Shows
Education World Forum ConversationsLaura Frigenti, CEO, Global Partnership for EducationIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Laura Frigenti, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the largest fund exclusively dedicated to financing the education sector. Laura provides an overview of GPE and how it operates, and reflects on the double challenge facing low income countries of addressing niversal enrollment and foundational skills while simultaneously adapting to a labor market changing at an unprecedented speed. She also reflects on the current international financial landscape highlighting the potential of innovative financing approaches. She concludes by advocating for a lifelong learning model that facilitates a...
2026-03-0231 min
Education World Forum ConversationsLuis Benveniste, Senior Advisor Education and Skills, World BankIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Luis Benveniste, Senior Advisor and Acting Global Director of Education at the World Bank. Benveniste reflects on the global learning crisis and the necessity of prioritizing foundational literacy and numeracy to bridge the skills gap currently hindering youth employment and economic growth. He addresses the critical challenge of tight fiscal environments, advocating for innovative results-based financing and the protection of education budgets. He highlights the value of EWF for sharing evidence-based solutions and the opportunities presented by digital technologies like AI. Benveniste concludes by advocating for m...
2026-02-2225 min
Education World Forum ConversationsMercedes Miguel, Minister of Education of Buenos AiresIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Mercedes Miguel, Minister of Education of Buenos Aires and former National Secretary for Innovation and Educational Quality, Mercedes reflects on the "Secondary Learns" reform for Buenos Aires, and its mission to improve literacy, numeracy, and student well-being, with a view to transitioning students from passive participants to active learners through reorganized teacher roles and classroom cell phone bans. Mercedes reflects on the critical challenges of transforming an obsolete system, the value of global cooperation, the implications of AI, and the necessity of prioritizing social-emotional skills to f...
2026-02-1640 min
Education World Forum ConversationsJacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, United KingdomIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, UK Minister for Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities. Minister Smith reflects on the importance of addressing persistent skills gaps in the economy and the priority of tackling youth unemployment, highlighting the opportunities for widening access to education and training opened-up by the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. She reflects on the critical challenges posed by the financial sustainability of the higher education sector and initiatives are being put in place to support the sector, as well as the historical low s...
2026-02-1030 min
Education World Forum ConversationsSiviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education, South AfricaIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Siviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education of South Africa. Minister Gwarube reflects on the importance to reorient the national education system toward the foundations of learning and the priorities of South Africa’s G20 presidency, highlighting early childhood care and teacher professional development, She reflects on the critical challenges posed by limited funding for education, the value of EWF as a platform for sharing experiences and solutions, and the necessity for culturally sensitive international benchmarking. Minister Gwarube concludes by advocating for a systemic approach that integrates ski...
2026-02-0224 min
Education World Forum ConversationsStefania Giannini, Assistant-Director General Education, UNESCOIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO and former Italian Minister of Education. Stefania reflects on UNESCO’s origins and its enduring mission to advance peace through education. Marking International Education Day, the discussion highlights the importance of placing young people at the centre of education policy and keeping education high on the global political agenda. Stefania reflects on the critical challenges for achieving SDG4 targets related to access, quality, and relevance, and emphasises the urgent need for increased investment in education, particularly to address the glo...
2026-01-2342 min
Education World Forum ConversationsSoon Joo Gog, Centre for Skills First Practices, Singapore University of Social SciencesIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Soon Joo Gog, Fellow at the Centre for Skills First Practices and former Chief Skills Officer at SkillsFuture Singapore. The conversation offers a deep dive into how Singapore is reshaping its education and training ecosystem to keep pace with a rapidly changing world. The discussion opens with reflections on the SkillsFuture movement, launched in 2015 to ensure that everyone can benefit from economic growth by supporting a constantly evolving workforce. It then explores what it truly means to build a skills-first society, highlighting the critical role of e...
2026-01-1535 min
Education World Forum ConversationsSayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education, KazakhstanIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, about the key challenges and strategic priorities shaping the country’s education system today. Minister Nurbek discusses how Kazakhstan’s demographic growth is placing pressure on the system to expand capacity while maintaining quality, and outlines efforts to position the country as a regional education hub by attracting leading international universities and adopting global quality assurance frameworks. The conversation also explores Kazakhstan’s response to AI through the AI Sana programme, which makes AI trai...
2026-01-0849 min
Education World Forum ConversationsAnders Adlercreutz, Minister of Education, FinlandIn this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Finland’s Minister of Education, Anders Adlercreutz, about the key challenges and priorities shaping Finland’s education system, and their relevance for global education. Minister Adlercreutz reflects on the need to better support students navigating an increasingly digital world that places growing pressure on attention and wellbeing. He discusses recent reforms in Finland, including increased primary lesson hours for reading and writing, and the decision to restrict mobile phone use in classrooms to strengthen focus and social interaction. The conversation also explores Finland’s Competency Path, a digit...
