QS India Summit 2026

Lord Kamlesh Patel was raised to the peerage as Baron Patel of Bradford, of Bradford in the County of West Yorkshire in 2006 and is a cross bench peer. A qualified Social Worker, Lord Patel worked in inner city Bradford and then established a number of Third Sector agencies working with those misusing drugs and those with mental health problems; later moving to academia working with a number of universities. Lord Patel has held a number of high-profile public appointments on national boards and committees, including the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work, the Home Office’s Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs, the Healthcare Commission, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse and the Care Quality Commission.
He was also Chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission and Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Lord Patel has contributed to a variety of Government policies including being the architect of the Government’s five year action plan for delivering race equality in mental health care.

In 2007 he was appointed by the Prime Minister to act as a Ministerial Adviser to the Secretary of State (DCLG) in respect of the government’s PREVENT agenda (Preventing Violent Extremism). He was also Chairman of a National Taskforce looking at the effectiveness of prison drug treatment culminating in the publication of the influential Patel Report. In 2018, Lord Patel of Bradford was appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care as the Chair of Social Work England – the new regulator for all child, family and adult social workers in England. He was honoured with an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1999 and was voted “Yorkshireman of the year” in 2016.

Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli has been Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow since 2009. An economist, his research interests are monetary economics, central bank independence, fiscal policy, international finance and macroeconomics. From 2007-2009 he was Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University. Prior to 2007 he held various roles at the University of Glasgow including Vice-Principal – Strategy, Budgeting and Advancement (2004-07); Daniel Jack Professor of Political Economy (1994-2007); and Professor and Lecturer, Department of Economics (1984-94).

Sir Anton was Chair (2016-21) of the First Minister’s Standing Council on Europe, a non-political group providing expert advice to Scottish ministers on Scotland’s relationship with the EU. He was a member of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisers 2015-21, and subsequently advised them on the National Strategy for Economic Transformation. He is a member of the advisory group for Sir Paul Nurse’s Review of the UK’s Research, Development and Innovation Organisational Landscape. From 2017-20 he was Chair of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities. He has been a special adviser to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee on fiscal and monetary policy, and he has advised the European Commission and the World Bank. He holds an honorary degree from McGill University in Canada.

Ashwin has been with the QS Quacquarelli Symonds group since 2012. In his current role as Regional Director, he works closely with universities in Middle East, North Africa and South Asia to better understand the local context and to support universities and higher educational institutions in their quest for excellence and capacity building.

Ashwin is an ambassador of the quality movement in these regions and has advocated the need for independent evaluation mechanisms. He actively promotes the use of QS University Rankings and QS Ratings for various purposes, be it students aspiring for higher education in reputed institutions across the globe, government agencies looking to have their universities compete globally or academics looking for partners focused on research initiatives.

He is also responsible to liaise with governmental and public agencies to better understand the changing market dynamics. In the course of his professional engagement, he has met with senior leaders from the region and is often invited to speak at several conferences and events on university rankings, ratings, education, higher education etc. He has been a panelist on various discussion forums and presented his recommendations on thought provoking topics

Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, a Rhodes Scholar, is the Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global (Institution of Eminence Deemed To Be University) (JGU) in India. He was appointed as the VC at the age of 34 in 2009 when the university was established. JGU is one of only 20 universities in India and the only non-STEM university, which has been declared as an “Institution of Eminence” by the Government of India.
Professor Kumar is an accomplished legal scholar and works in the fields of human rights and development, comparative constitutional law, terrorism and national security, corruption and governance, law and disaster management, legal education, and higher education. He has nine books and over two hundred publications to his credit and has published widely in peer-reviewed journals, law reviews in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, UK and the USA.

Professor Kumar has academic qualifications from the University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Hong Kong, University of Delhi and Loyola College. He served as a faculty member at the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong, where he taught for many years.

Professor Bailey began his career as an apprentice draughtsman. Over a period of five years he worked for a number of design consultants, supervising the construction of a variety of building structures, before studying for a degree and PhD at the University of Sheffield. After completing his PhD he returned to industry to work for the Steel Construction Institute and the Building Research Establishment, where his practical and research experience resulted in significant developments in structural engineering.

