes Kraus has been a social and creative entrepreneur in the Language Travel Industry for the past 13 years. He has established and run Kurus English, an English Language school with a unique experiential learning concept, where clients immerse themselves into the diverse cultures of Cape Town while using the English Language in real-life contexts. From 2014-2019 he was the Chair of Education South Africa (EduSA), the Language School Association of South Africa. The current pandemic sees him moving into a cooperation with the English Language Centre (ELC) of the University of Cape Town, where he will join as Business Development Consultant as of October 2020.

Joining the panel discussion on Sustainability

John Hardy is an artist and entrepreneur with a unique talent for having unconventional ideas and making them a reality. After graduating from the Ontario College of Art & Design, he travelled the world before eventually settling in Bali. In 1975, he started a modest jewelry business that grew into a major international company. In 2007, he exited the business to dedicate his time to advocating and building a more sustainable world through education and design.

Green School Bali was co-conceived and co-founded with his wife, Cynthia Hardy, to make the world more sustainable by inspiring students to live a life of purpose through action-based learning in a truly unique environment. John spoke at TED Global about Green School and the USGBC awarded the school with the 2012 Greenest School on Earth award. Green School New Zealand opened in February 2020 and next year two other Green Schools will open in South Africa and Mexico. John founded Green Village Bali, a collection of custom homes made almost exclusively from bamboo and only a short walk from Green School, and a growing community which a number of Green School families now call home.

John and Cynthia also co-founded Bambu Indah, a radically different eco resort in Ubud, Bali.

Joining the panel discussion on Study Travel

José has worked in international education for 29 years. He has held positions in organizations such as the Fulbright Program at Harvard University, worked with the Ford Foundation as well as various Ministries of Education around the world. As VP at Kaplan International, José led its sales and recruitment team worldwide As US Managing Director of Kings Education, José is responsible for all aspects of US operations including the management of all Higher Education partnerships. José is also a graduate of Georgetown University where he studied International Relations both at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Jose speaks 7 languages.

Joining the panel discussion on Edtech Innovation

Chief Content and Partnerships Officer at FutureLearn, Justin leads all content and partnership activity, working to build a world-class portfolio of content targeted at in-demand jobs and global skills gaps. Justin founded global digital agency Fortune Cookie in 1997, which he grew to 250 people and $30 million in revenue before selling to WPP in 2012. He's been an investor and adviser to numerous fast-growth technology businesses at Northzone. For the past two years, he’s been VC of Unicef UK, a member of the Digital Advisory Board to the GREAT Britain campaign and sits on the Advisory Board of The British Museum.

Joining the Q&A huddle with Moreland University

Prior to his current role, Kevin was Vice President of Strategy and Operations at Teach-Now Graduate School of Education and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS). In addition to 23 years in education, he has given 20 years of service as a director on non-profit boards, with four years as a school trustee. Kevin is a Fellow in the UK-based Royal Society of Arts; advisory council member for Harvard Business Review; member of the Online Executive Panel (Education) for McKinsey & Company; member of the Feedback Forum (Marketing) for the Financial Times; a judge for the International School Awards; and past lecturer for the National Endowment for the Humanities. He holds bachelor’s degrees in French and German and a Master’s in Comparative Literature, all from the Pennsylvania State University; a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Rutgers University; and two executive certificates from Stanford University in Advanced Project Management and Strategic Decision & Risk Management. A polyglot with seven languages, he holds citizenship in the US and UK.

Joining the Marketing panel discussion

Joining the Country Spotlight - Canada panel discussion

Larissa Bezo presently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Bureau for International Education. Ms. Bezo has served in senior leadership positions in both the public and not-for-profit sectors, including as the youngest Deputy Clerk in the history of Saskatchewan, Senior Advisor to a Federal Royal Commission and most recently, as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Bureau for International Development. After a distinguished public service career, Larissa pursued her longstanding commitment to international development and solidarity through senior-level assignments with the World Bank and the International Centre for Policy Studies in Ukraine. Larissa Bezo has worked successfully with Boards of Directors and Executive Committees to define strategic priorities and oversee their implementation. She possesses 25 years of professional experience, including 15 years in the international development and education sector. Ms. Bezo is an accomplished senior executive with a proven ability to provide effective leadership to build organizational capacity and resilience, foster durable partnerships, navigate sensitive political, intercultural and international issues and mobilize resources to achieve organizational priorities. Larissa graduated from the University of Regina with a Master of Arts in Political Science.