2025-12-2920 min
Education World Forum ConversationsBalázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, HungaryIn the latest EWF Conversations episode, Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Balázs Hankó, Hungary’s Minister of Culture and Innovation, about Hungary’s education priorities, reforms, and global challenges. Minister Hankó highlights the need to shift education from theory to practice, noting Hungary’s major VET reform introducing dual training. While global trends shape education, he argues that you need local answers, rooted in each nation’s cultural identity. If he could enact one bold global change, it would be fostering respect for different cultures and histories. He also reflects on the value of the Education World Forum in bringing tog...
2025-12-0815 min
Education World Forum ConversationsKristina Kallas, Minister of Education and Research, Estonia
In this episode, Kristina Kallas, Estonia’s Minister of Education and Research, joins EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifiro to discuss the country’s education priorities and the policies driving them. She highlights the AI Leap initiative, which expands AI access for teachers and students and stresses the need for strong teacher training and bottom-up adoption. The conversation also covers recent reforms designed to improve students’ readiness for further education and the labour market, including extending compulsory schooling to age 18 and introducing an applied upper-secondary track. Kallas also underscores the value of EWF as a platform for exchanging insights with countr...
2025-11-2432 min
Education World Forum ConversationsAndreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, OECDIn this kick-off episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills. They explore how education must evolve in an AI-driven world, where soft skills become essential, learning is lifelong, and academic and vocational paths converge. Andreas highlights the need to keep humanity and values at the heart of learning and celebrates educators’ passion and resilience, and emphasise the value of the Education World Forum as a platform for genuine dialogue between ministers and key stakeholders.
2025-11-1232 min
Experiences of International EducationFabrizio Trifirò (international education...a force for good)This is the last episode of Experiences of International Education. The journey comes full circle as the podcast
concludes where it all began—with a conversation with Brandon Lee. In this episode, I take a turn to share my personal journey through international education. I also reflect on key insights gained from engaging with over 50 experts and practitioners from around the globe.
One of my biggest takeaways is that international education is not just a profession—it represents a shared, normative vision of how we can live together in a globally interconnected world. This community not only valu...
2025-01-0526 min
Experiences of International EducationBorhene Chakroun (leaving no one behind through lifelong learning for all)Borhene shares the story of his first involvement in international education through a teacher training program in Tunisia and how the driving force behind his career has been the commitment to ensuring no one is left behind in education.
He explains how UNESCO is advancing the agenda of widening access to education, as outlined in SDG4 through a range of key initiatives. These include normative tools like conventions and recommendations, policy dialogues such as the High-Level Steering Committee that oversees SDG4 implementation, and the collection of data on education trends through resources like the Global Education Monitoring...
2025-01-0225 min
Experiences of International EducationAndreas Corcoran (fostering a global conversation and cooperation in HE)Andreas Corcoran, Deputy Secretary General of the International Association of Universities (IAU), shares his global education journey, which brought him to study in various European countries and the United States and culminated with postgraduate studies at the European University Institute in Fiesole, Florence. His professional steps after graduating took him to Canterbury in the UK and Rome as Director of Higher Education in charge of the academic and organisational development of a newly established university in Tanzania
Andreas reflects on the vital role IAU plays in fostering global dialogue and collaboration among universities, addressing key challenges like...
2024-12-2223 min
Experiences of International EducationAndrew Atherton (TNE and Universities’ global social mission)Professor Andrew Atherton, Vice-President International and Engagement at the University of Southampton, tells how his involvement with international education started as an undergraduate student at SOAS where he studied Chinese and economics spending his second year in Beijing. His international experience continued studying his Masters’ at Yale University where he also started his academic career, before moving back to the UK to Durham University.
Andrew tells us of the University of Southampton’s strategic goal to become a global institution embracing a multi-nodal model with campuses in diverse international locations and progressing with establishing the first foreign bran...
2024-12-1925 min
Experiences of International EducationKyuseok Kim (a perspective from South Korea)Kyuseok Kim, Center Director at IES Abroad Seoul, tells us how his interest in international education began when as a teaching assistant at an international summer school program in South Korea, where he worked closely with a broad range of international faculty and students, and experience that contributed to his decision to work in the international education sector, including eventually at Suny Korea, the first and the largest US campus in South Korea, operating within Incheon Global Campus education hub.
KS shares his passion for facilitating transformative international education experiences for students, and how he has been...
