Location | Swansea University, Singleton Park, Sketty, Swansea SA2 8PP.
Date | Thursday 23 October 2025
Time | 9:30 – 16:30 (UK time)
About this event
The fourth exclusive in-person IC Collective is an opportunity for senior managers in internationalisation and global engagement at UK universities to discuss TNE, internationalisation and student recruitment trends, diversification and Europe; plus for colleagues to hear and learn from what is happening at Welsh Higher Education Institutions.
Join us for a day of professional development and networking; seize the opportunity to learn, share and reflect together on the most critical topics impacting your daily work, your vital leadership role and the international education sector now; and benefit from The IC Way – testing ideas with your peers in a supportive, friendly, fun and purposefully small-sized environment.
Kindly hosted by
In collaboration with our Gold Sponsor
Previous IC Collective
”The IC Collective event held in January 2024 was one of the most useful, insightful and timely events I have attended for quite some time. Re-engaging with HEI peers from across the sector, in a supportive space created by The IC Collective, enabled a sharing of current issues in the true spirit of collegiality.
James RichardsonDirector of Global Development and Partnerships, Sheffield Hallam University
Event details
| Time | Topic |
| Wednesday 22nd October 2025 | |
| 18:30 – 20:30 |
An informal drinks reception for an opportunity to network with IC Collective attendees, speakers and sponsors; expand your network; initiate meaningful conversations.
|
| Thursday 23rd October 2025 | |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Arrival, registration & refreshments |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Welcome |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Morning session: ‘TNE: The new darling of internationalisation’ |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Tea & coffee break |
| 12:30 – 13:30 |
Sponsored Session: ‘From Students to Society: The Wider Value of TNE’ When we talk about TNE, it isn’t just branch campuses. It includes executive education, dual awards, and pathways that make global education more affordable and accessible. These opportunities don’t just transform individual students; they ripple out to families, communities, and societies. What role should universities play in ensuring their TNE strategies contribute to building sustainable communities? Acument, part of SannamS4 Group |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Lunch |
| 14:30 – 16:00 | Afternoon session: ‘The role of Europe in your diversification strategy: partnerships, TNE and student recruitment’ |
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Event close and final remarks |
The IC Collective event benefits senior leaders, directors, academic colleagues and other professionals with strategic responsibility for internationalisation and global engagement at UK institutions. The event is not open to commercial organisations, except those involved as sponsors.
The event will be of interest to all, working in the UK university sector and of particular interest to those working in the Welsh higher education sector. Colleagues from outside of Wales will benefit from attending, to gather insights and learn best practice at Welsh universities, and to network with peers from the sector.
Attendees from the last IC Collective said that it was “an excellent event”, that it provided them with “thought-provoking content on most pressing topics” and they “enjoyed networking with my peer group”. More testimonials can be found here.
Kate Barnes, Executive Director, UK and Europe, Acumen (part of Sannam S4 Group).
Andrew Bird, Chief Marketing Officer, Solent University; and Chair of BUILA.
Andrew provides strategic leadership for developing, championing and implementing the Southampton Solent University strategies for Recruitment, Reputation, Internationalisation and Communication.
With over 20 years’ experience in higher education marketing, communications and recruitment, Andrew is passionate about the role education has in supporting positive change at an individual, institutional and regional level.
Having previously worked at Oxford Brookes University, the University of Southampton and Bournemouth University, while also representing the higher education sector on a range of boards and advisory groups, Andrew has a proven track record of creating impactful solutions aligned to each organisation’s strategic objectives.
Andrew is also the Chair of the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA) and Member of the British Council Higher Education Advisory Group.
Martyn Edwards, Director of External Relations, University of Leicester
Prior to joining Leicester, Martyn has held a number of senior roles across different organisations within the HE sector, including the British Council, University of Nottingham and IDP Education. More recently he was Director of Marketing and Advancement at Loughborough University.
Martyn is a graduate of Cardiff University with a bachelor degree in English and a Masters in Strategic Marketing, he also holds a postgraduate qualification from the University of Manchester. He is a former Vice-Chair of the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA) and of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Higher Education Special Interest Group. Martyn is a former member of the IDP Connect International Advisory Panel, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Global Advisory Committee, Keystone Education Group International Advisory Board. He is currently a member of the Duolingo English Test UK Advisory Group and is Vice-Chair of the Council for Europe of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Susana Galván Hernández, Executive Director, Taith
Taith is the Welsh Government funded international learning exchange programme for Wales. It is for people in every part of Wales, in every education sector – schools, youth, adult education, further education, vocational education and training, and higher education, and every education type – formal, informal and non-formal.
Susana, as Executive Director and with the support from her wonderful team, has been responsible for the set-up of the Taith programme since its inception and launch in 2022, as well as for its strategy, delivery and overall performance. She is accountable to her Board of Directors and works with senior staff from Welsh Government and the target sectors to promote the interests and values of the programme across Wales and internationally, and to ensure that it delivers to its promise of being a truly accessible and inclusive international mobility programme.
Susana came to Taith from a 25-year career with the British Council, where she held several managerial and leadership positions in different countries in East Asia, in Sub-Saharan Africa and in the UK, and was also one of the organisation’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion champions and accredited facilitators.
