International Standing Committee 7 May 2024 The final meeting of this academic year of the International Standing Committee was held on May 7 which was also my own final meeting as its Convener. We were privileged to have both the Vice Principal International, Professor James Smith and the International Dean for SE Asia and Australasia, Professor David Weller in attendance to present the latest scenario on the review of the university’s global engagement plan and an in-depth appreciation of its relationship with partners in a major world region. The strategic review to be accompanied by an operational plan has the approval of the colleges within the university and is due for publication as a final draft in a month or so and then will be taken through the formality of the governance process. The operational plan will cover the essential services provided by Communications and Marketing, Development and Alumni Services, Student Recruitment, Central Research and Edinburgh Innovations and its co-ordination across departments and colleges. The internal delivery of the strategy across the university is mirrored by its external delivery through its international partners across the globe with whom there is collaboration in the measurement of outcomes against objectives in the short term and long term and in different funding models and their sustainability. The potential for alumni resources is not underestimated but resources available to realise this potential is limited within the present infrastructure of the university. The in-depth look at the key region of SE Asia and Australasia is an example where resources are “thin on the ground” currently to support the opportunities in learning, teaching and research for students and staff in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam which prioritise education in the realm of 20% of GDP. Professor David Weller highlighted the importance of focus on a smaller number of collaborations such as the relationship with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore in the fields of data science and global health and with the University of Sydney in Environmental Science. There is a demand for the expertise within the university from potential partnership institutions across the region in the fields of law, medicine and AI which are evaluated to in terms of the principles of sustainability, quantitative and qualitative measurements of success or otherwise, the added value of collaboration and reputation for each partner. The International Standing Committee thanked James Smith and David Weller for their detailed presentations and will continue to encourage more resources for and from alumni in support of the global ambitions of the university as students and staff face an increasing complex and fragile world. Krystyna Szumelukowa Convener This article was published on 2024-07-08
