NCUK's UK University Advisory Panel: A Collaboration of Excellence

At NCUK, we are proud to introduce our UK University Advisory Panel – a dynamic collaboration of 15 esteemed University Partners from the UK. This panel represents the heart of our commitment to providing high-quality university pathway qualifications.

The panel comprises universities renowned for their academic excellence and commitment to student success. Each university contributes to shaping NCUK’s educational pathway programmes and growth strategy, ensuring they align with the high academic standards to best prepare students for university.

This collaborative approach allows us to provide our students with an educational experience tailored to their future academic pursuits. It also ensures that our programmes meet the specific entry requirements of these universities, paving the way for smooth transitions into degree courses.

University Advisory Panel

Wendy Yip

Director of International Development, Aston University

Wendy Yip

Director of International Development, Aston University

Wendy Yip, the Director of International Development at Aston University, boasts an impressive tenure of over two decades in the institution’s international department. Her role is pivotal in forging and nurturing the university’s international alliances and partnerships. She collaborates extensively with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor International and other senior management to shape the university’s global engagement blueprint. As a crucial player on the International Strategy Committee, Wendy ensures that the strategic trajectory of the university places the international student experience at its core.

Elijah James

Director of Student Recruitment and Marketing, University of Birmingham

Elijah James

Director of Student Recruitment and Marketing, University of Birmingham

Elijah James, the University of Birmingham’s Head of International Student Recruitment, spearheads the creation and implementation of the university’s global recruitment strategy.

Over the past 11 years, he has overseen the recruitment of international students for the UK campus, while also taking charge of international recruitment efforts for the university’s Dubai campus since its inception in 2018.

With a wealth of experience spanning two decades in the field of international education, Elijah has worked with numerous prestigious educational institutions around the world, engaging in various avenues, markets, and initiatives.

Wesley Hackett

Associate Director of International Recruitment and Global Partnerships, University of Bradford

Wesley Hackett

Associate Director of International Recruitment and Global Partnerships, University of Bradford

Wesley Hackett is currently serving as the Associate Director of International Recruitment and Global Partnerships at the University of Bradford. His role involves developing and implementing strategies to boost the university’s global presence and student recruitment. Prior to this, Wesley has held various marketing roles in higher education pathway providers and UK universities. His experiences have honed his skills in international relations, strategic planning, and partnership building, making him a key player in the university’s international growth.

Lorna Cuckow

Deputy Director International and Head of International Partnerships & Relations, University of Bristol

Lorna Cuckow

Deputy Director International and Head of International Partnerships & Relations, University of Bristol

Lorna Cuckow is Deputy Director International and Head of International Partnerships & Relations at the University of Bristol.

She is responsible for the strategy and development of the University’s partnerships (with both institutions and sponsor organisations) and international scholarship schemes.

Lorna has held a variety of roles relating to international partnerships since 2010. Before joining the University of Bristol in April 2017, Lorna worked at the University of Bath and the University of the West of England. In previous roles, Lorna has played a key part in the opening of regional offices, foundation colleges and the development of institutional partnership programmes, involving both research collaboration and all varieties of TNE.

Lorna has a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics with Japanese from the University of Reading (including one year at Hosei University, Tokyo)

Andy Mandebura

Director of International Development, University of Huddersfield

Andy Mandebura

Director of International Development, University of Huddersfield

Andrew is responsible for the strategic management of the International Office at the University which includes internationalisation, marketing and student recruitment, and student experience. Andrew has over 20 years experience in International education in a variety of roles and has worked with NCUK for the last 18 years.

Sue Hopkinson

Head of International Marketing and Recruitment, University of Kent

Sue Hopkinson

Head of International Marketing and Recruitment, University of Kent

Sue leads the strategy for international marketing and recruitment for the University of Kent and manages a motivated team of recruitment professionals based in Canterbury, China, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the USA.

With over 25 years of experience in higher education, she has built a strong network of international relationships, overseeing successful partnership development and recruitment activity in Africa and South and Southeast Asia.

Sue’s background is in modern languages and student support for language learning. Before Kent, she worked at the Universities of Leicester and Loughborough, before joining the UK Socrates-Erasmus Council.

Martin Maule

Director of International Pathways Centre, University of Leeds

Martin Maule

Director of International Pathways Centre, University of Leeds

Martin Maule is the Director of the International Pathways Centre at the University of Leeds, a position he has held since September 2022. Prior to his current role, he was a Senior International Marketing Manager at the same university for over four years. Martin has also volunteered as a Committee Member at BUILA, leading the marketing efforts and organising a regional interest group focused on North America. Before joining Leeds, he was the Deputy Head of International Recruitment at the University of Huddersfield. He has also held various roles at City University London, including Senior International Officer. His earlier experience includes positions at Cass Business School and Leeds University Business School, where he started his career in higher education.

Puspa Mistry

Regional Manager, Leeds Beckett University

Puspa Mistry

Regional Manager, Leeds Beckett University

Regional Manager (Middle East and Africa) – International Recruitment & Partnerships. Leeds Beckett University.