He joined The University of Manchester in 2002 as Professor of Structural Engineering, and became Head of the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at Manchester in 2007. He was then appointed Vice-President of the University and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering in 2009, before becoming Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2014. His leadership achievements at Manchester include the launch of a number of high profile research projects, such as the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials, The National Graphene Institute (£61m) and The Sir Henry Royce Institute (£283m). He also has significant non-executive experience, sitting on the Board of a number charities and organisations.

Professor Bailey is author of more than 120 research papers and practical design guides, and has been awarded nine prizes for his research work. His main specialties are fire safety engineering of structures, membrane action, wind loading and steel-concrete composite systems. He has also been involved in the structural fire design of number of iconic buildings in London including the Shard, Heron Tower and the Leadenhall Building. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers and a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. He joined Queen Mary as President and Principal in September 2017.

Dawn Freshwater is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland. She became the University’s first female Vice-Chancellor in March 2020, after serving as the University of Western Australia’s Vice-Chancellor and Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Registrar for six years (2014-2020).

Professor Freshwater was the first female Chair of the G08 Research Intensive Universities in Australia,and past Chair of the Partnership Board of the World University Network (WUN). She is currently Chair of UNZ Research Committee,  member of the National Health and Research Medical Council’s Women in Health Science Committee (NHMRC) and Deputy Chair and board Director of Research Australia.

Professor Freshwater was awarded her PhD at the University of Nottingham (1998) and is a highly experienced and driven supporter of translational research and research-led teaching. Her contribution to the fields of Public Health (specifically Mental Health and Forensic Mental Health) and in researching Leadership practices won her the highest honour in her field – the Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing (FRCN). She is an elected Member of the Academia Europea and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.

As an academic, Professor Freshwater has contributed to more than 200 publications, including peer-reviewed papers, research reports, books, editorials and media contributions, and she continues to supervise PhD students.

A strong advocate of industry engagement and of the role of higher education in supporting trade agreements, Professor Freshwater maintains strong professional ties with key figures in education and industry in Asia, Europe and the United States. She is known for her advocacy and action in equity and inclusivity.

Esther T. Benjamin has been a global executive in the public, private, and civil society sectors for more than 25 years. Before joining WES as CEO and executive director, Esther worked with Laureate Education, Inc., a leading global higher education organization. Esther served as the Associate Director for Global Operations of the U.S. Peace Corps, and held senior management roles with the International Youth Foundation and the International Partnership for Microbicides.

Dr Helen Kelly is an experienced professional having operated at senior leadership and Executive Board level within SOAS, University of London; University of Warwick; and Trinity College Dublin. Her skills and expertise span TNE and global partnerships, international student recruitment, strategic development, transformation and change, and external engagement. 

Professor Ian White has been Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath since 2019. He joined the University from the University of Cambridge where he had been Master of Jesus College, van Eck Professor of Engineering, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of Photonics Research in the Electrical Division of the Department of Engineering.

Professor White gained his BA and PhD degrees from the University of Cambridge and was then appointed a Research Fellow and Assistant Lecturer at the University before becoming Professor of Physics at the University of Bath.

Professor White’s previous posts include Professor of Optical Communications and Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Bristol, and Head of the School of Technology at the University of Cambridge.

Professor White has carried out substantial research in the field of optoelectronics and optical communications. Highlights of this include the invention of new techniques for transmitting signals at low cost over optical fibre links for data and wireless communication systems. He is a co-founder of Zinwave Ltd, a company providing wireless coverage solutions, and PervasID Ltd which develops ultra-high-frequency RFID readers. He has published in excess of 1,000 papers and associated patents. Professor White is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He was a Member of the Board of Governors of the Global IEEE Photonics Society (2008-2011) and is Editor-in-Chief of Electronics Letters and Nature Microsystems and Nanoengineering.

Jugnu has over 25 years of experience landscaping international education access in India through cross-functional projects.

