Our Expertise in TNE
Delivering world-class training, consultancy, and research to enhance Transnational Education initiatives globally
Dr Lindsay Jones, Leading Consultant
Dr Lindsay Jones has over twenty years’ experience in international education and business
development. A highly experienced TNE practitioner, Lindsay has developed and delivered
programmes through partners in the Gulf, China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, the
Caribbean, Hong Kong and the USA. A Higher Education Leader in the Gulf Higher Education
Network, Lindsay regularly contributes to TNE best practice seminars including British Council
Going Global events.
Following postdoctoral research positions in Ireland and the USA, Lindsay led on the development and operational management of global programmes at Manchester Business School Worldwide, before moving to Bangor University and latterly at Queen Mary, University of London. She has been responsible for the operational management TNE portfolios including new business proposals and current partnerships including validated and franchise provision, multiple joint programmes, JEIs and IBCs. She was also the institutional lead for in-country approvals and registration.
Lindsay’s areas of expertise include TNE business case development, in-country registration and
approval, strategic planning, financial modelling, due diligence, risk assessment and international partnership development. She also contributes to the Level 7 Cert in Teaching Learning and Professional Practice for TNE.
Dr Cheryl Yu, Leading Consultant
With over 18 years of experience in international higher education across multiple UK universities (University of the Arts London, University for the Creative Arts, Birmingham City University, University of Southampton, and University of Lancaster), Dr Cheryl Yu has a strong track record of developing and delivering impactful internationalisation strategies. Her expertise spans international student recruitment and retention, curriculum internationalisation, and the design and delivery of large-scale Transnational Education partnerships. She has played a leading role in the establishment and oversight of two Joint Institutes in China (and working as Assistant Dean delivering JEI on the ground in China), each enrolling approximately 1,200 students, as well as JEPs and proposals for IBCs, working closely with institutional leaders, regulators, and cross- border stakeholders. She has delivered multiple TNE projects in Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Germany and China.
As a consultant and researcher over the last few years, she has delivered market research projects for British Council, Irish university, and several UK universities in TNE market research, TNE strategy and framework, health check, policy and process governance structure design. She has also designed and led the sector's first comprehensive Level 7 Cert in Teaching Learning and
Professional Practice for TNE (equivalent to PG Cert).
As a researcher, Dr Yu has published widely on the internationalisation of higher education, with work spanning international student experience, curriculum internationalisation, cultural intelligence, student success, transnational education and global higher education policy. Her publications include journal articles and book chapters on Chinese international student mobility, inclusive teaching in international classrooms, scaffolding strategies for international student success, and EU–China higher education collaboration in a changing geopolitical context. Her recent co-edited book, Critical Reflections on the Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Global South, contributes to contemporary debates on equity, power relations, decolonisation and global knowledge exchange in international higher education.
Bola Ibrhaim -Leading Consultant
Bola Ibrahim Profile – TNE experince
Bola Ibrahim is a higher education policy and development specialist based in Egypt, with over 15 years of experience across universities, multilateral organisations, NGOs, and consulting, and a specialist focus on transnational education (TNE). He serves as Regional Expert – MENA at the TNE Institute, advising on TNE strategy and practice across the region, and is currently completing a PhD at UCL Institute of Education, where his doctoral research examines the internationalisation of higher education and the impact of TNE in host countries and the Global South.
As Group Policy Adviser, MENA for Coventry University Group the UK's third-largest TNE provider he designed and led a three-year stakeholder engagement and policy strategy spanning the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, building senior relationships with ministries, quality assurance bodies, and regulators, and advising Group leadership on partnership acquisition and integration.
His consultancy portfolio spans TNE delivery across multiple markets and modalities. For the British Council Egypt, he led a flagship study on Egypt's digital higher education ecosystem as Research Lead, Digital Higher Education & TNE, developing a typology of digital TNE models tailored to Egypt's regulatory environment; the work is published as Scaling Digital Higher Education in Egypt: Opportunities for Digital Transnational Education (British Council MENA Insights Hub, 2025) and has informed UK–Egypt institutional collaboration and bilateral policy dialogue. At the French University in Egypt (UFE), he advised on institutional identity, academic positioning, and brand strategy as part of the university's TNE-aligned development, conducting market research and competitor mapping against French QA standards. He currently advises Bournemouth University as Internationalisation & Global Engagement Consultant, having designed and led the pilot of its Global Education Intelligence Report. His broader TNE work includes national studies for the British Council Egypt on international student mobility, and market/policy research for the British Council Morocco, Education Development Trust, and the Canadian Embassy in Egypt.
A published author on higher education internationalisation and TNE including chapters with Springer, Routledge, and Bloomsbury his work has informed sector studies, government strategies, and donor-funded programmes, establishing him as a leading Arab voice in global TNE.
Stephane Waller, SFHEA- Consultant
Stéphane Waller is a senior academic leader and business lecturer with over 15 years’ experience in higher education, specialising in Transnational Education and UK–China partnerships. He holds an MBA in Marketing from Birmingham City University and brings strong strategic and operational expertise across the international education landscape.
He previously served as Academic and Administrative Manager for the Birmingham Institute of Fashion and Creative Arts (BIFCA) in Wuhan, where he led academic operations and quality assurance for a large-scale TNE project supporting approximately 600 students from inception. Prior to this, he worked at the University of Southampton’s Winchester School of Art Dalian campus, managing the full student lifecycle for 700 students and promoting UK progression routes.
