Introduce yourself in three words or phrases.
I’m Scarlett and I am from the University of Nottingham. I am a fitness enthusiast, a lifelong learner, and a multilingual speaker.
What do you like most about your job?
That I look after all the international relations in East Asia and also manage the recruitment business in this region for the University of Nottingham as their East Asia regional head.
Best work trip/Worst work trip?
I think all of my trips overseas now have been going very well. This is because I can meet a lot of fresh faces, new students who are offer holders, and agents, who are very important partners for our recruitment business.
The worst work trip I had was five or six years ago in Beijing. I was poorly and rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. That was a terrible trip.
If you could learn a language instantly, which would you pick and why?
I want to learn Spanish, a lot of people who work speak Spanish. I think if I learn the language I could visit a lot of countries with ease.
What makes you get up in the morning?
The alarm clock wakes me up! But also the ambitious goals I want to achieve make me wake up!
Champion/cheerleader which we should all follow and why?
I really admire Leina Shi from the British Council Beijing office. She’s a very strong woman and very knowledgeable. She’s the director at British Council China and is the type of person I really want to become.
Best international ed conference and why
I want to say The PIEoneer Awards, and BUILA annual conference last year was great. They were some of the most successful conferences I have been to and where I got the opportunity to meet talented leaders in the sector and exchange lots of thought provoking ideas with them. I really treasure those opportunities.
Book or podcast recommendation for others in the sector?
I really like The Wonkhe Show by Mark Leach as people are so honest and share their ideas, and give the overview of the trends in the sector. I play the podcast while driving around as well.
I love listening to different TED Talks since it gives me different ideas on presentation skills, it helps me to adjust to different presentation styles when I am talking to students, at conferences like ones by the British Council, etc. They are also very inspiring and informative at the same time.
Describe a project or initiative you’re currently working on that excites you.
I am working hard on recruitment and aiming to increase the conversion rate in East Asia as it has become more challenging.
