Speakers

Professor Ling San is Acting President at NTU Singapore. He also holds the position of Deputy President and Provost. Currently President’s Chair in Mathematical Sciences, he joined NTU in April 2005 as the Founding Head of the Division of Mathematical Sciences in the School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences (SPMS). He was Chair of SPMS from April 2008 to December 2010, and Dean, College of Science, from August 2011 to December 2017, before being appointed Provost on 1 January 2018. Prior to joining NTU, he spent 13 years at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Dan is a Professor in Geosciences and Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Loughborough University. Prior to this role, Dan was the founding Director of the Energy and Environment Institute at the University of Hull, having completed a full term as Associate Dean in Science and Engineering at Hull prior to the formation of the Institute. Dan also led the Aura Centre for Doctoral Training in Offshore Wind and Environment, supporting the huge expansion in offshore wind based from out of the Humber Estuary. Dan additionally supported former Deputy Prime-Minister Lord Prescott in formulating an Estuarial Clean Growth Plan, with the Humber as a model estuary for full scale decarbonisation. This pan was presented at the Council of Europe and received at both COP24 and 26, and has been largely adopted by the UK government.

Dan undertook his PhD at the University of Sheffield in 1999-2003 before moving to work on a NERC funded Post-Doctoral Research Assistant post in Earth Sciences at the University of Leeds in 2004. In 2005 Dan was awarded a UKRI-NERC 5-yaer Research Fellowship, which allowed him to follow my own independent research programme. Following the completion of this Fellowship term, Dan spent a year at the USGS Hydroacoustics Office and the Department of Geology at the University of Illinois (UIUC) in the USA, before returning to Leeds in 2010 to take up a Lectureship post in Earth System Science at the School of Earth and Environment. In 2011 Dan moved to the University of Hull, where he held a Personal Chair as Professor in Process Sedimentology.

Dan is an active researcher in several areas related to climate change, including riverine, estuarine, coastal and deep marine sedimentology and includes anthropogenic impacts on these systems. His research focuses on the interaction between fluid flows and mobile sediments, using a process-based approach that combines fieldwork, laboratory experimentation and numerical modelling. Dan am keen on techniques and methodological innovations that enhance substantive understanding of the processes within the broad field of geosciences, including adoption of AI-based techniques. Dan teaches on modules that align with his research, enabling him to bring cutting-edge research into the lecture theatre, practical or field class.

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.

As Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Sebastián Royo is the chief academic officer of Clark University. Reporting to the President, the Provost oversees all undergraduate and graduate academic programs, as well as athletics, student affairs, sponsored research, university libraries, and the registrar’s office.

Sebastián Royo came to Clark in 2021 from Suffolk University, where he was vice president of international affairs and professor of political science. Throughout his 23 years at Suffolk, Royo had gained an outstanding portfolio of experience and earned high praise for his work in nearly all aspects of university leadership, having held a variety of positions including associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, professor of political science, vice president for student success, and a three-year assignment as acting provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. In addition to his duties overseeing Suffolk’s international education programs and strategic partnerships, Royo served as director of the university’s Madrid campus. He also was a commissioner-elect of the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), the regional accreditation agency for colleges and universities in the six New England states. In addition, he led Suffolk’s COVID-19 Integrated Response team.

Royo holds a law degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, a master of arts in international relations, a master of business administration, and a Ph.D. in political science all from Boston University. He is widely published, with 10 books and more than two dozen academic journal articles under his name. His research interests have focused on globalization and competitiveness, democratic transitions, the role of institutions on economic policy and business performance, and varieties of capitalism. He has earned numerous awards and recognitions for exceptional teaching and administration, including Outstanding Administrator of the Year from the Suffolk University Student Government Association and the John Brennan Award for Outstanding Instruction from the Suffolk University Graduate Student Association.

Royo’s many accomplishments at Suffolk included development of high-quality and innovative academic programs, leadership of strategic planning processes and their implementation, collaboration on strategic enrollment and retention initiatives, direction of university accreditation and assessment efforts, leadership of the Office of Research and Assessment, budget development and management, faculty development and grant writing, and fundraising and alumni engagement.

Royo also has been a champion of university-wide efforts to advance diversity, access, and inclusion as evidenced by his leadership of initiatives to recruit, support and graduate underrepresented minority students and efforts to diversify faculty recruitment. In addition, Royo has been deeply involved in the City of Boston’s Success Boston initiative aimed at inspiring and preparing students from Boston public schools for college.