Joining the Q&A with Unibuddy

Laura is a Customer Success Manager at Unibuddy. Laura works with our UK partners, guiding them through the onboarding process and helping them to get the most out of the Unibuddy platform. Laura has over 5 years of Student Recruitment and Marketing experience across multiple UK institutions, most recently as Student Recruitment Manager at UAL.

Joining the Country Spotlight - UK panel discussion

Lil was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of Oxford International in 2019, after serving as the Group Commercial Director since 2017. During her tenure at Oxford International, Lil has been successful in driving massive growth across the Academic Division and has steered the Group through significant business change and development during the Covid19 crisis. With over 17 years senior management and leadership experience in education, Lil’s previous roles include Director of International Recruitment for Cavendish College, Head of International Operations for South Thames College, and most recently, International Director at BPP University. During her time at BPP, Lil set up overseas delivery centres in 6 countries, including Hong Kong, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Trinidad and Tobago and Mauritius. By the end of her time at BPP, the University was recruiting over 6,000 international students a year and had grown its annual revenue from £2m to £37m. In addition to her current position as Group CEO at Oxford International, Lil also serves as an Advisory Board Member for IDP Connect. Lil is passionate about gender equality in the workplace, and actively mentors women in their leadership journey, as well as their return to work post maternity leave. Originally from Uruguay, Lil has lived in London for over 20 years. She is a keen runner and lives with her husband and their three children.

Joining the Q&A huddle with Bonard

Maria is Head of Events & Solutions at BONARD, with almost 9 years of experience in research, event management, destination marketing, and strategy development. After receiving her MA in Marketing Management, she worked as researcher providing insights on global student mobility patterns and market trends. In 2012, she discovered her passion in event management, and since then has managed and supervised over 130 successful research-driven trade missions, familiarisation tours, press tours, and recruitment trips all across the globe. Maria is also a speaker at various conferences on international education sharing her long-term experience in helping governments, study destinations, associations, investors, institutions, and other stakeholders, to establish winning marketing and recruitment strategies and succeed in the international education sector.

Joining the panel discussion on Edtech Innovation

Mario is a Principal at Emerge Education, a European seed stage fund investing in founders solving the $8.5tn skills gap, backed by the world's foremost education entrepreneurs. Before Emerge, Mario was a strategy consultant at Monitor Group and Monitor Deloitte and led transactions at Social Finance, Europe's leading social impact investment and advisory firm. He holds a BA from Harvard University.

Joining the Country Spotlight - Australia panel discussion

Mark established iae GLOBAL in partnership with OJ Kim of iae EDUHOUSE in January 2006. iae GLOBAL is one of the world’s leading international education recruitment and marketing consultancies with over 70 offices in 14 countries recruiting in excess of 20,000 students per year. With an education career spanning 40 years, Mark has taught high school, college and ESL in Australia and Japan. He was the founding director and CEO of Technos Language and Commerce College (TLCC), an English language and vocational education college for international students in Sydney Mark has been active in the private export education sector consultative process with both the Federal and State governments in Australia. He is past Chair of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training, Convener of the Affiliation of International Education Peak Bodies and a founding member of the Commonwealth Government Contribution Review Panel in Canberra. He is currently Chair of ISEAA, the peak body for international education recruitment consultancies in Australia. Internationally, he was a past board member of the AIRC in the USA, as well a current member of the Advisory Board of International Conferences and Education Fairs (ICEF). Mark has been an international presenter and panelist at key educational conferences such as the AIEF/IDP Conferences in Australia, ICEF Workshops in Europe, USA and Canada, IALC Conferences, NAFSA and AIRC Conferences in the USA, as well as having been involved in a wide range of government and industry board and advisory roles over the past 28 years.

