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We in the Higher Education practice at Saxton Bampfylde have recently found ourselves working on an unusual spread of senior appointments in and around what might loosely be called the internationalisation agenda in higher education. The appointments range from the highest levels of government-funded research collaborations and industry engagement, through establishing vital eco-systems of internationalisation to support institutional ambitions, to multi-faceted approaches to international student recruitment – and have given us a privileged view at a uniquely critical time.
Our work has given us the opportunity to talk to leaders in universities whose practical provision, mid-term forecasts and longer-term ambition have all been shaken to the core by Covid-19. Over the last few months, we have heard about universities achieving extraordinary operational feats which will be familiar to all of you, and now, the work of re-imagining the future begins. We are witnessing game-changing circumstances for the sector, and the universities that emerge from this crisis will be those that have absorbed and responded to the immediate shock – and can then seize the opportunity to develop new and exciting approaches.
As much of this falls into the international in-tray, we were keen to speak to senior people, leading on the international agenda, to hear their concerns, ideas and ambitions for their institutions around internationalisation. This thought piece brings you the conversations that we had with Professor Robin Mason, PVC International at University of Birmingham, and Professor Toby Wilkinson, DVC External Engagement at University of Lincoln, who kindly took the time to share their observations.
Head of Higher Education Practice