Deeply committed to liberal arts, Royo oversaw development, faculty approval, and implementation of a new core curriculum for the College of Arts and Sciences at Suffolk, as well as a common core curriculum for business and liberal arts students that combines a strong liberal arts core with skills-development-oriented curriculum. Royo taught 16 undergraduate and graduate courses, seven of which he developed for Suffolk’s government program.

At Clark, he likewise is committed to the model of shared governance, ensuring that faculty have a strong voice in university decision-making.

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

Dr. Ananya Mukherjee is Vice-Chancellor of Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, recently recognized as an Institution of Eminence. Attracted by the opportunity to lead such an institution, Dr. Mukherjee returned to India after spending more than two decades in the two of the largest universities in Canada, the University of British Columbia and York University.

Dr. Mukherjee obtained her PhD from the University of Southern California, USA and her BA and MA degrees in Economics from Jadavpur University, India. Before joining Shiv Nadar University, Dr. Mukherjee was Provost and Vice-President Academic, University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan. She also led UBC’s strategy for antiracism and inclusive higher education and has been involved in several national initiatives for higher education in Canada. Between 2015-18, Dr. Mukherjee was Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at York University, Toronto. In this capacity, she led the largest liberal arts faculty in Canada with 23,000 students from 123 countries.

Dr. Mukherjee is an interdisciplinary scholar of Development. She has authored and edited several books, published widely in journals and the media. At York University, Dr. Mukherjee established and served as the Founding Director of the International Secretariat for Human Development (ISHD), an initiative dedicated to research for social change. Under her leadership as the Founding Director, ISHD collaborated with institutions such as the International Labor Organization; the UN Office for Project Services, Rome; the UN Development Program; the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), and others.

Dr. Mukherjee was named as one the 15 most influential women in Education by Business World in 2022; amongst Canada’s 100 most powerful women in 2021; and one of five brilliant women in academia by Canadian Immigrant magazine in their tribute to ‘Immigrant Women of Inspiration’ in 2016.

Dr. Madhu Chitkara is the Pro Chancellor of Chitkara University, Punjab and Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh. An academician and an edupreneur extraordinaire, Dr. Madhu Chitkara co-founded Chitkara Educational Trust in 1998, with a vision to impart quality education to seekers in the region.

Dr. Chitkara has a PhD in Education and has had variegated experience in the field of education spanning four decades.

At Chitkara University, she has been instrumental in creating more than 60 relevant industry-linked programs across all streams at graduate, postgraduate and doctorate level. Her contribution also extends to building Incubation Centres for students with more than 100 incubate companies. Driven by her vision, the University has built a strong network with over 200 universities and institutions across the world. It is her constant endeavour to create strong academic-industry partnerships to bring the best of career opportunities for the young graduates.
Dr Madhu Chitkara continues to inspire many young women around the world and her story has been featured in the third edition of the book “Rising to the Top” published by IFEES.

She has more than 25 accolades to her credits in form of awards at state and central govt. level. She got Life Time Achievement Gold Medal Award Winner in 2004. Her case study on Entrepreneurship is published by Washington School of Business in 2013 and She was adjudged as Winner of Women Entrepreneur Award in South Asia.

Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M. D. Venkatesh is the seventh Vice Chancellor of MAHE Manipal. He graduated from Mysore Medical College in 1978 with an exceptional academic record and was commissioned in Armed Medical Corps in 1979. He acquired his MS (ENT) from Mumbai University in 1986 and is an outstanding ENT Surgeon. He has undergone training in Cochlear Implantation and Neurotology in India and Overseas. He has contributed significantly in the field of medical education, having trained generations of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune and, also, having had the unique distinction of holding, over the years, all the academic positions of AFMC, from Reader to Dean. He was also a founder faculty of the department of Medical Education Technology at AFMC. He was in the armed forces for 38 years, during which, besides academic, he has also held numerous administrative appointments, and is credited with many achievements. He was instrumental in instituting the “on-line admissions process” for UG, PG and Post-Doctoral admissions to the Armed Forces Training Institutions that ensured total transparency and efficiencies in the system. He also headed the premier training establishment of AMC that provides training to all para medical personnel of AMC and medical officers of AFMC.

Dr. Venkatesh joined as the Vice Chancellor of Sikkim Manipal University on July 1 2017 and complete his three year term successfully on June 30 2020. During his tenure he has contributed immensely to the development and improvements in infrastructure, academic processes, and IT infrastructure of SMU. He has been able to bring research and publication sharply in to focus and SMU has seen a remarkable upswing in the number of projects and publications. He has revamped all the academic, HR, IT and financial policies of SMU for improved productivity outcomes. He has displayed inspiring leadership qualities and team building skills and has made “Team SMU” a confident, cohesive and result oriented unit. Under his leadership SMU achieved the recognition as a leading Private University in the country.