Study Group Managing Director appointed to UK higher education advisory group

Study Group Managing Director appointed to UK higher education advisory group

Study Group is delighted to confirm that Managing Director UK and Europe James Pitman has been appointed as a member of the British Council’s newly-established Higher Education Sector Group.

The Group will be Chaired by the UK International Education Champion Sir Steve Smith. All members are senior professionals with experience of international education from universities and the leading sector bodies in all four nations of the United Kingdom.

The Higher Education Sector Group has been formed to help shape the policy of the British Council, the body founded by the UK government with a remit to “build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.” This British Council’s objectives include:

• developing higher education partnerships that support quality and internationalisation, and which grow the market for British Higher Education;

• increasing the UK’s share of the global market for international student recruitment by promoting the UK as a world-class study destination;

• creating more opportunities for students and researchers to study and work overseas;

• supporting the UK’s international reputation for science and research;

• creating global networks of alumni;

• sharing best practice and enhancing the international reputation of the four education systems of the UK.

The Council also champions and supports the breadth and diversity of the UK’s higher education offer and works closely with UK government to support the priorities of the International Education Strategy.

The news of the appointment was warmly welcomed by the Chair of Study Group UK Professor Sir Keith Burnett FRS who said,

"I am delighted that this important advisory body for UK education will benefit from James’ tremendous international commercial experience alongside his deep personal commitment to international education. James has long played an important part in supporting progressive and evidence-based international education policy and was a tireless advocate for the reintroduction of post study work. He is rightly trusted across the higher education sector for his track record of sound advice and we are delighted this will continue to be the case in this latest appointment".

James Pitman commented:

"I am extremely pleased to take up this role working with Sir Steve Smith and my education sector colleagues to advise the British Council on its work and help influence how its vision and strategy are developed and implemented. International education is already a tremendous benefit to the UK and there is a great opportunity with the International Education Strategy to extend this further. My experience is as part of an organisation with staff based across the world, and I will endeavour to share insights which reflect the ambitions of students globally. I am also looking forward to considering how innovations in online and transnational education might be part of the UK offer in future, while maintaining a global reputation for teaching and research".

James Pitman is also the Chair of Exporting Education UK and Vice-Chair of Independent Higher Education, and was a founding advisor to the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on International Students.