Joining the Edtech panel discussion

Mark has a PhD in Chemistry, a MSc in e-learning and certificates in Learning and Teaching in higher education and online assessment. Mark had a role of a Public Affairs & Education executive within IBEC for five years. This role involved establishing networks between industry and education. This resulted in experience of dealing with everyone from Managing Directors to plant operators across the pharmaceutical sector.

Mark currently leads a team of seven people charged with enhancing the learning experience of students within DCU. As such Mark has direct involvement with cutting edge innovative teaching techniques and learning technologies that are being implemented throughout the university. Furthermore Mark plays a key role in both local and national strategically important teaching initiatives. The main aim of his current role is to encourage and enable staff in DCU to increase their capacity to offer flexible learning. This involves managing both organisational and pedagogical based projects.

Mark has a deep insight into the key issues for higher education in Ireland in particular the technology enhanced learning, learning analytics and flexible learning. He plays key leadership roles in promoting innovative teaching and learning methods throughout the sector and is considered to be a leading authority in the use of virtual learning environments. Mark has also had leadership roles in the Irish Learning Technology Association (ITLA) and the Educational Developers in Ireland Network (EDIN), two of the leading organisations for learning innovation in Irish higher education. More information is available through http://ie.linkedin.com/in/enhancingteaching or his blog http://enhancingteaching.com

Joining the panel discussion on Employability

Dr Martha Johnson is the Assistant Dean for Learning Abroad at the University of Minnesota and oversees one of the largest education abroad offices in the US. She has worked in international education since 1991 for organizations and institutions in the US, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Her experience includes on-site program management, teaching of short-term programs, program development and marketing, and management. Martha has presented on numerous sessions and workshops at national and international conferences, consults with universities internationally, served in a variety of leadership positions in NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad, and authored numerous articles and publication chapters on topics relating to international education. She holds a PhD from the University of East Anglia (UK).

Joining the Country Spotlight - Canada panel discussion

Driven by his belief that education is a right and not a privilege, Martin Basiri approaches every business decision with a student-first mentality. Since launching ApplyBoard in 2015 with his brothers Meti and Massi, Martin has led the company to become the world's largest online platform for international student recruitment, assisting more than 100,000 students with their educational journey to study in Canada, the USA, and the UK. Under Martin’s leadership, ApplyBoard was named Canada's fastest-growing technology company by Deloitte in 2019 after only four years in business, ranking #1 on the Fast 50™ list. Martin holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Shiraz University in his native Iran, along with a Masters of Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering from the University of Waterloo. With every strategic direction, Martin prioritizes the success and well-being of students, with the goal of using education to change as many lives as possible.

Joining the panel discussion on Study Travel

Having been born in Mexico to a British teacher and Mexican travel agent, education and travel felt like a natural path. My educational background is in business and have lived in 5 different countries. I’m now working as Deputy Head of Mundo Joven Group - one of the largest youth travel companies in Latam (with companies in Travel, Education Travel and Tech for travel). I have also spent some time working in hospitality, technology and logistics and am now also venturing on a new ed-tech project. I hope to keep having a positive impact on the world around me through education and intercultural exchange, while I learn, grow and travel along the way.

Joining the Marketing panel discussion

Murray Simpson is the Chief Growth Officer at Net Natives with nine years of experience in the higher education sector. Murray specialises in the strategic direction and delivery for education clients and partners across the US, UK and Europe, supporting them to sustain and grow their student enrolments through research, creative, advertising and technology innovations. Murray is now based in New York City, having moved from the UK in 2018, and specialises in domestic and international marketing and recruitment initiatives for both on-campus and online programmes.

Joining the panel discussion on Employability

Nannette Ripmeester is Director of Expertise in Labour Mobility and founder of the app CareerProfessor.works. She started her international career at the European Commission. Nannette is board member of Codarts University and Director Europe for i-graduate. Ripmeester's most recent publication is "Cultural understanding as a key skill for employability" with Darla Deardorff. With over 25 years of experience working for corporate and HigherEd organisations, Nannette is a leading expert on mobility for study and work.