She has dedicated over 12 years of her illustrious career at Education New Zealand to transforming the organization’s operations, enhancing global partnerships, and driving innovation in international education. Her tenure at the organisation has seen her overlook marketing, PR, and Internationalisation projects for India and pioneered the first comprehensive education agent partner programme for India. Under her leadership, the team has grown exponentially and delivered many innovative, award-winning marketing campaigns.

She has previously served as the Assistant Manager at the British Council, where she was responsible for handling UK education in North India. Following that, she led the Business Development mandate at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and a brief stint at American Express.
She graduated from the University of Delhi and holds an MBA in Marketing/Marketing Management.

Dr. Madhusudhan Govindaraju began his tenure at Binghamton University, State University of New York, in 2003 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009 and Full Professor in 2017. In June 2020, he was named the Vice Provost of International Education and Global Affairs (IEGA).

Dr. Govindaraju has broad responsibilities for managing the university’s graduate admissions, executing campus-wide strategies for graduate recruitment and serving as the university’s Senior International Officer. Additionally, he has oversight of International Student and Scholar Services, education abroad, and student exchange programs. He is committed to ensuring the university’s continued growth and success as a premier choice for international education. He provides strategic leadership, works in collaboration with leaders across campus, engages in new initiatives and partnerships within the campus and educational institutions throughout the world. He serves as the co-chair for the university’s strategic priority for internationalization, whose goal is to support, promote and enhance strategic internationalization efforts through high-impact learning, teaching, research and engagement.

Prior to his current role he was the Associate Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Graduate Director for Admissions. His commitment to students and the university have been recognized by the State University of New York the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2009 and the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Services in 2017.

Dr. Govindaraju has served as the project advisor for more than 50 Master’s students and supervised the thesis of 12 PhD students.

Professor Mark E. Smith is the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton. As President and Vice-Chancellor, he is the Chief Executive of the University and has overall responsibility for its operations. He took up this role on 1 October 2019.
Professor Smith was Vice-Chancellor at Lancaster University from January 2012 until September 2019. He was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick.
Throughout his academic career, he has published more than 380 papers about advanced magnetic resonance techniques, helping to understand a range of problems in the field of materials physics. He is currently a member of the executive group overseeing the National High Field Solid-State NMR Facility at the University of Warwick.

In addition to his role as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, he holds a number of external appointments including Senior Independent Member of UKRI EPSRC’s Council; and board member of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, chairing their Research Wales Committee.
He also chairs UKRI’s Financial Sustainability of Research Group and was the former Chair of the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) 2016-2022. He has also served on the Boards of Jisc, HESA and HESCU.

He was awarded a CBE for Services to Research and Higher Education in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Dr. Ramakrishnan Raman, an accomplished academician and seasoned professional, is the Vice Chancellor at Symbiosis International (Deemed University). With a remarkable educational journey that includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Engineering and an MBA in Systems and Marketing, and a doctoral degree in Management from Pune University, Dr. Raman brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this esteemed institution.

His extensive career spanning over two decades is a testament to his diverse experience in the corporate, academic, and research domains. He has served Symbiosis for over a decade in different capacities including Professor & Director Symbiosis Centre for Information Technology, Professor & Director Symbiosis Institute of Business Management – Pune, Dean – Faculty of Management and Director – Strategy & Development.

Dr. Raman’s contributions extend beyond the classroom, as he has been instrumental in fostering international collaborations with universities in Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, and the United States. His prolific research in Information Systems, IT Strategy, Entrepreneurship, AI, Big Data, has earned him recognition with international academia.

As Vice Chancellor of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Dr. Ramakrishnan Raman has a mission  to lead the institution to new heights and drive innovation in higher education.

Ravneet Pawha is currently the Vice President (Global Alliances) and CEO (South Asia) at Deakin University Australia.

Ravneet was awarded the prestigious Business Leader of the Year at the India Australia Business and Community awards 2018. She was also awarded Exceptional Woman of Excellence in Women Economic Forum 2019 and Women Empowerment Entrepreneur Award 2021 by AsiaOne magazine at the 14th edition of the Pride of the Nation Series Awards and Business Summit of the Asia-Africa Business and Social Forum. She holds various Vice Chancellor’s Awards of Excellence and outstanding contributions to building economic social and human capital. She is the president of the Australia India Business Council (Victoria). She has also been featured in the top 10 ‘Women of Indian origin making a difference in Australia.’

