Purpose of the committee

The Global Engagement Committee is a joint committee of Senate and the Executive which provides strategic leadership, oversight and coordination of the University's internationalisation agenda.

Key Responsibilities

1. Oversees the development, delivery and monitoring of the International Strategic Plan, including its priorities relating to international student recruitment, strategic partnerships, global culture and international reputation.
2. Provides strategic oversight of the University's international activity, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities, and considering resource implications, including recommending or escalating proposals where additional resources may be required to support strategic objectives.
3. Maintains oversight of the University's portfolio of international research and educational partnerships, transnational education activity and other strategic global engagement initiatives.
4. Considers proposed international initiatives and partnerships at an early stage and determines whether they should be progressed and developed or not pursued based on the priorities of the International Strategic Plan and institutional strategic goals.
5. Oversees most partnership-based approaches to international student recruitment and diversification, including transnational education, articulation and progression arrangements and those made via external sponsors.
6. Approves and monitors strategic frameworks, principles and institution-wide approaches relating to internationalisation, global engagement and transnational education.
7. Provides a forum for Faculties, the School and Professional Services to share good practice, intelligence and opportunities relating to international engagement and internationalisation.
8. Monitors performance against international objectives, key performance indicators and priority actions, advising on corrective action where required.

Risk

The Committee:

• maintains a thematic risk register and ensures that key risks specific to the Committee’s remit are identified and assessed
• allocates appropriate ownership for managing each risk down to an acceptable level 
  
• regularly monitors and reviews the implementation and effectiveness of mitigation actions and controls  
  
• if appropriate, escalates significant or emerging risks in a timely manner for consideration at an institutional level by UEB or Senate 

Reporting Relationships

The Committee reports to Senate and the Executive (via the Academic Coordination Board) after each meeting through a written summary report.

The Committee works closely with the Recruitment & Admissions Committee, Research Committee, Education & Student Experience Committee, Innovation & Enterprise Board, and Courses & Partnerships Approval Committee (CPAC) to support a coordinated institutional approach to internationalisation, sharing information and providing strategic oversight of matters that cut across their respective areas of responsibility.

Procedural Rules

In the absence of any specific rules, the procedure is as set out in the Standing Orders of Senate

Meeting frequency

The Committee meets five times a year, with additional meetings scheduled as required.

Quorum

The quorum for meetings shall be one-third of the membership.

Membership

Ex-Officio Members

• Professor Manuel Barcia, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) (Chair)
• Dorte Stevenson, Director of International Relations (Deputy Chair)
• Professor Mirella Di Lorenzo, Associate Dean (International) - Faculty of Engineering and Design
• Professor Michael Stimmelmayr, Associate Dean (International) - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Associate Dean (International) - Faculty of Science ( Vacancy)
• Dr Peter Nuttall, Associate Dean (International) - School of Management
• Corinne Evans, Executive Director (External Relations)
• Dr Jon Hunt, Executive Director (Innovation & Enterprise)
• Lydia Lee, Director of Advancement
• Catherine Baldwin, Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions
• Kirsty Grainger, Director of Research & Impact Services
• Mercy Martins, Students' Union (SU) Representative, nominated by SU
• Mevis Birungi, Executive Officer (Global Engagement)

Appointed Members

Two Senate members with relevant global engagement expertise, appointed by Senate.

• Dr Maria Garcia, Senior lecturer (Politics, Languages & International Studies)
• Dr Fulvio Pinto, Senior lecturer (Department for mechanical Engineering)

Appointments of Senate members to this committee are made in accordance with the procedures set out in the Terms of Reference of the Senate Appointments Committee.

In attendance (when required)

• Head of Transnational Education (Vacancy)
• Gitte Sparding, Head of Academic Quality & Standards
• Helen Stringer, Director of Employability and Student Services
• Ryan Bird, SU Chief Executive
• Ben Goose, Governance Partner

Other members may be co-opted or invited to attend for specific meetings at the discretion of the Chair.

Where any ex-officio member is unable to attend the Committee, they may nominate an alternate to attend in their place. The nominee assumes the full membership rights of the ex-officio member.

Appointed Members serve terms of three years at a time. Most members can serve two consecutive terms (a total of six years) but in exceptional circumstances may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms (a total of nine years). All terms are subject to renewal.

Meeting dates and paper deadlines

A full schedule of meeting dates for all committees can be accessed here

The following timescales normally apply:

• Paper submission deadline: Two weeks before the scheduled meeting date
• Circulation of agenda and papers: One week before the scheduled meeting date

Items for future meetings should be discussed with the Governance Partner as early as possible.

Version Information

These Terms of Reference are reviewed by the Committee annually or more frequently as needed.

• Owner: Global Engagement Committee
• Approver: Senate
• Date of last approval: 7 October 2026