2024-12-1717 min
Experiences of International EducationCharles Cormack (equitable TNE partnerships... and twinning with Ukraine)Charles Cormack, founder and managing director of Cormack Consultancy Group, tells us how his interest in international education began in 1999 when he started a company to support British companies working in Central and Eastern Europe. He soon discovered that there was a high demand for UK higher education, leading him to focus on TNE.
Charles reflects on how TNE will become increasingly important due to factors like migration pressures, the global climate crisis, and the potential of online learning. He advocates for equitable TNE partnerships, requiring universities to move away from a recruitment-focused mindset and towards genuine t...
2024-12-1517 min
Experiences of International EducationPiet Van Hove (strengthening the fabric of global civil society)Piet Van Hove, past president of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) and current program manager of the Heroes European University Alliance at the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, tells how he was immersed in international education from a very young age, as he was born in the US whilst his father was completing his doctoral studies and moved back to the US for a year at the age of 10 where he attended an American primary school. After graduating from law school he began immediately working in international higher education.
Piet shares his concerns about...
2024-12-1218 min
Experiences of International EducationFanta Aw (the interconnectedness of people and our shared humanity)Fanta Aw executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, tells us how her first exposure to international education started at a young age when she moved from Mali to Liberia and eventually Washington where she attended international schools with students from various countries. This experience instilled in her a lifelong appreciation for diverse cultures and a sense of global citizenship.
Fanta emphasizes the need to demonstrate the value of
international education to society, particularly in a time of geopolitical tensions, stressing how international education fosters interconnectedness, enabling positive change through peaceful people-to-people exchanges. She...
2024-12-0821 min
Experiences of International EducationAngela Yung Chi Hou (internationalising Taiwan HE and quality assurance)Angela Yung Chi Hou, Professor of Higher Education at National Chengchi University, former CEO of the Higher Education Evaluation & Accreditation Council of Taiwan, and former Vice-President of the Asian Pacific Quality Network, tells us of how her international education journey started as an early academic scholar interested to understand the USA higher education sector and the motives behind its international reputation. This led her to an interest in comparative education.
Angela shares how she was able to draw on her research on international education and engagement in international quality assurance, to support the internationalisation of Taiwan HE...
2024-12-0518 min
Experiences of International EducationNadia Badrawi (TNE and quality assurance in Egypt and the Arab region)Nadia Badrawi, President of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, member of the CHEA International Quality Group Advisory Council, and founder and first CEO of the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education in Egypt, tells us of how her international education journey started with a grant from US AID for a study visit to the USA to learn about curriculum development in Paediatrics. This experience led her to be involved with the World Federation of Medical Education and eventually with quality assurance.
Nadia shares with us how she sought to take...
2024-12-0514 min
Experiences of International EducationMaria Kelo (harmonisation, cooperation... and developments in Europe)Maria Kelo, Director of Institutional Development at the European University Association, tells us how her international education journey started as an undergraduate student at the London School of Economics, which took her to Brussels for a traineeship at the European Commission in the Higher Education Policy Unit. This latter experience set the tone for her career which led her taking the role of Director of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), before joining the EUA.
Maria tells of her interest and experience in international cooperation at policy level, in particular in the context of...
2024-12-0122 min
Experiences of International EducationHalyey Shields (enhancing international student experiences and recruitment)Hayley Shields, partner at Edified and former Director of Student Experience at Education New Zealand shares how unable to take on the opportunity to study internationally herself she eventually joined the University of New South Wales in Australia to help with growing international student recruitment.
Hayley tells of the work Edified is doing to help universities improve customer services when it comes to student recruitment, based on the findings of their inquiry experience tracker, and she shares the work they did at Education New Zealand in response to raising concerns about the welfare of international students, which...
2024-11-2821 min
Experiences of International EducationTamsin Thomas (scaling up access through technological solutions)Tamsin Thomas, Senior Strategic Engagement Manager at Duolingo, former Research Manager at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and Higher Education Manager at British Council USA, tells us of her first introduction to international education as an undergraduate student in international relations, which brought her to Canada for a study abroad period, and subsequently motivated her work in international offices at different UK universities.
Tamsin shares her passion for practical solutions capable of driving social mobility and scaling up access to education opportunities, and how this passion led her to join Duolingo to support initiatives to...
2024-11-2421 min
Experiences of International EducationLotus Postrado (The Philippines entering the TNE landscape)Lotus Postrado, Country Director of British Council Philippines, tells us of her first engagement with international education when working with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education (SEAMEO), Organization Regional Institute for Higher Education Development (RIHED), where she was involved in the multiregional AIMS (Asian Ministers of Education and Ministers of Higher Education) mobility programme. She then moved to the British Council Philippines to lead on TNE and UK-Philippines relations in higher education.