Originally from Barcelona, Spain, and a dual British and Spanish national, Susana has devoted the entirety of her professional life to the area of international relations and to fostering and promoting inter-cultural understanding and trust through the means of education, arts, culture and language learning.
Susana studied in Barcelona and Leeds Universities, and later won scholarships to study at Beijing University, National Taiwan Normal University and Taipei University of Culture. She holds degrees in Translating and Interpreting and Modern Chinese Studies and is fluent in Mandarin, English, Spanish and Catalan. She is currently learning Welsh.
She is also a member of the British Council Wales Advisory Committee.
Prof Judith Lamie, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), Swansea University
Professor Judith Lamie has worked in International Higher Education for over 30 years, the last eleven at University Executive level and at present she is Pro Vice-Chancellor International at Swansea University. Judith has presented and published widely within the fields of international education, applied linguistics and change management. Her latest book, An Insider’s Guide to Working in International Higher Education (with C. Hill) is scheduled to be published by Routledge in November 2025.
Sirin Myles, Co-Founder and Director, The IC Global Partnership
Sirin is a highly experienced International Leader and specialist in higher education. She has more than 20 years of international marketing and leadership experience in diplomatic and higher education organisations. Sirin’s career includes the British Council in Istanbul, marketing British education; Regional Director at the University of Southampton and Director of the International Office at the University of Reading. At Reading, Sirin had joint responsibility for all of the University’s Marketing, Communication and Engagement. Since 2016, Sirin has been providing a specialist independent consultancy, individual and leadership coaching to higher education institutions.
Cecilia Pereira-Yates, Director – External Relations and TNE, UK and Europe, Acumen (part of Sannam S4 Group)
Cecilia Pereira-Yates is Director of External Relations and TNE (Global) at Acumen and a senior higher education strategist with over 30 years of experience spanning international student recruitment, transnational education (TNE), and global partnership strategy. She has shaped university policy and quality codes for international partnerships and designed cultural capability programmes for staff delivering offshore provision. A key contributor to Malaysia’s EduCity Iskandar, Cecilia now leads strategic engagement across the UK, India, and Southeast Asia, helping universities align TNE with institutional goals. Known for linking strategy with delivery, she champions partnership models that build capacity, enhance employability, and strengthen the social and economic impact of higher education.
Inés Teresa-Palacio, IC Global Fellow and Strategic Marketing Lead, The IC Global Partnership
Inés has 18 years of experience across all the advancement functions (marketing, communications, student recruitment, alumni engagement, fundraising and internationalisation) in the UK, Spain and other European countries, South Asia and Latin America. She is the Founder and Director of the global consultancy firm Via Pinnedda (www.viapinnedda.com), specialised in international marketing and communications within the global education sector.
Inés worked at the University of Southampton for 12 years, first in international student recruitment and then as Head of Strategic Marketing -leading the university’s strategic marketing for all the faculties, the Malaysia campus and the university’s art venues. In 2019 she moved to Barcelona to take on the role as Chief Advancement Officer at the Open University of Catalonia, where she was a member of the Board of Directors. She led a team of 200 people distributed across Spain and Latin America, and was directly responsible for the university’s financial sustainability and growth through student recruitment and other income activities.
During her career, Inés has developed, led and implemented multiple growth, positioning, engagement and go-to-market strategies targeting B2B and B2C audiences internationally. Her expertise combines insight and direct experience from traditional, research-intensive institutions alongside online, more vocational universities in different countries.
Inés is a former member of the CASE Europe Council and has been a speaker at many global education events. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, has a MA from the University of Southampton, a Postgraduate in Marketing from the CIM and British Council, a BA from the University of Santiago de Compostela, is a graduate of the IESE business school in Barcelona, Spain and a scholar from the Anderson School of Management in UCLA, US.
Dr Suzanna Tomassi, Higher Education & Transnational Education (TNE) Specialist, Department for Business and Trade
Dr Suzanna Tomassi is a UK-based specialist in higher and transnational education (TNE), currently with the UK Department for Business and Trade. Her global career spans five continents, where she’s created over 200 commercial opportunities and forged 100+ university partnerships, benefiting over 100,000 students.
Behind the scenes, Suzanna has dealt with providers’ challenges abroad and helped remove barriers so UK organisations could thrive overseas. She has worked alongside politicians, sector CEOs, partner institutions, and students to promote the UK HE sector in trade, legislation and other negotiations internationally.
With extensive experience in business development and risk management, Suzanna has collaborated with leading TNE providers and managed academic, commercial, and quality assurance aspects of internationalisation, including collaborative provision and online learning.
Holding a PhD, MBA, two Masters degrees, and Senior Fellowship of AdvanceHE, Suzanna is also a qualified coach. She has published and presented widely on higher education and internationalisation in the UK and abroad.