She has a Master’s in Education and Training and a Master’s in Business Administration. She is a gold medalist in her postgraduate studies.

With over 28 years of experience in the international education, research, training and upskilling sector, she has been instrumental in establishing global collaborations and strategic partnerships. She set up the Deakin University office in 1994, the first-ever international ‘University office’ in India of any foreign education provider. As the CEO (South Asia), she has developed 20+ strong holistic partnerships across Government, academia, industry and research specifically for Deakin University in India / South Asia and has contributed to its immense success globally.

As the Vice President (Global Alliances), she works on strategic interventions for Deakin University across the globe and advises the senior executive on innovative models of engagement across education, research and re-skilling. She has propelled Deakin University’s strategic initiatives in India leading to robust engagement with corporates like TATA, KPMG, Aditya Birla, NASSCOM, National Stock Exchange, and Infosys to name a few around the themes of smart manufacturing, healthcare technology, food, water, environment, future sustainable infrastructure and emerging technologies. She is an inspirational leader and a passionate entrepreneur.

Before her current appointment, she worked as Chief Executive Officer (South Asia and the Middle East) for Education and Training Pty Ltd. She held senior management positions with IDP Education Australia, British Council and Franchise Asia, a US-based company where she was responsible to establish and manage the network of offices across India for education and training purposes.

She brings with her varied international experience. She has also been contributing towards the building of skill framework and platform through association with Nasscom Future skills, Australia India skill forum & National skill development corporation.

She is the Chairperson of Business and Community Foundation (BCF), board member of India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA), Chair of education of Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce (IACC), Adviser to Australia India Institute, and member of various national and international associations and forums including the Rajasthan Royals, Confederation of Indian Industry, Federation of Indian Chambers, Australia India Chamber of Commerce, India Sports Council, ANZIBA to name a few.

Roger Brindley is Vice Provost for Global at The Pennsylvania State University. He oversees a staff of nearly 100 professionals who manage education abroad programs, advise international students and scholars, and facilitate Penn State’s international partnerships around the world while supporting faculty on the University’s 24 campuses across the Commonwealth who do globally engaged work. As Vice Provost, Brindley works with senior administrators to promote Penn State’s comprehensive plan to “enhance global engagement” and guides the University’s international agenda. He recently concluded a six-year term on the APLU Commission for International Initiatives and is currently a Senior Advisor for AIEA.

Professor Dr. Roslee Rajikan is currently a Professor in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics at the Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness (HCARE), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). He specializes in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics focusing on Diet Optimization Modelling, nutrition for low-income residents, individuals with special needs and Student Development. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics (Honours) from UKM, MSc in Human Nutrition and Metabolism from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK and Phd in Nutrition and Plant Science from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.

He is currently serving as the UKM Pro Vice Chancellor for Strategy and Corporate Development. Previously he held many administrative positions in UKM including the director of Student Affairs Center, Head of Dietetics Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Alumni and Director of Development Center Student and Alumni Relations.

Professor Stephen Flint is responsible for the University of Manchester’s global engagement strategy in research and education. He works closely with colleagues across all Faculties in the University to build global strategic partnerships with universities, government agencies and industry. He served as inaugural Chair of the Universities UK International Pro Vice Chancellors Network from 2016 to 2018.

Stephen is a geologist and his research group works on reconstructing the history of sedimentary basins through earth history. This helps us to understand the effects of climate change and tectonic activity in deep time. Applications include exploration for new gas reserves in the transition from oil to renewable energy sources and forecasting of future environmental change He has authored over 150 articles with global collaborators.

Anders Karlsson, PhD, joined Elsevier in 2012 as Vice President, Global Strategic Networks. Before Elsevier he was for five years Counselor for Science and Innovation at the Embassy of Sweden in Tokyo, Japan. He is a member of Elsevier’s sustainability board, the Japan chapter chair of the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM) and a member of the steering committee of the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA) Asia Chapter.

