About us
The University of Exeter’s research and education makes a difference across the world. In order to deliver our Strategy 2030 we recognise that Global Partnerships are vital. The Global Partnerships Team seeks to create mutually beneficial partnerships that enhance our research, training, data, knowledge exchange and student recruitment, in pursuit of new discovery, academic excellence and transformative impact. Our mission is to make the world greener, healthier, and fairer place by collaborating with partners on priorities which address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We work with global partners to:
- Enhance the University’s excellence in research, education, and knowledge exchange by working strategically with universities around the world.
- Collaborate with partners to develop strategies and action to tackle the SDGs, developing best practice and using the power of our research and education to create positive impact.
- Strengthen Exeter’s engagement and expand our footprint in different regions of the world.
- Provide our staff and students with access to international collaboration opportunities.
- Develop scalable transnational education partnerships with partners that share our values and with whom we can offer an outstanding student experience.
- Use technology to facilitate collaboration and transcend international boundaries, creating new research and education opportunities aligned with our commitment to tackle the Environment and Climate Emergency
Meet the team
Dr James Smith
Head of Global Partnerships
James joined the Global Partnerships Team in 2016, working as a Business Partner for Humanities and Social Sciences and as Regional Head for South Asia. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, James left the Team to work as Exeter’s Senior Responsible Officer for International Self-Isolators before undertaking secondments as an Education Business Partner and an Education Special Projects Manager. James returned to the team as Head of Global Partnerships in January 2023.
James is responsible for managing the Global Partnerships Team and working closely with Regional Heads to ensure that Exeter’s Global Strategy is delivered. He has ample experience of working with a range of international partners, leading on projects alongside the China UK Humanities Alliance, the British Council, and a wide range of partners in South Asia. James has a PhD in Ancient History from the University of Exeter.
Charlotte Elson
Regional Head for Sub-Saharan Africa (HLS)
Charlotte joined the University of Exeter in 2015 and has progressed to Regional Head for Africa and responsible for the Faculty of Health and Life, Sciences. Charlotte supports Prof Huw Williams (Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global Engagement) with Faculty global partnership strategy advising on university led initiatives and aiding Faculty owned strategic international partnership goals.
Charlotte joined the University of Exeter in 2015 as Global Partnerships Officer where she was responsible for the planning and overseas management of Vice-Chancellor led international visits to partner universities, and equivalent inward VIP visits. Prior to joining the University of Exeter, Charlotte worked in regional, and later national, event coordination and marketing for Riverford Organic Farmers.
Mark Elliott
Regional Head for South-East Asia
Mark joined the University of Exeter in May 2023 as Regional Head for South-East Asia. In addition, he works as the Business Partner for the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy. Mark has extensive experience of building and managing relationships in international education and has lived and worked in the Middle East, Europe and South-East Asia.
Mark first worked internationally as an English teacher and has a keen interest in both ESOL teaching and international relations. He is a graduate of the University of Leicester and has post-graduate teaching qualifications from the University of Cambridge.
Rita Collar
Partnerships Liaison Co-ordinator
business-school-intl-partnerships@exeter.ac.uk
Rita has been in the Partnerships Liaison Coordinator role since 2016, and is responsible for the operational side of the articulation and progression programmes for the Business School. She works closely with Head of International Partnerships for UEBS to support a wide range of partnerships student recruitment activity internationally.
Rita joined the University of Exeter in September 2008 and has worked in various student facing roles in the University. Rita has a BA in Tourism Business Management and a MA in Tourism Business Administration from the University of Birmingham. Rita came to the UK when she was 16 as an International student from China.
Cath Pratley
Global Partnerships Co-ordinator
business-school-intl-partnerships@exeter.ac.uk
Cath joined the Global Partnerships team in May 2022 and is responsible for supporting and co-ordinating Global Partnerships activity in the Business School. No stranger to the Business School and International activities, Cath’s previous role in College Operations involved supporting members of the College Executive Group, including the Director of College Operations and the Associate Deans for Education and Global. Prior to joining Exeter, she held a number of student-facing roles at Sheffield Hallam University, followed by a stint in Academic Development at Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) in York. As a qualified teacher, Cath spent her early career in mainstream education, teaching students in Primary, Secondary and Further Education settings.
Cath is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Shelley Paterson
Global Partnerships Administrator
Shelley joined the Global Partnerships team in April 2023.
Shelley is responsible for supporting the Global Partnerships team in a wide range of activities. These include providing extensive administrative support to working groups, administering internal funding calls, managing and coordinating team travel, supporting events both in person and virtually, and researching potential partners.
Shelley’s background is primarily in hospital pharmacy where she was involved in the preparation and manufacture of intravenous drugs. However, she has held previous administration roles both in local government and overseas in New Zealand.
Shelley enjoys anything travel related after spending two years living and working abroad. She is always on the lookout for the next new destination to explore.
Lucy Yarde
Global Partnerships Engagement Officer
Lucy joined the Global Partnerships team in 2023 and assists with the management and administration of the University’s largest strategic partnerships.
Lucy holds a BA in French and Russian from the University of Leeds and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education Leadership from the University of Exeter. After completing her undergraduate degree, Lucy spent several years teaching English at a few different universities in France, before returning to the UK to work as an Outreach Officer, with focus on widening participation and UK student recruitment.