Joining the Country Spotlight - UK panel discussion

Nick Hillman has been the Director of HEPI since 2014. He worked for the Rt Hon David Willetts MP (now Lord Willetts), the Minister for Universities and Science, from 2007 until the end of 2013, as Chief of Staff and then Special Adviser in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Previously, he was a History teacher and worked at the Association of British Insurers. At the 2010 general election, he was the runner-up in Cambridge.

He has written for a range of think tanks and journals. His journal articles include pieces on the Coalition’s higher education reforms for the Oxford Review of Education (2016), on access to schools and selective universities for Higher Education Review (2014) and on the fifty-year history of student loans for Contemporary British History (2013). He also wrote the authoritative account of being a special adviser for the Institute of Government (2014). His recent research for HEPI includes a history of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), a piece on the likely impact of Brexit on student demand and university governance in a new age of regulation.

Joining the panel discussion on Marketing

Nik Higgins is one of the Co-founders and the Chief Strategy Officer at The Access Platform, a London based Edtech company that helps Higher Education institutions connect their current and prospective students online. He started out working in state education, running careers teams and helping young people from BAME and socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds make the transition to university. Currently he splits his time between the UK and Australia, and is lucky enough to spend his working life meeting clever and lovely university people around the world. He's a big believer in social mobility and the transformative power of education of all kinds.

Joining the panel discussion on Study Travel

Paul is the CEO and co-founder of the ILSC Education Group which operates language schools and vocational colleges (Greystone College) in 8 world class cities. He has over 20 years experience in international education and served as an Executive Board member of Languages Canada for 10 years and as a member of the steering committee responsible for its formation in 2008. Paul was previously President of Jonview Canada (1996-2003) – Canada’s largest receptive tour operator – until its sale to Transat AT in 2003. Prior to moving into international travel and education, Paul was a partner in a management and accounting consultancy practice. He holds a degree in mathematics from the University of Waterloo and is a CA.

Joining the Q&A huddle with Unibuddy

Petra has been helping international students shape their future for almost a decade. Before joining Cardiff University as International Marketing Officer, Petra held a variety of roles in marketing, relationship, and destination management at IDP Education. In her current role, Petra supports student recruitment through effective use of innovative peer-to-peer marketing techniques as well as more traditional marketing channels.

Joining the Country Spotlight - Australia panel discussion

He was a Member of the Victorian State Parliament, Australia, for 18 years (1988–2006). During this period Phil served as the Victorian Minister for Tertiary Education, Training and Multicultural Affairs and was Deputy Leader of the Opposition 2002–2006. Since 2006, Phil was Marketing Director and CEO at Stott’s Business College and Cambridge International College, Melbourne. He also served on the Governing Council of Swinburne University of Technology. Phil is Convener of the National Council for International Education and a member of the Higher Education Standards Panel, New Colombo Plan Steering Committee and the Education Visa Consultative Committee. He is also chair of the Australian Government’s Global Reputation Taskforce.

Joining the Country Spotlight - UK panel discussion

Rachel Sandison is Vice Principal, External Relations at the University of Glasgow. As a member of the University’s senior management team, Rachel's responsibilities include strategic leadership for domestic and international student recruitment; marketing, brand and reputation; undergraduate and postgraduate admissions; international affairs and partnership development; fundraising & alumni relations; and widening participation. She is also the University’s Refugee & Asylum Seeker Champion. Rachel is a chartered marketer and a CASE Global Trustee. She is a member of the Universities Scotland International Committee and sits on a number of sector advisory boards. She is also the University of Glasgow’s senior leader for the Universitas 21 network and The Guild of European Research Intensive Universities. Rachel has almost 20 years experience of working in higher education, and prior to her role at the University of Glasgow, was Director of External Relations at the University of Aberdeen.