Kevin Van Cauter, Independent Higher Education Consultant, Kevin Van-Cauter IHE Consultancy; and IC Global Fellow
Kevin Van-Cauter has been an independent IHE consultant since 2023. Kevin has worked with many UK universities in developing TNE strategies including developing an overseas campus strategy for a globally ranked UK university. Prior to this Kevin worked on UK Higher education partnerships, strategy and Transnational Education (TNE) at the British Council for over 30 years. He commissioned a series of ground-breaking research pieces on TNE trends, working with partners including DAAD, IIE, UUKi and academics. Kevin has authored articles on TNE, spoken at numerous events around the world (to policy makers, universities, and sector experts), advised numerous countries on TNE partnerships and internationalisation of HE, and advised governments and national agencies on TNE policy. Kevin is currently technical advisor to the British Council’s Going Global conference
Earlier this year, Kevin led a team conducting a review of TNE models in the EU for the British Council, which is due to be published later this month.
What is the cost of the event?
- The cost of the event is £185.
- There is a super early bird price of £135 which ends on 24/08/2025 and an Early Bird price of £145 which ends on 07/09/2025
The price includes the drinks and canape reception, all sessions, refreshments and lunch.
How do I pay for the event?
- You can pay via EventBrite which accepts credit or debit cards and PayPal.
How do I book a place for the event?
- You can book using the link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ic-collective-wales-tickets-1495597806299
Do you offer a group discount?
- We have kept the registration fee low to cover costs and therefore a group discount cannot be offered on this occasion.
Can you cater for different dietary requirements at lunch and the reception?
- We will provide a range of food to cater for different dietary requirements. If you wish to contact us for further information, please email [email protected].
What is your refund policy?
- If you are unable to attend the event, and you inform us before 16th October 2025, you can receive a full refund minus £30, to cover administration and catering costs. Should you be unable to attend an event, a substitute is welcome at no extra charge.
Who can I contact if I have further questions?
You can email [email protected] and the The IC Global team will be happy to answer your questions.
What is the location of the IC Collective event?
Council Chamber, The Abbey, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Sketty, Swansea SA2 8PP
How to get there: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/the-university/location/
What is the location of the informal drinks reception?
The Pump House, Pump House Quay, Swansea Marina, West Glamorgan, SA1 1TT
Travel arrangement:
If you are travelling by train, you can benefit from a discounted rate here:
https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets/ways-to-save/business-travel/conferences-and-events
Once there, click on the conference centre you are travelling to, this will bring you to a booking page with the destination filled in.
Enter your origin station and departure date and time, this will offer you 2 conference tickets, Standard class or First class, no code is required for this.
When using our conference fares, the outbound journey is a specific date and time only much like an advanced ticket, however the return journey is flexible and valid for 1 full calendar month.
When our conductors ask for evidence of a conference, attendees will only need to produce an email invite to the selected conference as valid proof of attendance.
Conference fares are available on most routes on the GWR network, however, these can only be booked for routes entirely run by GWR and typically can only be booked on direct services.
For enquiries please contact [email protected]
List of local hotels.
Swansea Marriott
Address: Maritime Quarter, Swansea, SA1 3SS, United Kingdom
Website: City Centre Hotel in Swansea Wales – Marina | Swansea Marriott Hotel
Contact: +44 1792 642020
Info: Based on the edge of Swansea Marine, 5 mins drive to Singleton Campus, 15 mins drive to Bay Campus. 10-minute walk into the city centre.
Book your corporate rate for Swansea University
Morgans
Address: Somerset Place, Swansea, SA1 1RR
Website: Contact – Morgans – Luxury Hotel Rooms in the Heart of Swansea (morganshotel.co.uk)
Contact: 01792 484848 Email: [email protected]
Info: Based in Swansea City Centre, 5 mins drive to Singleton Campus, 15 mins drive to Bay Campus.
The Village hotel
Address: Langdon Road, Waterfront, Swansea, SA1 8QY
Website: Village Hotel Swansea | Swansea Waterfront Hotel (village-hotels.co.uk)
Contact: [email protected] Tel:01792 341 270
Info: Based on Swansea SA1 development, Central between Bay Campus (10mins) and the City Centre (10mins). 15 min drive to Singleton campus.
Premier Inn Swansea City Centre
Address: The City Gates, Wind Street, Swansea SA1 1EE
Website: Swansea City Centre Hotels | Book Direct | Premier Inn
Contact: 0333 321 9061
Info: Based in Swansea City Centre, 5 mins drive to Singleton Campus, 15 mins drive to Bay Campus.
Travelodge Swansea Central
Address: Princess Way, Swansea, SA1 3LQ, United Kingdom
Website: Travelodge Swansea Central Hotel – Book Now
Contact: 08719 846326
Info: Based in Swansea City Centre, 5 mins drive to Singleton Campus, 15 mins drive to Bay Campus.
ibis Swansea
Address: A483 Fabian Way Swansea SA1 8LD GB
Website: Hotel ibis Swansea, Swansea, United Kingdom – Lowest Rate Guaranteed! (hotelsone.com)
Contact: +44 20 7365 0519
Info: Ibis Swansea in Swansea (St. Thomas), you’ll be within a 10-minute drive of Swansea University and Dylan Thomas Centre. This eco-friendly hotel is 2.1 mi (3.4 km) from Grand Theatre and 3.3 mi (5.3 km) from Singleton Park