Lotus reflects on the changing policy landscape in the Philippines for TNE, and existing challenges and opportunities, including growing inbound international student mobility and growing...
2024-11-2120 min
Experiences of International EducationNishat Riaz (building bridges, inclusive intled...and Pakistan)
Nishat Riaz, Global, head of higher education systems and internationalization and TNE lead at the British Council tells us how the seeds of her passion for international education started as a young child in a small, rural, remote valley in the Punjab mountains, where she began to connect with other cultures through books of different countries. This intercultural experience became a reality when she joined the British, where she was able to appreciate the power of international education in developing the empathy and ethics required to overcome cultural divides and unhelpful polarisations, and in developing and sharing the knowledge...
2024-11-1719 min
Experiences of International EducationAlison Barrett (India embracing internationalisation)
Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director at British Council India, tells us how her connection with international education started as a young English teacher volunteer in Nepal, which opened up her eyes to what one can learn from international exposure. She tells us how her professional career took her in different countries in Asia, first as a language teacher, and then within the British Council covering different roles.
Alison shares her insights about the different priorities for international education across the region, ranging from TNE, English as Medium of Instruction, and regional harmonization. Focusing on India we discuss...
2024-11-1420 min
Experiences of International EducationLeina Shi (deepening cultural understanding...and China)Leina Shi, Director of Education at British Council China, tells us how her international education journey started studying English at secondary school, which eventually motivated her to come to the UK for her undergraduate studies. Leina shares her experience of international education opening opportunities to students and her view of the importance of creating international platforms bringing together different perspectives to create collective knowledge and explore solutions to shared challenges.
She stresses the role that international education and the British Council play in providing such a platform, helping in the process to improve and deepen reciprocal understanding a...
2024-11-1021 min
Experiences of International EducationTayyeb Shah (academic power moving eastward)Tayyeb Shah, Vice President of the European Association for International Education, and former Deputy Vice Chancellor Global Partnership at the University of Western Australia, tells of his initial involvement in international education as the inaugural international director at Kings’ College University of London. Tayyeb shares his reflections on how academic power is moving east and the implications of this reconfiguration for international student recruitment and TNE.
He emphasises the need to consider the environmental impact of international education and the important work of the Climate Action Network for International Education, as well as the need to promote in...
2024-11-0720 min
Experiences of International EducationBobby Mehta (from clearing hotlines to giving back)Bobby Mehta PVC Global Engagement, University of Portsmouth, tells us how his international education journey started on the clearing hotlines, an experience that eventually led him to support the international office in packing and sending boxes to British Council's fairs around the world.
Bobby shares his views on how the work of international offices has changed over the years with the advancement if technology, and reflects on both current challenges for in-bound and out-bound student mobility associated with today’s unstable policy environment, and the growing opportunities for TNE as a broader range of developing countries are fa...
2024-11-0318 min
Experiences of International EducationMiguel Antonio Lim (between marketization and global citizenship)Miguel Antonio Lim, Senior Lecturer in Education and International Development at the University of Manchester, takes us through his international education journey that started when he moved from the Philippines to France to pursue his further studies at Sciences Po. He eventually supported the university establishing academic partnerships in East and Southeast Asia attracting students to degrees offered in English, then moving to LSE in the UK one of the French university’s partners.
Miguel tells us of his interest in the social production of value which led him to undertake a PhD on university rankings, looking at...
2024-10-3124 min
Experiences of International EducationMushtak Al-Atabi (global campuses...and human flourishing)Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi, Provost and CEO at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia tells us how his international education journey started when he travelled from Iraq to Malaysia in 1997, where, whilst working as a mechanical engineer, joined Taylor's College as a teacher and a PhD student. As Taylor’s College started engaging in TNE partnerships with the UK, he was directly involved in teaching TNE programmes from the start.
Mushtak shares considerations on the implications of disruptive technologies such as AI for education, how international education contributes to human flourishing, the role that international students play in enriching local communities, the...
2024-10-2724 min
Experiences of International EducationMartijn van de Veen (quality agents... and embracing change)Martijn van de Veen, Chief Business Development Officer at ICEF, shares with us how his interest in international education started with an internship in France where he was able to appreciate the value of learning other languages and cultures. Martijin tells us of his time as Director General of the International Student Identity Card, and the work that occupies him now at ICEF.
He shares with us the importance for the international student recruitment sector to embrace digital transformation and the critical importance of underpinning confidence in the quality of recruitment agents. We talk about different regional...