Before serving as Science Counselor, he was for 10 years Professor in Quantum Photonics at the Royal Institute of Technology – KTH, Stockholm, Sweden. In year 2000 he was one of 20 researchers to receive the Future Research Leader grant from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research. He also held a special research fellow position 2001-2007 with the Swedish Research Council. His work leading a consortium on quantum information technology was awarded the EU René Descartes Research Prize in 2004. He has been Visiting Scientist at NTT Basic Research Labs, Stanford University as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar, École Polytechnique Paris, Zhejiang University and Senior Advisor at Osaka University. He has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a M.Sc. in Engineering Physics, both from KTH, Stockholm, Sweden.

Raluca joined the QS Intelligence Unit team in 2016. Since 2018, she has been focusing on the QS Stars product and has recently stepped up in the role of product manager. She is based in Bucharest, Romania and holds an undergraduate degree in Applied Modern Languages from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iasi and a Masters degree from the University of Bucharest. Before joining the QS team, Raluca has worked as a consultant for an education company promoting foreign education and providing support to candidates for studying abroad.

Dr. Rupamanjari Ghosh joined Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, in July 2012, as the Founding Director of the School of Natural Sciences, and the Dean of Research and Graduate Studies. She took over the role of the University’s Vice-Chancellor in 2016, and has since been at the helm of the University’s growth with her transformational leadership.

Prior to joining the University, Dr. Ghosh served as the Dean of School of Physical Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, along with many other important academic and administrative positions. She has held several visiting faculty/scientist positions on invitation abroad and delivered numerous invited research seminars. Recipient of the Stree Shakti Science Samman for her ‘original contribution to Science’, she serves as an expert on the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India committees in Physical Sciences; and in many central and state universities and institutes. She received the DAE (Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India) C V Raman Lecture award (in Physics) in 2018.

Having contributed to science research and training from the university to the school level, she has also served as the Chief Advisor for the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Science textbooks for Classes IX and X, developed afresh under the National Curriculum Framework – 2005. She Co-Chairs the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Higher Education Committee, and is currently a member of the Council of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. Dr. Ghosh has a Master of Science degree in Physics from the University of Calcutta, India, and Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, New York, USA, where she worked as a Rush Rhees Fellow, selected for ‘outstanding scholarly ability and the promise of exceptional contributions to scholarship and teaching.’ As a researcher, teacher, orator, and an academic administrator par excellence, Dr. Ghosh is well known for her stand and efforts to support the cause of gender justice and environment consciousness in the higher education system.

Dr Jingwen Mu is the Strategic Planning Manager of the University of Auckland. She is a university rankings expert and has been looking after the University of Auckland ranking portfolio since 2018. She leads the University’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mapping initiative and represents the University on partnerships and conferences related to rankings and the SDGs. She has been consulting for the World Bank on the Sub-Saharan Africa Benchmarking Initiative since 2015 and regularly involved in conversations with African institutions in applied sciences, engineering and technology fields. Prior to joining the University, Jingwen headed the consulting team at ShanghaiRanking Consultancy from 2015 to 2018. She was responsible for developing ShanghaiRanking’s consulting and benchmarking frameworks and was leading the consulting initiatives across universities in China and overseas.

Anton John Crace is Editor and Program Designer in the QS Intelligence Unit in Singapore. Through his role, he edits QS’ university news and rankings supplements. He has worked within international education for almost a decade including within an education provider, education agent training platform and media.

He was the Asia Pacific Editor of The PIE News, an international education media outlet, and broke stories including the decision of some universities to pay Indian agents GST and the New Zealand government’s decision to scrap a review into in-study work rights for international students. For many years he was also a familiar face on the conference circuit throughout the Asia Pacific through live tweeting – follow him on Twitter @antoncrace.

Anton was recognized as the Universities Australia Higher Education Journalist of the Year in 2019 at the National Press Club of Australia, and received the Excellence Award for Professional Commentary from the International Education Association of Australian in 2018.