Nick Chavasse
Regional Head – MENA (Middle East & North Africa) (HLS)
Before joining Exeter’s Global Partnerships Team in 2018, Nick worked in International Student Recruitment & Partnerships for 8 years, with Oxford Brookes University’s International Office and the University of Exeter’s International Student Recruitment team, with regional responsibility for the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central Asia.
As part of the Health & Life Sciences (HLS) Professional Services team, he looks forward to developing the Faculty's Global Plan to increase both partnership and international recruitment activities. As former Regional Head for Europe, he worked with colleagues across all faculties and professional services to create the university's Europe Plan, to deliver strategic engagement with priority European partners after the EU referendum.
Prior to joining Exeter, Nick spent 14 years working in tourism marketing, sales, and business development at executive and managerial level - as Sales Director with GTA Travel (London) and with South West Tourism (Exeter). He spent 6 years with Visit Britain (Chicago, USA) as Marketing Executive and Business Development Manager for the Central USA Region – building partnerships and joint-marketing initiatives with airlines, travel agents, tour operators, and professional associations. He has worked as Director of Tourism & Heritage at Coventry Cathedral; maintains an interest in peace, nonviolence, and reconciliation studies; and is completing a part-time Masters at Coventry University in Peace & Conflict Studies. For 3 years, he chaired BUIC (British Universities in Iraq Consortium), and maintains an active interest in the role played by UK HEIs in supporting post-conflict reconstruction.
Liam Roberts
Regional Head for China (HASS)
Liam joined the Global Partnerships team in December 2022, having worked previously in International Student Recruitment and project management at the University of Exeter. Prior to coming to Exeter, Liam served as Global Partnerships Manager at SOAS University of London, developing academic partnerships with leading universities in China, East Asia, South East Asia and the United States, and managing scholarship and endowed research partnership schemes. He also brings previous experience from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, where he led on a range of international research partnerships and consortium projects in Africa and Asia.
Liam maintains a strong interest in Asian cultures and international affairs and holds an MA Political Science from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver).
Stuart Westhead
Regional Head for North America & Europe
Stuart joined the University of Exeter in February 2016. He is responsible for identification of key academic partnerships with leading global HE institutions in North America and Europe, and for delivering sustainable, integrated research and education partnerships that generate mutual advantage through collaboration.
Stuart previously worked for the government in Japan, developing internationality in schools’ curriculum in Kochi prefecture from 2002–04. Then coordinated international programmes for Brown University in the USA between 2004 – 2007. In 2007 he became Head of the International Office at Falmouth University and led development and implementation of Falmouth’s first Internationalisation strategy. Stuart created a team that grew the International student community at Falmouth University by 400%, established over 50 Global Partnerships and was recognised as the UK’s number 1 (Global #2) International Office by the International student barometer for its services in admissions and student support. Stuart holds a BA in Economics & History from the University of Liverpool and an MA in Management of International Higher Education from Edgehill University.
Emma Clarke
Regional Head for Australia and New Zealand (HASS)
Dr Emma Clarke joined the Global Partnerships team in January 2019, working as the Partnerships Engagement Manager responsible for managing our portfolio of tier 1, strategic partnership relationships. Emma works closely with the Regional Heads and faculty facing Business Partners in supporting the delivery of a wide range of partnership activities including but not limited to, internal funding calls and a variety of split-site and dual PhD programmes.
Emma received her PhD from Exeter’s Department of Engineering in 2017, having completed an MSc and BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science: biodiversity and conversation in 2006 from Plymouth University. For the intervening years, Emma worked in the Pulp and Paper Industry responsible for the environmental aspects of the industrial operation. Since completing her PhD and prior to joining Global Partnerships, Emma had been managing a couple of UKRI funded academic led networks, which sought to foster and encourage national and international multidisciplinary collaboration under the themes of decision making under uncertainty and research on changes of variability and environmental risk.
Rachel Jones
Head of International Partnerships for University of Exeter, Business School, Global Partnerships Lead in the Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy
Rachel.Jones@exeter.ac.uk
business-school-intl-partnerships@exeter.ac.uk
Rachel joined the Global Partnerships team in January 2017 and is responsible for international partnerships activity in the Business School. This includes international academic partnerships, as well as working with partners on recruitment and TNE.
Rachel has a BA in Economics & International Relations and an LLM in International Law. After completing the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice course, Rachel worked for international development NGOs managing projects in Spain, East Africa and South America, before coming to Exeter in 2012 as the Development Analysis & Projects Manager in what is now Global Advancement.
Sarah Newby
Global Partnerships Executive Officer
Sarah joined the Global Partnerships team in January 2018 and works closely with the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Senior Executives to manage international visitors to the University and the logistical coordination for senior delegation visits overseas. Sarah leads on administrative support to the Global Partnerships team covering a wide range of activities including financial transaction record-keeping, supporting existing partnership programs, internal funding calls and monitoring return on investment of partnership activity.
Sarah graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2011 after completing a degree in Tourism Management. Sarah enjoys all things travel related and has spent time living and working overseas prior to joining the university.