2024-10-2423 min
Experiences of International EducationGuy Perring (benchmarking and enhancing the international student experience)Guy Perring, Regional Director Asia at Etio (formerly i-graduate), tells us how his international education experience started as an exchange student of American Literature at the University of North Carolina, and eventually as English language teacher in Japan. This experience took him to the British Council, where he went to lead on education promotion in Malaysia in the very early days of TNE expansion in the region.
Guy tells us of his current work with the International Student Barometer in Asia sharing insights into the international student experience across the region, and stressing the importance of familiarising...
2024-10-2016 min
Experiences of International EducationDaniel Palm (global citizen diplomacy)Daniel Palm, Founder and Managing Director, at Catalina Global, and former Associate Vice President of International Affairs at the University of Arizona tells us how his journey in international education started as an undergraduate student when he went to China to study Mandarin, where he ended up staying for 5 year. This experience enabled him to support US universities seeking to develop academic partnerships in China, and eventually TNE operations in different regions.
Daniel tells us how he led the development of the University of Arizona’s micro-campus in Kazakhstan, working closely with the Ministry of Higher Education in...
2024-10-1720 min
Experiences of International EducationJason Lane (the geopolitics of branch campuses)
Jason Lane, Professor of International Education and special advisor to the President at the University of Illinois, Director of the Institute for Leadership and Governance in Higher Education, and co-founder of the Cross Border Education Research Team, tells us how he entered into the international education space through an initial interest in international affairs when he was back in high school and took part of the Model United Nations. As an academic his initial focus on the governance of higher education in US led him to look at branch campus overseas and the associated geopolitics.
Jason shares h...
2024-10-1326 min
Experiences of International EducationSimon Margison (the geopolitics of international education)Simon Margison, Emeritus Professor and former Director of the Centre for Global Higher Education at the University of Oxford, Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, and Honorary Professor at Tsinghua University, tells us of how he started his international education journey with a teaching position in International Education at Monash University straight after obtaining his PhD. Simon shares his interest in the geopolitics of international, and his concerns about current geopolitical developments affecting international education, in particular the confrontation between the United States and China, and nativist pushback against migration in many countries.
He stresses the...
2024-10-1022 min
Experiences of International EducationHans de Wit (socially responsible internationalisation)
Professor Hans de Wit, founding director of the Centre for International Higher Education at Boston College, and the Centre for HE Internationalisation at University Cattolica of Sacro Cuore, and founding member and past president of the European Association of International Education shares with us the development of his interest in international education and the main turns in his professional journey in international education, starting as a master’s student in social anthropology doing research work in Peru. His interest in international development eventually turned into an interest in international cooperation in education, which led him to the idea of es...
2024-10-0624 min
Experiences of International EducationHoria Onița (developments in the European Higher Education Area)Horia Onița, Head of the European Higher Education Area and former president of the European Students' Union (ESU) tells us how he started to be involved in international education through student activitism, which led him to cover the role of President of the national student union in Romania and subsequently President of the European Student Union. Horia shares with us insights of his involvement in the Bologna Process, including most recently contributing to the drafting committee of the Tirana EHEA Ministerial Conference Communique.
He shares his interest in the quality assurance of TNE, now increasingly at the...
2024-10-0323 min
Experiences of International EducationRoger Jr. Chao (towards a common space in Southeast Asian Higher Ed)
Roger Jr. Chao Assistant Director and Head of Education Youth & Sports at the ASEAN Secretariat tells us how his international education journey started when studying, on an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, a European Master in lifelong learning policy and management at Aarhus University, Denmark. This experience played a critical role in helping him understand and appreciate the value and significance of the Bologna Process which led to the creation of a European Higher Education Area, eventually helping him contribute to translating the European experience in Southeast Asia.
Roger Jr. tells us of the specific challenges facing the realisation o...
2024-09-2922 min
Experiences of International EducationGraham Kendall (broadening horizons... and a UK branch campus in Malaysia)Prof Graham Kendall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Quality Assurance) MILA University, and former CEO/Provost at the University of Nottingham Malaysia tells us how he decided to go to university at age 34 after a career in the IT industry. Having been offered a PhD at the University of Nottingham he decided to stay on in academia, eventually going to Malaysia as Vice-Provost and then CEO/Provost of the University of Nottingham Malaysia campus.
Graham and I reminisce about the high-level policy conversations that we were having at the time to explore closer cooperation between the UK and...
2024-09-2624 min
Experiences of International EducationEllen Rose (realising potentials...and a US branch campus in Costa Rica)Ellen Rose, Executive Director at Texas Tech Costa Rica, tells us how she first went to Costa Rica for six months as she needed to demonstrate proficiency in a second language to undertake her doctoral research, and how eventually she transferred there starting an education consulting business that took her to Africa to support a range of widening access projects.