Puspa currently oversees international recruitment and partnerships across the Middle East and Africa Region. Whilst managing in-country staff and agents in all aspects of admissions and visa counselling, Puspa is also responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with Ministries of Higher Education, Governments and sponsoring organisations. Puspa has more than 20 years’ experience in student recruitment in HE in South Asia, Middle East and North Africa and development of new markets in South America. With established overseas offices in India, Qatar and Nigeria, Puspa is also a member of the International Recruitment and Partnership Leadership Team at LBU.

Dr Julia Wang

Director of International Relations, Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Julia Wang

Director of International Relations, Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Julia Wang is the Director of International Relations at LJMU, taking care of the strategic development of global partnerships, overseeing international student recruitment activities, as well as leading on student and staff international mobility activities for the University. She has been working in the Higher Education Sector for over 25 years, and is particularly experienced at establishing Transnational Education collaborative programmes. Her Country Engagement Strategy was widely recognized by both internal leadership and by external stakeholders, including British Council, and DBT. She was recently appointed as the UK Department of Business and Trade Export Champion. She is also the Co-Chair of UK-Malaysia University Consortium (UK-MUC) funded by British Council Malaysia. She is research active in social linguistics, and is an external examiner for RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology).

Kay Morgan

Head of International Recruitment and Conversion, Manchester Metropolitan University

Kay Morgan

Head of International Recruitment and Conversion, Manchester Metropolitan University

Kay Morgan has over 20 years of experience in international higher education marketing. Since 2015, she has held the position of Head of International Recruitment and Conversion at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her career spans across various institutions in Wales and England, where she has applied her expertise in recruitment and conversion strategies to enhance their global presence. Kay’s extensive experience and strategic approach have made her a leading figure in the field of international higher education marketing.

Fiona Brown

Head of International Recruitment, The University of Manchester

Fiona Brown

Head of International Recruitment, The University of Manchester

Fiona Brown is an experienced professional in the field of international student recruitment and currently serves as the Head of International Student Recruitment at The University of Manchester. In addition to her current role, she has also led the university’s international office, showcasing her broad expertise in international education. Her work involves strategic planning and execution of recruitment efforts, aiming to attract a diverse and talented pool of students from around the globe. Fiona’s leadership and experience continue to bolster The University of Manchester’s reputation as a top choice for international students.

Elena Nikoulina

Head of International Recruitment, University of Salford

Elena Nikoulina

Head of International Recruitment, University of Salford

Elena has been working in the UK Higher Education sector for almost 20 years. She has a strong background in all aspects of international recruitment work including managing recruitment teams in the UK and overseas, building productive relationships with external and internal stakeholders, partnerships and TNE, admissions, compliance, immigration and agents’ relations. Elena has significant experience in developing recruitment strategies focusing on international students’ growth and diversity. As well as having a degree in Marketing and Public Relations from the University in St.Petersburg, Russia and she also holds an MBA from the University of Huddersfield in addition to a number of professional managerial qualifications. Elena speaks fluent Russian and English.

Steve Webber

Head of International Recruitment, Sheffield Hallam University

Steve Webber

Head of International Recruitment, Sheffield Hallam University

Steve Webber is currently serving as the Head of International Recruitment at Sheffield Hallam University. His role involves strategizing and overseeing the university’s efforts to attract international students from various parts of the world. With his leadership and expertise in international education, Steve contributes significantly to enhancing Sheffield Hallam University’s global outreach and reputation.

Louise McCarthy

Deputy Director of Global Engagement, University of Sheffield

Louise McCarthy

Deputy Director of Global Engagement, University of Sheffield

Louise has worked in International Higher Education for over 20 years specialising predominantly in international recruitment at two Russell Group Universities, but her experience also includes working at a small and specialised institution covering the full internationalisation remit of recruitment, partnership development and Study Abroad. In her current role as Deputy Director of Global Engagement at the University of Sheffield, Louise manages a team of regional managers – including staff in China, Malaysia, India, Nigeria and the USA – who are responsible for meeting the University’s targets for international and EU student recruitment. She also leads the University’s international scholarship portfolio, the management of a large network of recruitment agents and partnership development with overseas universities, sponsors and pathway providers.

Lee Wildman

Director of Global Engagement, Queen Mary University of London

Lee Wildman

Director of Global Engagement, Queen Mary University of London

Lee has been working in the International Higher Education Sector for 18 years since graduating from Nottingham Trent University with a BA English in 2004, followed by a year on the Sabbatical team at Nottingham Trent Students’ Union.

Upon joining the International Office at Queen Mary in 2007 after two years at Bosworth Independent College, Lee has focused on growing the institution’s overseas recruitment activities, initially in Central and SE Asia, Africa and the Indian Sub-continent. In 2013 he took on the role of Head of International Student Recruitment before taking up the position of Director of Global Engagement in 2017, ensuring the delivery of the institution’s international objectives within the 2030 Strategy, across partnerships, student mobility initiatives, recruitment and global alumni engagement.