Each IARU partner is represented by a Senior member of the institution. Senior Officers meet annually to discuss the strategic directions of the Alliance, to hear updates from the partner universities and to offer guidance on ongoing IARU initiatives
Jane is charged with leading innovative, strategic engagement activity that enhances the unique position and nature of ANU in Australia and overseas. The Vice-President directly oversees Strategic Communications & Public Affairs (SCAPA), International Strategy & Partnerships (ISP), Marketing & Recruitment Division, and the ANU liaison offices in China, Singapore and North America, as well as ANU and the Public Policy and Societal Impact Hub.
Jane has 25 years of Australian and international experience stretching across politics, media, peak bodies and corporate affairs. She was the foundation Director of ANU Strategic Communications and Public Affairs, and foundation Director of the ANU North America Liaison Office. In Washington DC (2010 - 2012), she oversaw the implementation of the ANU North America Strategy, introduced programs to foster access to US funding, worked on building the US alumni community and helped establish the ANU (US) Foundation.
Prior to joining ANU in 2004, she spent four years in Tokyo working in journalism and public diplomacy. She has previously worked in corporate affairs at the Australian Local Government Association and Sports Medicine Australia, and as a political advisor covering Trade, Regional Development and Resources and Energy portfolios. Jane holds a Master of Management (ANU), a Master of Journalism (Wollongong), and a Bachelor of Arts (Curtin), and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She has been actively involved in the establishment of the Canberra Writers Festival, and is the Deputy Chair of the Board. She also sits on the Canberra Convention Bureau Board and the ANU National Security College Board.
Dr. Jürg Brunnschweiler, Director ETH Global
Dr. Jürg Brunnschweiler obtained his doctorate in Biology from the University of Zurich. He joined ETH Zurich in 2002, working first in the Presidents’ Staff and the Lecturers’ Office, then in the office dealing with the European Union Framework Programmes. In 2009, he returned to the Office for Faculty Affairs where he was responsible for faculty recruiting procedures at various departments. In addition, he was contact person for academic career advancement and Secretary of the Tenure Committee. Since 1 October 2012, Dr. Brunnschweiler is the Head of ETH Global and Director of Global Institutional Affairs at ETH Zurich.
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Mr. Anders Hagström, Director of Global Educational Affairs
Mr. Anders Hagström is the Director of Global Educational Affairs at ETH Zurich. His previous appointments included project manager of ETH Zurich’s ICT development program, "ETH World", and various positions in the field of lifelong learning for engineers at Helsinki University of Technology, Cambridge University and European Federation of National Engineering Associations.
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Prof. Victor P.W. SHIM, Associate Vice President, Global Relations Office
Victor Shim is Associate Vice-President for Global Relations at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He works with the President on the University’s aspiration to be recognised globally as characterised by internationalisation in its perspectives and programmes, through working strategically with partner institutions overseas and local agencies.
Prof Shim is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and pursued his Bachelor’s degree at Auckland University, New Zealand, via a Colombo Plan Scholarship. He then returned to Singapore for three years of military service in the artillery as an officer. Thereafter, he took on a Senior Tutor appointment at NUS, and concurrently obtained his Master’s degree. Subsequently, he proceeded to Cambridge University for his PhD, supported by an NUS Scholarship.
His research is primarily in Dynamic Material Behaviour and Impact Mechanics, and he is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Impact Engineering and an Editorial Board Member of Defence Technology. Prof Shim has been a Visiting Scientist at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, San Diego. He has received awards for Teaching Excellence and Innovative Teaching, Outstanding Service, and has also been conferred a National Day Public Administration Medal (Silver). He has served in University, Faculty and Department management roles, such as the founding Director of the University’s Office of Corporate Relations (now University Communications Office), a Vice-Dean (External Relations & Outreach) at the Faculty of Engineering, and a Deputy Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department. He is also an Independent, Non-executive Director of a publicly-listed company that provides technical inspection and testing services.
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Dr. LI Yansong, Vice President
Dr. Li Yansong is the Vice President for international relations at Beida. He is concurrently the Co-Director of Peking University Center for International Higher Education, Secretary-General of Hongkong and Macao Research Association of Peking University, Standing Vice President and Secretary-General of Association for Introducing Foreign Intelligence, sub-association of Chinese Association of Higher Ecudation (CAHE), and President of Association for Ecucation Management Research of Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese students in Beijing.
His previous appointments in Beida included various key positions in the Office of International Relations. Dr. Li is an experienced administrator and researcher with a specialization in international relations, communication and development related issues.
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Dr. XIA Hongwei, Director Office of International Relations
Dr. Xia Hongwei is Director of the Office of International Relations of Peking University and the Deputy Director of the Peking University Center for International Higher Education. He received his Bachelor degree in Political Science from the University of International Relations in 1989 and went on to further his postgraduate studies at Peking University and was awarded the Master and PhD in International & Intercultural Studies in 1994 and 2009 respectively.
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Prof. Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, Vice Provost for Academic Planning
Lisa Alvarez-Cohen is the Vice Provost for Academic Planning at UC Berkeley, as well as the campus Senior International Officer. She began serving in this role on July 1, 2018.
She is the Fred and Claire Sauer Professor, past-Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and past Chair of the Faculty Senate at UC Berkeley. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and Applied Science from Harvard University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Science from Stanford University. Her research areas include biotransformation and fate of environmental water contaminants, environmental microbiology and ecology, bioremediation, biological wastewater nutrient removal, and application of molecular and isotopic techniques for studying environmental microbial communities. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental microbiology, environmental engineering, and biological process engineering, and has co-authored the textbook Environmental Engineering Science. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. She has won a number of awards including the China 1,000 Talents National Award, the ASCE Simon W. Freese Environmental Engineering Award, the W. M. Keck Foundation Award for Engineering Teaching Excellence, and the National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award.