Ellen tells us about the establishment of Texas Tech campus in Costa Rica, with a specific view to widening access to US higher education to Costa Ricans unable or unwilling to leave the country. She shares the i...
2024-09-2225 min
Experiences of International EducationMike Winter (equitable partnerships for sustainable internationalisation)Mike Winter, OBE, Director International Affairs at the University of London, and former Director of IOE International, tells us of his international education journey which has taken him to cover different roles at the British Council, including eventually Director of Education Japan. Mike emphaises the critical importance for the education sector, internationally, to move beyond competition, and embrace cooperation to address today’s global challenges and make progress toward the SDGs. He shares some of the work that the University of London is doing and has been doing over the years in this space, particularly providing access to education in...
2024-09-1925 min
Experiences of International EducationRebecca Hall (maintaining the social licence of international education)Rebecca Hall, Assistant Director-General Policy, External Relations and International at Queensland Department of Education, shares her journey in international education starting with her undergraduate studies in International Business, which took her doing an internship in Malaysia., and how the importance of internationalization crystallised for her when she went to Japan on the JET program.
Rebecca tells about the growing opportunities for transnational education in the international school market, and for Australian education providers more generally in the context of current policy changes around international student recruitment. She emphasises the importance for the international educator sector, in Australia an...
2024-09-1517 min
Experiences of International EducationSimon Guy (the decolonization of TNE and equitable partnerships)Prof. Simon Guy, PVC Global at Lancaster University shares his international education journey from the early stages of his academic career in urban architecture to these days leading the University of Lancaster's strategy to extend its global reach. We talk about the innovative approach adopted in establishing the new joint campus with Deakin University in Bandung, Indonesia, and the example of equitable and deep partnership with Sunway University in Malaysia.
Simon shares his views about the current boundless opportunities for growing TNE operations, and the critical importance of adopting decolonising approaches based on co-design, co-development, and equality...
2024-09-1317 min
Experiences of International EducationNigel Healey (inclusive internationalisation and deep partnerships)
Nigel Healey, Professor of International Higher Education and Vice-President Global and Community Relations at the University of Limerick, tells us how his connection with international education started as an academic in business schools, which in the 1990s were in the vanguard of internationalisation. From there he started to be increasingly involved in international student mobility and partnerships covering senior international roles at universities in different countries, including as former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fiji.
Nigel shares his view of the key differences between the approaches to international education in the different countries he worked in, stressing the...
2024-09-0833 min
Experiences of International EducationAnthony Manning (cultural intelligence and internationalisation at home)Dr. Anthony Manning, Dean for Global and Lifelong Learning at the University of Kent, and Chair of the Internationalisation at Home working group of Universities UK International, tells us about his initial connection with international education through a passion for languages that brought him in different teaching capacities in a Germany, France, China and Japan. Anthony stresses the transformative power of international education, helping people developing that cultural intelligence that allow us to see things from different perspectives, and find best solutions to today's global challenges.
He also stresses the importance of widening opportunities to be exposed to...
2024-09-0622 min
Experiences of International EducationAneta Hayes (beyond a deficit view of international students)
Dr. Aneta Hayes, Reader in Education and Dean of Internationalisation and Partnerships at Keele University, shares with us her international education journey starting with an interest in applied linguistics that took her to Bahrain to teach in an international school and then at a TNE operation. She tells us of her specific interest in the internationalisation of the curriculum and the campus, and stresses the need to move beyond a deficit view of international students and reconceptualise what an international student is to adopt more inclusive approaches to internationalisation.
Aneta also tells us about the work of...
2024-09-0125 min
Experiences of International EducationJames Keevy (leveraging digital revolution for credential recognition)Dr. James Keevy, CEO of JET Education Services in South Africa, and former Director International Liaison at the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), tells us of his first involvement with international education as South Africa was opening up, exploring connections to Africa, Europe and North America. James reflects on the potential role of South Africa as an education hub for the region, and some of the key challenges associated with it, such as lack of supply and social tensions.
He shares with us his interest and current work in exploring how innovation in digital technology can support...
2024-08-2928 min
Experiences of International EducationBeka Tavartkiladze (the life-changing power of credential evaluation)
Beka Tavartkiladze, Senior Director Global Education and Knowledge at World Education Services (WES), tells us how he seized the opportunities that opened up with the collapse of the Soviet Union. From Georgia he travelled to the United States to pursue his studies, first as a High School student and then in higher education. He shares with us what her refers to as 'a calling', his commitment and passion for supporting other students internationally to make the most of an international education experience, a calling that has driven his professional career since joining WES in 2002.
Beka reflects on cha...
