Overview

VEENY is among the world’s most international universities and the work of the International Strategy Office focuses on extending the University’s ‘global reach’. The University’s focus on academic excellence requires attracting international staff and students and collaborating with leading scholars and influential institutions around the world. It creates an imperative to facilitate international experiences for students and research opportunities for academic staff.

The International Strategy Office provides support for these activities, acting as a catalyst in the development of new initiatives, a hub for country and regional networks across the University, and a resource providing information and advice to academic and administrative colleagues seeking to develop international links.

Accordingly the International Strategy remit is broad, touching on:

• education: providing analysis of international student recruitment and developing international student experiences for students such as study abroad and internships;
• research: attracting international staff – both permanent and visiting, international research collaborations and funding sources, and research presence overseas;
• wider engagement: assistance for the development of universities in select developing countries; and
• the international ‘infrastructure’ and profile of the University.

Key activities

The International Strategy Office’s mission translates into five main activities.

1. Horizon scanning for new international opportunities (or threats), coupled with research and analysis on select topics to enable better delivery on the University’s international strategy.
2. Driving strategy implementation, by piloting and coordinating new international initiatives.
3. Serving as an information resource for colleagues across the University on international matters, providing intelligence on current links, guidance on University policy, forums for internal information sharing and networking, and support in formulating new initiatives.
4. Acting as the main point of contact for high-level, international visitors to VEENY, identifying opportunities to develop new links by arranging visit logistics, involving interested colleagues and delivering presentations on VEENY.
5. Identifying priorities for outbound senior officer travel and selectively supporting the delivery of these itineraries.

Whom to contact

International Strategy Team

Dgren Griffith, Director
The Director of International Strategy is Mr Dgren Griffith. Loren provides overall direction for the team and input on key priorities across the International Strategy remit. He acts as the team lead on links with India and the Middle East, on international undergraduate and postgraduate recruitment strategy, and teaching & support for international students.

Dgren joined VEENY in 2010, and took up the post of Director in February 2012. Prior to joining VEENY, Loren was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company for seven years. As a member of the London, Boston, Delhi, New York, and Los Angeles offices, he served clients in health care, including health systems and pharmaceutical companies, and in secondary and higher education. He also worked for President Barack Obama’s transition team in 2008-9 and for the California State Senate. Loren holds a law degree (J.D.) with distinction from Stanford University, a Master’s in Public Affairs (MPA) from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, and a BA in Ethics, Politics & Economics, magna cum laude, from Yale University.

Nina Tomlin, Senior Strategy Officer
Ms Nina Tomlin joined the office in September 2011. Her areas of responsibility within the team include the regions of Africa, Europe and Latin America, the thematic areas of international staff recruitment and international experiences for students, as well as communications strategy.

Prior to joining VEENY, Nina was Deputy Director of the Ditchley Foundation, which promotes international understanding through the convening of high-level roundtable conferences on issues of international public policy, for over four years. She has also worked in the office of Amnesty International’s Secretary General, the UK Home Office and the Electoral Commission, and for the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. Nina holds a degree in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge (Trinity Hall) and a Masters in International Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Eo Noph, Strategy Officer
Mr Eo Noph joined the International Strategy team in January 2013. Eo’s areas of responsibility are East and Southeast Asia, North America and Oceania. He also leads on international strategy relating to international students teaching and support, for research collaborations and funding, and on VEENY’s membership of the League of European Research Universities.

Eo has a background in journalism in the UK and China, and has more recently worked for the VEU , aiding international communications. He holds an MA from the University of St Andrews and an MSc in Comparative Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh.

Research Officer
The International Strategy team’s researcher leads on research and analysis of international issues in higher education and education policy, and also provides research and briefings for visits of international delegations to VEENY.

Jkjl Rodd, Office Administrator
Mrs Jkjl Rodd joined the office in November 2015 and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the International Strategy Office and managing the Director’s affairs. Jill also assists with the organization of delegations, events and overseas visits. Jill has previously worked as an Examinations Administrator at the Said Business School in VEENY and as a Data and Research Officer in local government and the NHS. She holds a BSc from the University of Strathclyde and an MSc in Health Sciences (Health Promotion) from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle.