Who we are

With over 18 years of experience in international education across the UK and China, Cheryl combines her work as a practitioner and researcher to promote equitable and meaningful global partnerships for universities.

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As an academic, Dr. Yu has published widely on topics related to international higher education, including a co-edited book titled as ‘Critical Reflections on the Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Global South’.Her latest collaborative journal article explores knowledge diplomacy and the impact of de-risking strategies on EU-China higher education partnerships. She also serves as a member of the Speciality Committee on Transnational Education of the Association of British Chinese Professors (ABCP).

Mark has spent over 15 years working in higher education. After completing his PhD at Durham University, Mark worked in trial management for health-based randomised controlled trials at the University of Bristol, and then went on to lead a number of large strategic and organisational change projects at the Universities of Bristol and Glasgow. He has an excellent understanding of university operations and process.

Mark transitioned into consultancy in 2023 and now works across the UK, Africa and Asia.

He has worked on a number of TNE-related projects in the UK, Singapore, and Middle East. Mark has over 20 peer reviewed publications and regularly contributes to discussions in the TNE space.

Professor Cicek is an international expert on higher education and quality assurance. He is a Committee and Board member on a number of international quality assurance organisations (including QAA, THEQC, TKTA, NVAO, AQAS, FIBAA, OCQAS, and BQA). He regularly presents keynote presentations at high-profile international conferences and advises governments and higher education organisations across the world.

Olgun has a truly international background, having worked in universities across 10 countries, and with governments and HE-related organisations in many more.

At TNE Institute, Dr Lindsay Jones focuses on TNE strategy, planning and business development. She previously worked for Queen Mary University of London, Bangor University, and Manchester Business School.

Lindsay’s interest in international education began through ERASMUS Exchange Programme placements in Germany and the Netherlands. After completing her PhD, she held Postdoctoral Research Assistant positions in Ireland and the USA.

On returning to the UK, Lindsay joined Manchester Business School Worldwide, where she managed degree programmes delivered across the Caribbean, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and New York, while also supporting new business development in China and the Gulf region. In her previous role at Bangor University, Lindsay was responsible for the operational management of transnational education programmes. Her areas of expertise include TNE business case development, in-country registration and approval, strategic planning, financial modelling, due diligence, risk assessment and international partnership development.

Bola is a higher education policy and development specialist with over 15 years of experience across universities, multilateral organisations, NGOs, and consulting. He has held leadership, advisory, and consulting roles across diverse domains in education, bringing a distinctive practitioner–scholar perspective that bridges policy, research, and real-world delivery.

He is currently completing a PhD at UCL IOE, where his research examines the internationalisation of higher education and the impact of transnational education (TNE) in host countries and the Global South. A published author on higher education internationalisation and TNE, Bola’s work has informed sector studies, government strategies, and donor-funded programmes, establishing him as a leading Arab voice in global higher education.

Leo is an Associate Professor at Birmingham City University and an expert in networking and cybersecurity. He has significant experience with blockchain and decentalised communications systems. Leo is the TNE Institute's lead IT developer and advisor.

Dr Naseer is Associate Professor and Head of the Computer Science & Software Engineering School at Beaconhouse International College in Pakistan. Dr Naseer oversees the multi-campus delivery of UK transnational degree programmes with the University of London, University of Essex, and Liverpool John Moores University, where he also serves as Lead Internal Verifier for the LJMU BSc (Hons) Software Engineering programme.

Professor Harris is the former VP at XJTLU, China, and has extensive senior academic leadership experience from the Universities of Hull, Lancaster, and Liverpool (UK). Christopher is a dedicated Athena Swan assessor. Now semi-retired with part-time roles in Modern Languages at Lancaster University and in local government and politics at Lancaster City Council.

Nashif Razzak is a Sri Lanka–based international education consultant, entrepreneur, and founder of multiple education-sector ventures, including Global Guidance Education Consultancy, Edvios.io (EdTech/CRM), and GEPT/Global Graduate Campus, a transnational education initiative.

With a rapidly growing presence in the South Asian education ecosystem, Nashif has established himself as a trusted expert in UK, Canadian, and Australian student recruitment, higher-education advisory, and institutional partnership development. His work spans student counselling, university representation, digital platform innovations, and large-scale education events.

Dr. Stella Huili Si is a policy analyst and researcher specialising in transnational higher education (TNHE) governance, partnership design, and quality assessment, bridging macro-level policy design with institutional implementation. She works as the Policy Analyst at the University of Manchester. She combines academic research with practice-based experience as the founder of StellaLink, translating governance insights into operational models for international talent development and cross-sector collaboration that have generated both academic and industry impact.

Dr Gareth Morris, SFHEA, is a senior higher education professional with over fifteen years’ experience in transnational education. He spent a decade at Xi’an Jiao Tong-Liverpool University, later moving to the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, and has also worked for The Perse School (Suzhou). His publications and conference presentations address key issues in transnational education, including leadership and management, organisational behaviour, academic workforce motivation and satisfaction , as well as curriculum and materials design.

Dave brings extensive international higher education experience to TNE Institute, with expertise in market intelligence, student recruitment, data strategy and transnational education, and he has recently completed his L7 Cert in TNE.

He began his HE career in Taiwan, where he studied Chinese and worked as an education agent, before joining INTO as Regional Manager in China. He later held senior UK recruitment roles and became Director of Market Intelligence.

Since 2023, Dave has supported HE organisations with international strategy, market research and effective data use, covering student mobility, recruitment channels, market diversification, pricing and TNE opportunities.

At TNE Institute, Dave supports data-informed approaches to TNE training and consultancy, helping institutions understand market demand, policy context and partnership potential.

He recently contributed to the British Council’s 2025 ASEAN 5 undergraduate recruitment channels paper.

Mr. Wei Wang is a distinguished leader in international education with over four decades of experience across government, industry, and global partnerships. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a Master’s degree in Education (Training and Development) from the University of Manchester, UK. He began his career at China’s Ministry of Education, where he served for 15 years in senior roles, including Deputy Director, advancing international cooperation with organizations such as UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA, and APEC. In 2000, he moved to the private sector, joining Ambow Technologies before founding Wiseway, which grew into one of China’s leading international student recruitment organizations with a nationwide presence. In 2008, Wiseway became part of East & West International Education Group (EWIE), a global education platform spanning student recruitment, pathway programmes, mobility, employability, and university partnerships. The Group was listed in 2016, with Mr. Wang as Founder and Chairman. Widely recognized in the sector, Mr. Wang also holds guest professorships at Sun Yat-sen University and Jiangsu Normal University.