2024-08-2524 min
Experiences of International EducationVicky Lewis (the integrating power of internationalism)Dr. Vicky Lewis, tells us about her path into international education and consultancy, starting from a life-changing year abroad in Germany as an A-level student. Vicky tells about her experiences working in HE providers across the UK nations including setting up international offices at a time when international student recruitment was booming. She shares how through her DBA in Higher Education Management she started looking at different drivers and approaches to internationalisation across the UK HE sector, which eventually motivated her to take the plunge into consultancy.
Vicky also tells us how through her DBA research she...
2024-08-2320 min
Experiences of International EducationCheryl Yu (China in the changing internationalisation landscape)Cheryl Yu shares her international education journey with us, starting with progressing from being a student at a TNE collaborative partner of a UK university to join the international partnership team of that UK institution, through moving into independent consultancy helping set up TNE partnerships and articulation arrangements with Chinese institutions.
Cheryl gives an overview of the evolving Chinese TNE landscape, reflecting on the pros and cons of the different possible models of TNE in China, the changing motivations for Chinese students to pursue international studies, and their changing perceptions about the quality and utility of a...
2024-08-1826 min
Experiences of International EducationMary Stiasny (the importance of knowledge diplomacy)Mary Stiasny, OBE, Professor Emerita and former Pro Vice Chancellor (International, Teaching and Learning) at the University of London, takes us through her international education journey, from her initial involvement with international education at Goldsmith University in the early days of international students recrutiment in the UK, then as Director of Education and Training at the British Council, through to her recent role as PVC at the University of London.
We discuss the benefits and potential of online learning as a means to widening global access to education and international education, and the recongition challenges that online...
2024-08-1418 min
Experiences of International EducationVangelis Tsilikgiris (the widening access power of TNE)Vangelis Tsiligkiris, Professor of International Education at Nottingham Trent University, and founder of the TNE Hub, shares with us his international education journey as an international student in the UK first, then as a lecturer and director of a UK TNE partner in Greece, then back to the UK as an academic and TNE expert and commentator. He stresses the critical function that TNE plays in widening access to international education to people who would not otherwise be able to afford to travel internationally, and shares some of the key challenges associated with TNE.
He tells us...
2024-08-0926 min
Experiences of International EducationDhanjay Jhurry (making Mauritius an international education hub)Prof Dhanjay Jhurry, Managing Director of Uniciti International Education Hub and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, offers us a deep dive into the making of Mauritius an international education hub, and the critical role played in this effort by the Medine group in establishing Uniciti International Education Hub.
Prof. Jhurry stresses the vital role of partnerships in international education in order to address today's pressing challenges, and in particular for an Island like Mauritius that needs building bridges with the international community to help addressing unmet demand for education and training, an that can indeed...
2024-08-0530 min
Experiences of International EducationSarah Todd (a view from down under)Sara Todd, Vice-President (Global) at Griffith University and former President of the Asia Pacific Association for International Education, tells us how her passion for international education started at a very early age from a keen interest in languages and cultures.
Sarah shares her considerations about some of the key challenges facing the Australian higher education sector, in particular concerning restrictions to international student recruitment and lack of appreciation of the contribution that international students bring to their hosting communities.
She points to the growing importance of international partnerships, going beyond student mobility, and including TNE...
2024-07-3025 min
Experiences of International EducationDouglas Proctor (the life shaping power of intled)
Dr. Douglas Proctor, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, shares with us his insights and thoughts on intled developments in Australia, with significant parallels to current developments in other traditional receiving countries of international students and sending countries of TNE, such as the UK. He also shares his experience of having been involved in the Irish international education sector.
He stresses the life-shaping power of international education, the importance of widening access to international education experiences, and the need to make external stakeholders and communities understand and appreciate the benefit of...
2024-07-2528 min
Experiences of International EducationAmy Baker (professionals in international education)
Amy Baker, CEO and co-founder of the Pie News, shares with us the origins of her interest and involvement in intled, going back to an initial work experience for a magazine aimed at education agents placing students into language schools. She tells us about the main milestones in the growth of the Pie News as one of the most trusted and leading voices in international education, starting from the initial idea, shared with co-founders Clare Gossage and Jane Gilham, of creating a media and jobs platform for all Professionals in International Education.
She reflects on some of...
2024-07-2224 min
Experiences of International EducationJudith Lamie (the people and the kindness of strangers)
Professor Judith Lamie, Pro Vice-Chancellor for International Engagement at Swansea University in Wales, reminds us of the importance of diversity and cooperation for finding the needed solutions of today’s challenges, and hence the importance of engaging internationally.
Sharing her pathway into and through international education, from the early days of international student recruitment to today’s attention to TNE as a means to widening access, she reflects on some of the key challenges facing the UK sector today, without losing sight of the important role that international education plays in opening up life-changing opportunities to people, and...
2024-07-1731 min
Experiences of International EducationN.V. Varghese (looking at mobility and TNE from India)
Prof. Varghese, former Vice Chancellor of the National University of Educational Planning and Administration in New Delhi takes us through the key steps and achievements of his professional career, whilst sharing insights and considerations about the challenges associated with internationalisation in India, and beyond.
He introduces the key concept of 'high cost, high return pathway' in student mobility patterns, with implications for post-study visas as a means to recover the costs of an international education, and the opportunities posed by in-bound TNE to reduce costs.
He reflects on the future of India as an education...
2024-07-1128 min
Experiences of International EducationJazreel Goh (taking stock of TNE in Malaysia and East Asia)
Jazreel Goh, Director British Council Malaysia, (and former Director of Education British Council China), shares her passion about international education as a life changing opportunity, starting from when she met an international education advisor as an international student preparing to go to Australia. She reminds us of the importance of not loosing sight of the very unique experience of very unique individual when we work in international education.
She shares insights into historical and current developments of TNE in Malaysia, and East Asia. She emphasises the potential of TNE as a means to widening access to international ed...
2024-07-0417 min
Experiences of International EducationStig Arne Skjerven (the progressive potential of the Global Recognition Convention)
Stig Arne Skjerven, Norway's Deputy Permanent Delegate to UNESCO and Chair of UNESCO Global Recognition Convention Bureau, provides us with a deep dive into the Global Recognition Convention, how the international education community got there, its rationale, its ambitions, its progress, and importantly its socially progressive potential, opening up study, work and life choices to individuals around the world and also easing brain drain. He further shares important work he has been involved in with regards to the Qualifications Passport for Refugees... and the memorable moment in summer 2023 when state parties to the Global Recognition Convention gathered for the...
2024-06-2727 min
Experiences of International EducationChristopher Hill (an academic pathway through TNE)
Christopher Hill (Professor at the Faculty of Education of the British University in Dubai) shares the professional twists and turns which have taken him from the UK to Malaysia and Dubai, playing a frontline role in making TNE happen. He reminds us how with TNE host countries maturing their priority is shifting from quantity to quality and relevance, and of the importance of being prepared to question your assumptions in international education, being able to adjust to cultural difference and drop our cultural baggage... as he quickly learned in a memorable visit to Tanzania
2024-06-2025 min
Experiences of International EducationEllen Hazelkorn (from global rankings to flexible pathways)Ellen Hazelkorn, Professor Emeritus, Technological University Dublin, and one of the leading commentators on international education, tells us how she started her journey in international education by researching on global university rankings for the OECD in the early 2000s.
She reminds us how the simplistic nature of ranking is what make them so popular, but also problematic, and how quality assurance oversight would be a less blunt tool better to inform government decisions and policy for higher education.
She also shares insights into recent work she has done with a range of countries, including Ireland...
2024-06-1325 min
Experiences of International EducationBrandon Lee (a view from Singapore)Brandon Lee (former CEO of the Singapore Council for Private Education) tells us about how he entered the international education space through the regulation of private education in Singapore, which covers partnerships with international universities. Brandon shares his views about the future of international education in Singapore, reflecting on how the high cost of living in the country will continue to act as a constrain to in-bound international students mobility, and how TNE growth will depend on its ability to demonstrate local relevance... and a memorable football match at Dubai's Academic City
2024-06-0826 min
Think EducationEnd of Year Review 2023 – A Community of practiceIn this, the final Think Education podcast of 2023, Judith and Chris reflect back on a year of podcasting; a year of conversations; and a year of global engagement.
We managed – with a lot of help from our friends – to put up 50 original episodes (we had two repeats over the summer break) and had the opportunity to talk to people from Australia, China, Egypt, Germany Hong Kong, Malaysia, Netherlands, Taiwan, the UAE, the UK, the USA, Wales (of course), and Zimbabwe.
We are grateful to be part of a community of engagement, that we get to lear...
2023-12-2932 minThink EducationInternational Voices - Fabrizio TrifiroIn this episode, I was joined by @FabrizioTrifiro Head of International Quality Reviews and Stakeholder Engagement, Ecctis-UKENIC & INQAAHE Board Member, to talk about quality assurance from both a philosophical and practical perspective. Fabrizio brought his wealth of global expertise to bear on this issue and reflected on the evolving nature of higher education and how quality assurance processes are responding.
Fabrizio pulled back the curtain and explained how QA agencies navigate the need to inhibit change and innovate for the future. We talked about the constant struggle to remain relevant and maintain trust and quality, while evolving an...
2023-05-1247 min