Joining the panel discussion on Edtech Innovation

Rachel Chan is a tripartite professional with extensive experience working in/with public, private and NGO sectors. She has worked in the Administrative Service of the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. She founded InnoFoco in 2007 to propel the development of strategic design and innovation. InnoFoco has also been actively involved in building the startup ecosystem of Hong Kong, and is also a passionate advocate of the creating shared value movement. In addition to her consulting work, Rachel teaches an undergraduate course on ‘Values-Driven Innovation’ at the University of Hong Kong. Rachel has also been working on a number of NGOs, especially in youth education and development. Her latest venture is Esperanza, a new non-profit that aspires to make Hong Kong a better place to live, learn and work through cross-sector, multi-disciplinary, cross-border and inter-generational collaborations. Rachel was a graduate of the University of Hong Kong and a Sloan Fellow of the London Business School. She was honored as one of 2014 “Good 100” global citizens who provide creative solutions for living well + doing good.

Joining the Country Spotlight - Australia panel discussion

Rupesh Singh is the founder and Group CEO of the award-winning Education Centre of Australia (ECA) that employs around 600 people globally and delivers courses in vocational, as well as, higher education to over 8,000 students every year. Rupesh has previous commercial success in sectors including Corporate Development, Operations, Marketing and Sales, Banking and Finance, and Project Management. He has forged an enviable reputation for a deep understanding of the education market and a strong respect for his staff, which he regards as family. “Having to make my way as an international student in my early years in Australia gave me an abiding passion for being able to change lives through education as the great enabler in life. It has been gratifying to build a global business that offers education products across the full value chain, from English courses, Certificate to Masters programs, university partnerships with Victoria University and Swinburne University, internships and online study.”

Throughout his business career, Rupesh has demonstrated an astute judgement for business sustainability and growth within education, which he attributes to his intellectual curiosity, entrepreneurial spirit and loyal, hardworking team. “My greatest satisfaction is seeing our staff and students grow and do well as ECA grows. Our team are a highly driven group of advocates who have a great understanding of education market dynamics and they love providing a great experience to our students. Our biggest motivation is to give education opportunities to as many people as is practical in all the markets we operate in.”

Joining the Country Spotlight - UK panel discussion

Since 2016, Shan has initiated core initiatives to help rebuild TC Global, attracting new age talent, transforming the business into a digital by default operating model and positioning the firm for the future. After having had the opportunity to acquire exposure in Private Equity and Activist Investing with a focus on emerging markets during his time in London where he attended a leading B-School, Shan joined forces with his family to lead the strategic vision of The Chopras Group, now rebranded as TC Global. Shan loves building new concepts, teams and technology, and is transforming a pioneer business in the global ed space into a platform brand built for consumers and universities in the age of the internet.

Joining the Employability panel discussion

Associate Professor Shanton Chang is Associate Dean (International) at the Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne. He has been involved in building the internship program at the university, mentoring students, and engaging with industry partners to enable positive graduate outcomes for students. His research includes the exploration of human information behaviours, information needs and the use of social media in public health, education and businesses. He is currently also Digital Access and Equity Program Co-lead at the Melbourne Social Equity Institute (MSEI). He is also a life member of ISANA International Education Association, a former co-chair of the Internationalisation of Curriculum SIG of IEAA, and a co-founder of the Victorian Working Group on International Student Employability (VICWise).

Opening remarks

Simon Marginson is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Oxford, Director of the ESRC/OFSRE Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE), Editor-in-Chief of Higher Education, Professorial Associate of the Melbourne Centre for Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, and Lead Researcher with Higher School of Economics in Moscow. CGHE is a research partnership of five UK and nine international universities with £9 million in funding for 16 projects on global, national and local aspects of higher education in 2015-2023. Simon’s research is focused primarily on global and international higher education, higher education in East Asia, and higher education and social inequality. He is currently preparing an integrated theorisation of higher education. He Co-Chaired the UK Higher Education Commission Inquiry into Education Exports which reported in 2018. His most recent books are Changing Higher Education for a Changing World, edited with Claire Callender and William Locke (Bloomsbury, 2020) and High Participation Systems of Higher Education, edited with Brendan Cantwell and Anna Smolentseva (Oxford University Press, 2018).