PhD - Environmental Engineering and Science, Stanford University
MS - Environmental Engineering and Science, Stanford University
Dr. Karen Kennedy, Director of the Strategic Partnerships Office
Karen is Director of the University of Cambridge’s Strategic Partnerships Office. The Strategic Partnerships Office provides expertise and support to the University’s key partnerships and relationships, across disciplines and across the public and private sectors.The focus is on partnerships that further the University’s academic activity and align with university priorities. These partnerships could be with a wide variety of entities, including public sector and private sector, other universities, research bodies, governments, companies, businesses, trusts and foundations.
Karen joined the University in July 2018 from the National Cancer Research Institute, where she had been Director since 2013. She has previously worked in strategic relations and programme management for research funders and scientific institutions, including Genome Canada and the Wellcome Trust. She holds a PhD in medicinal chemistry, and conducted post-doctoral research in France and at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge.
Mr. Stephen Davison, Head of Public International Partnerships Office
Steve is Head of the Public International Partnerships section within the Strategic Partnership Office at the University of Cambridge. He is responsible for developing institutional relationships with higher education and research institutions, governments, funders and NGOs internationally.Steve has been a member of the University since 2008 when he joined as a Political Research Analyst. He went on to become Political Affairs Adviser before building and leading a new Public Affairs Team. He took up the role of Head of Public International Partnership following the formation of the Strategic Partnership Office in 2017. Prior to joining the University of Cambridge, Steve worked in Westminster as Head of Environment for Policy Connect: a UK think-tank.
He is a Senior Officer of the League of European Research Universities, a Senior Officer of the International Alliance of Research Universities, and a founding member and former chair of the Russell Group Political Affairs Network. He has degrees from the University of Hull and the University of Exeter, and is a Professional By-Fellow of Churchill College.
Dr. Marilet Sienaert, Executive Director, Research
Dr Marilet Sienaert completed a PhD in Literary Studies at the former University of Natal (Durban) and worked at the universities of Pretoria, Natal (Durban) and Durban-Westville from 1977 to 2000.
Moving through the ranks from lecturer to full professor during this time, her own academic work and on-going involvement in institutional research development projects led to a growing interest in higher education research management and a career change in 2000, when she was appointed to UCT as head of the then Grants Office.
As Executive Director, Sienaert's mandate covers the activities of the Research Office; the Office of Research Integrity; the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies. She works closely with the cluster of research committees as well as the Deputy Vice Chancellor for research, to develop and implement the institutional research strategy and to position UCT optimally in relation to on-going challenges and opportunities in the national and international research and policy environment.
An active member of the South African Research & Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) and the International Organisation for Research Management Societies (INORMS), Sienaert has delivered many papers at a range of national and international conferences on research management. She has also served as panel member on the Council for Higher Education's national quality assurance audits of universities and on reference groups of the National Research Foundation.
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Mr. Søren Nedergaard, Director, Rector's Office
Mr. Nedergaard has pursued his career in education, research and innovation through 15 years at the Danish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, in later years in different management positions, and 2 years as a research attaché at the Danish Government’s office in Palo Alto, California. He joined the University of Copenhagen in February of 2018 as the Director of the Rector’s office with the responsibility of advising Rector, Pro-rector and senior management on the strategic development of the university. Mr. Nedergaard’s academic background includes a Master´s degree in Political Science.
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Mr. Ed Nash, Acting Director of International Strategy
Ed Nash was appointed Acting Director of International Strategy in September 2019 and will serve in the role for one year.
Ed joined the University of Oxford’s International Strategy team in 2013. He has worked for the Universities of Edinburgh and UCL in international communications roles, and previously as a journalist in the UK and China. He holds an MA from the University of St Andrews and an MSc in Comparative Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh.
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Ms. Nina Tomlin, Director of International Strategy
Nina Tomlin joined the International Strategy office in September 2011. As Acting Director, her areas of responsibility within the team include strategy development, the development and facilitation of collaborations in the regions of Europe and Africa, and international student mobility.
Prior to joining Oxford, Nina was Deputy Director of the Ditchley Foundation, which promotes international understanding through the convening of high-level roundtable conferences on issues of international public policy, for over four years. She has also worked in the office of Amnesty International's Secretary General, the UK Home Office and the Electoral Commission, and for the Chairman of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. Nina holds a degree in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge (Trinity Hall) and a Masters in International Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
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Professor Kiichi Fujiwara, Professor, Special Assistant to the President and Professor, Graduate Schools of Law and Politics
Professor Kiichi Fujiwara is one of the Special Assistants to the President and a professor of International Politics at the University of Tokyo, teaching courses on international relations and international conflict at the Faculty of Law, Graduate Schools of Law and Politics, and the Graduate School of Public Policy.
A graduate of the University of Tokyo (B.A. and M.A.), Professor Fujiwara studied as a Fulbright student at Yale University before he returned to Japan to the Institute of Social Science (ISS) of the University of Tokyo. He first joined the faculty at Chiba University and then returned to ISS for seven years before moving into his present position. He has held positions at the University of the Philippines, Johns Hopkins University, and was selected as a fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center at Washington D.C.
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Mr. Donald Filer, Associate Vice President for Global Strategy
Mr. Don Filer is Executive Director of the Office of International Affairs. He was appointed to his present position in December 2004. Previously, he was responsible for the managing support for the Yale Corporation, the Visitor Center and the Office of Licensing Programs.
Prior to moving to Yale, Mr. Filer served in a number of capacities at Connecticut College from 1991 to 2000, including Vice President for Community and Public Affairs, Secretary of the College and Acting Vice President for Development. He worked for former U.S. Representative Bruce A. Morrison of New Haven from 1985 to 1991.
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