The UK Higher Education International Unit (IU) initiates and
carries out high profile projects and activities to support and
develop the breadth and depth of the UK HE sector's international
activities. It supports the sector's engagement in European Union
and Bologna Process policy debates. The IU is a central
observatory and intelligence unit on higher education
internationalisation and policy developments for UK higher
education institutions.
In representing the sector as a whole, the IU works closely with
higher education institutions and organisations, including the
British Council, UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,
Department for Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland), UKTI,
Universities Scotland, the Scottish Government, Higher Education
Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government.
The IU also works with other sector organisations, including the
Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, the Council for
Industry and Higher Education, the Observatory on Borderless Higher
Education, the Association of UK HE European Officers (HEURO), the
UK Research Office (UKRO), Welsh Higher Education Brussels (WHEB),
Wales International Consortium (WIC), and the National Union of
Students.
The IU was formed on 1 August 2010 by merging the UK HE
International Unit and the UK HE Europe Unit.
The IU is funded by Universities UK, Guild HE, Higher Education Funding Council for
England, Higher Education and Funding Council for Wales,
Scottish
Funding Council, Department for Employment and
Learning (Northern Ireland), The Higher Education
Academy and Quality Assurance Agency.
Governance
International Strategic Advisory Board
The core purpose of the International Strategic Advisory Board
(ISAB) is to provide strategic oversight of the activities and
plans of the IU. It provides strategic direction, shares insights
and intelligence, and deliberates on international and European HE
issues.
The ISAB is chaired by a Vice-Chancellor or Principal and the
term of office is two years which is renewable once.
Each Member and each Funder is entitled to send one
representative to each ISAB meeting. Universities UK is represented
by the Chief Executive and they nominate three UUK members to sit
on the Advisory Board. In selecting these members, UUK seeks to
ensure they represent the geographical and institutional diversity
of its membership, and have the experience to provide the necessary
high level strategic direction to the work of the Unit. GuildHE is
represented by their Chief Executive and nominates one GuildHE
member to sit on the Advisory Board.
The membership of the ISAB is reviewed annually to ensure that
the ISAB is representative of the sector and its main
stakeholders.
The function of the ISAB is to:
- Provide strategic direction, share insights and intelligence on
international and European higher education issues, and advise on
strategies to ensure buy-in from constituent parts of the UK;
- Focus the UK higher education sector's engagement in the
European higher education agenda;
- Discuss European and international higher education issues and
stakeholder positions and consider appropriate sector-wide
responses to them; discuss and approve formal UK higher education
positions on key European (including Bologna process) and European
Commission issues and activities; and
- Determine priorities for resources between the international
and European activities of the IU.
The International Coordinating Group and the European
Coordinating Group are officer-level advisory groups that inform
the work and policy activities of the Unit.
International Coordinating Group
The International Coordinating Group (ICG) meets twice a year
and its primary function is to provide expert input to the
international work of the UK Higher Education Unit.
The membership of the ICG is reviewed annually to ensure that
the group is representative of the sector and its main
stakeholders. The Director of the IU, Dr Joanna Newman is the
Chair.
The function of the ICG is to:
- Receive and comment on updates, progress reports and proposals
from the IU;
- Discuss international issues of interest to the UK HE sector
and provide guidance to the IU
- on how its activities should be shaped accordingly;
- Advise on potential opportunities for the sector and on
attendant risks;
- Recommend potential research activities for the IU;
- Advise the IU on the extent to which its outputs (newsletters,
website, events) meet the needs
- of the sector and to suggest any changes accordingly;
- Ensure that the activities of the IU take into full
consideration the varying interests of the devolved
authorities
European Coordinating Group
The European Coordinating Group (ECG) meets twice a year and its
primary function is to provide expert input to the European work of
the UK Higher Education Unit.
The function of the ECG is to
- Receive and comment on updates and progress reports from the
staff of the IEU;
- Discuss European (both Bologna Process and European Commission)
issues of interest to the UK's higher education sector;
- Pool information on key initiatives, policy developments, good
practice and future events both within the key legislative and
non-legislative processes of European higher education;
- Discuss policy views of various UK stakeholders, supporting the
IEU in its implementation of European strategy and, where possible,
seeking to find a common position for the UK;
- Discuss and, where possible, agree upon proposals for joint UK
lobbying response;
- Discuss proposals for and implementation of UK action plans on
key issues;
- Ensure that the positions of the devolved authorities are
considered at all times.