At the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Stéphane served as Senior Lecturer in Business Management and Marketing, contributing to curriculum development, international student engagement, and cross-border initiatives. A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he combines pedagogical leadership with business acumen.
Fluent in Mandarin, French, Spanish, and English, Stéphane bridges cultural and institutional contexts to build sustainable international partnerships and drive global student success.
Professor Chris Harris- Senior Advisor
Professor Chris Harris, BA, PhD, SFHEA, FRSA, is an experienced academic leader with significant senior-level experience in transnational education, particularly in the UK-China higher education context. He is the former Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, China, and served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the University of Liverpool from 2018 to 2021.
Through his leadership role at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, one of the most prominent examples of UK-China transnational higher education, Professor Harris gained extensive experience in the development, governance and delivery of Sino-foreign cooperative education. His work has involved navigating the academic, regulatory and institutional complexities of operating a major international university in China, including curriculum delivery, quality assurance, academic standards, student experience, institutional partnership management and cross-cultural academic leadership.
His experience is particularly valuable in understanding how TNE operates in practice in China, where successful partnerships require not only strong academic design, but also careful alignment with Chinese regulatory expectations, local institutional priorities, student needs and long-term partnership sustainability. Professor Harris brings insight into both the strategic and operational dimensions of UK-China TNE, from institutional governance and academic quality to staff engagement, cultural understanding and the practical realities of delivering international education on the ground.
Professor Harris is also an Inner Board Member of the Irish Research Council. He is now semi-retired, while continuing to hold part-time roles in Modern Languages at Lancaster University and in local government and politics at Lancaster City Council.
Prof. Dr. Mohammed Hussein Ahmed
Regional expert and advisor -Iraq
Prof. Dr. Mohammed Hussein Ahmed is a Full Professor of English Linguistics and Pragmatics and a senior higher education leader in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. He currently serves as Director General and Head of the Apparatus of Supervision and Quality Assurance at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, a position he has held since 2018. In this capacity, he leads national efforts in academic quality assurance, accreditation, university governance reform, and alignment with international higher education standards, including the Bologna Process.
A committed scholar, Prof. Ahmed has published widely in linguistics, curriculum reform, digital transformation in higher education, and artificial intelligence in academia. He has taught extensively at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in linguistics, pragmatics, research methods, forensic linguistics, and TESOL. He also serves as an evaluator for academic promotions, theses, and international journals.
Prof. Ahmed also supports TNE Institution through his regional knowledge and network on TNE insights and engagement in the region.
John K Philip
Regional expert and advisor -India
John K. Philip is an international education specialist with over three decades of experience in transnational education (TNE), internationalisation, and UK-India higher education partnerships. He has been involved in TNE since the mid-1990s, beginning with Deakin University's founding team in India, which introduced one of the country's earliest transnational distance learning initiatives. He subsequently worked with the University of Strathclyde and Durham University, supporting the development and promotion of their transnational distance learning programmes in India.
John later led the Education UK team at the British Council in New Delhi and was an active member of the founding UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) team, contributing to one of the UK's most significant bilateral higher education collaborations with India. He went on to head AoC India, where he led strategic partnerships with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), FICCI, and CII to strengthen UK-India collaboration in skills and vocational education. He later served as Head of Research & Partnerships at Sannam S4, leading research, market intelligence, and strategic partnership initiatives that supported international institutions engaging with India.
Drawing on experience across universities, government, sector bodies, international education consultancy, and independent advisory, John advises universities, governments, and education organisations on India's evolving higher education landscape, with a particular focus on transnational education, internationalisation, policy, and cross-border institutional partnerships. His recent publication, The Tinsel Townships: A Practitioner's Guide to Transnational Education (TNE) in India, reflects this experience, offering a practitioner's perspective on the strategic, regulatory, and operational dimensions of international branch campuses and cross-border higher education in India.
Dave Amor
TNE Data Analyst
Dave brings extensive international higher education experience to TNE Institute, with expertise in market intelligence, student recruitment, data strategy and transnational education, and he has recently completed his L7 Cert in TNE.
He began his HE career in Taiwan, where he studied Chinese and worked as an education agent, before joining INTO as Regional Manager in China. He later held senior UK recruitment roles and became Director of Market Intelligence.
Since 2023, Dave has supported HE organisations with international strategy, market research and effective data use, covering student mobility, recruitment channels, market diversification, pricing and TNE opportunities.
At TNE Institute, Dave supports data-informed approaches to TNE training and consultancy, helping institutions understand market demand, policy context and partnership potential.
He recently contributed to the British Council’s 2025 ASEAN 5 undergraduate recruitment channels paper.
Dr. Gareth Morris
TNE Education and Leadership Advisor
Dr Gareth Morris, SFHEA, is a senior higher education professional with over fifteen years’ experience in transnational education. He spent a decade at Xi’an Jiao Tong-Liverpool University, later moving to the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, and has also worked for The Perse School (Suzhou). His publications and conference presentations address key issues in transnational education, including leadership and management, organisational behaviour, academic workforce motivation and satisfaction , as well as curriculum and materials design.
Professor Olgun Cicek
Director of Quality Assurance, Professor & International Higher Education
Professor Cicek is an international expert on higher education and quality assurance. He is a Committee and Board member on a number of international quality assurance organisations (including QAA, THEQC, TKTA, NVAO, AQAS, FIBAA, OCQAS, and BQA). He regularly presents keynote presentations at high-profile international conferences and advises governments and higher education organisations across the world.
Olgun has a truly international background, having worked in universities across 10 countries, and with governments and HE-related organisations in many more.