Joining the Employability panel discussion

Sue Trory is Head of Adult and Higher Education, Business & Marketing. Sue joined Cambridge Assessment English following an extensive career in English Language Teaching (ELT) publishing. Sue has published leading global ELT courses for Oxford University Press, Macmillan Education, Cengage/Nat Geo and Pearson. Sue has also authored for McGraw-Hill, as well as running her own publishing services consultancy firm. Prior to this Sue was a teacher and teacher trainer in Spain and spent her childhood living in Peru and Jordan with her parents who worked for the UK Foreign Office.

Joining the Country Spotlight - Australia panel discussion

Tayyeb Shah is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Partnerships) at The University of Western Australia and responsible for a portfolio that spans Global Engagement, Innovation & Industry Engagement, the Cultural Precinct and Development & Alumni Relations. A globally-renowned expert in higher education, business development and international relations, Mr Shah joined UWA in June 2019 from King’s College London, where he held a number of roles most recently as Deputy Vice President (Global Business Development). During his 12 years at King’s College London, Mr Shah was instrumental in expanding the university’s international and commercial partnerships. He was responsible for identifying, conceptualising and developing a number of strategic multi-million dollar projects which increased and deepened King’s College London’s worldwide engagement, particularly in China. Educated at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) and Imperial College London, Mr Shah joined King’s College London after more than a decade in the commercial and creative industry sectors. Mr Shah is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, member of a number of boards including the Perth Festival and Chair of the Professional Development Committee of the European Association for International Education.

Joining the Q&A huddle with insendi

Terry Sweeney is the Chief Executive Officer of insendi and has spent the last 20 years in executive roles supporting the education sector. Prior to his current role, Terry was CEO of Epigeum Ltd, a leading publisher of online programmes, CEO at Academic Partnerships International and RM Education Plc. Terry has a BSc honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from City University London, an MBA from Oxford Brookes University and attended the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Programme.

Joining the Edtech innovation panel discussion

Tina Bax is the Founder and Chair of CultureWorks. The first of its kind private-public partnership in Canada, Tina pioneered the transition from an on-campus bricks-and-mortar school to a multi-university-approved virtual classroom. Along the way, the school has expanded its digital offerings, including a white labelling program for PSEI’s. Tina is a Western University graduate twice over, receiving her Bachelor of Education in the early 90’s.

She is a former Director of the YMCA, a volunteer for the Pioneer Park Association, and a supporter of food security programs in various communities. Tina has received various awards including Business of the Year for CultureWorks, and a Women of Excellence Award for Entrepreneurship. She shares the story of what it takes to develop a successful online program, from costs to timelines, in an effort to support the development of her profession, and continue to make education more accessible.

Joining the Country Spotlight - USA panel discussion

Prior to co-founding Shorelight in 2013, Tom was for 13 years the CEO of Eduventures. Tom also was an executive-in-residence at Sterling Partners. Tom is Board Chair of US News Global Education and is a member of the National Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. He is co-author of the Bain & Company white paper, The Financially Sustainable University. Previously, Tom was the founding Board Chair of the Alliance for Business Leadership. Tom is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University also holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School where he was awarded the Goldsmith Fellowship.

Joining the Q&A with Global Engagement Index

Vincenzo (Enzo) Raimo is a global higher education specialist who has held senior roles at the universities of Nottingham (International Office Director) and Reading (Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement) where he was also Chairman of RUMAL Reading Sdn. Bhd., the University’s subsidiary in Malaysia operating its EduCity campus. Enzo was appointed Chief Relationship Officer for Unilodgers, the world’s largest student housing hub, in October 2019. He retains his academic associations through a Visiting Fellowship at the University of Reading and as adjunct Professor of Global Higher Education at the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology.

Joining the Country Spotlight - UK panel discussion

Vivienne is the Director of Universities UK International (UUKi) which represents UK universities around the world and works to enable them to flourish internationally. Vivienne has over 20 years’ experience of working in higher education policy and politics at national and international level. She is a member of several Boards and advisory committees, including the Education Sector Advisory Group of the Department for Education /Department for International Trade; the Board of UKRI’s Fund for International Collaboration; the British Council’s Education Advisory Group. She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, where she studied English Literature.