This week, we spent five minutes with Vicky Lewis, who founded her own education consultancy 10 years ago. She talks to The PIE about her sector experiences over the years.
Introduce yourself in three words or phrases.
An old hand? I’m coming up to 30 years working in the UK’s international higher education sector, so I’ve seen it develop, professionalise and broaden its vision. I’ve also seen it weather various storms – from global pandemics, geo-political tensions and economic crises to home-grown challenges such as fluctuating government policies.
What do you like most about your job?
As an international HE strategy consultant, I love the variety of working with – and really getting under the skin of – different organisations at different stages of the internationalisation journey. It’s rewarding to engage with staff, students and other stakeholders to identify ways in which the institution can make a distinctive international contribution, and to pinpoint the changes that can help to propel it to the next level in its global engagement. And, of course, it’s wonderful to see those changes being enacted over time.
Tell me about a defining moment in your career.
Taking a blind leap into consultancy in 2013 after 19 years working within (and leading) university international relations and marketing functions (in Wales, Scotland, then England). The seeds for that transition were sown a decade earlier when I started the University of Bath’s Doctorate of Business Administration (Higher Education Management) and realised that combining academic research and professional experience can be a valuable recipe for developing evidence-based international strategies and operations.
What makes you get up in the morning?
I do my best thinking in the morning and don’t mind an early start (just don’t ask me to be coherent after about 9pm!). I’m generally energised by knowing that, whatever project I’m working on, I’m going to learn something new.
What’s the most rewarding part of working with international students?
Whenever I engage with international students, I come away feeling that the world is going to be in safer hands than it is currently. Many university vision statements revolve around ‘making the world a better place’. Hearing about the contributions and ambitions of international students turns that rhetoric into something tangible and believable.
How did you find yourself working in intled?
After a degree in modern languages, two years as a freelance travel writer and another two working for a charitable foundation in Hamburg, Germany, I found myself looking for a job in rural Wales and ended up as International Officer at what was then University of Wales Lampeter. It was a new role and covered everything from managing Erasmus exchanges and devising marketing communications to organising the international student orientation program.
Best intled conference and why?
I really enjoyed the EAIE conference in Rotterdam in September 2023. It was my first post-pandemic international conference and, as a bonus, I was able to travel there by train. I always enjoy being exposed to continental European countries’ different approaches to international education as this can challenge some of our Anglocentric assumptions.
“I do my best thinking in the morning and don’t mind an early start”
What’s the most interesting trend you’ve observed in our industry recently?
Gradual recognition, starting to be reflected in institutional strategies, that ‘West is not always best’ and that there is much to learn about international engagement from countries, institutions, academics and practitioners in other parts of the world. This paves the way for more equitable international partnerships.
If you could learn any language instantly, which one would it be, and why?
Mandarin. I toyed with studying it at university but wimped out in favour of German and French. There’s a serious national deficit in the UK’s understanding of Chinese culture and language at a time when immersion of more people in both would be hugely valuable.
What’s the most important skill for someone working in international education to possess?
It’s more of an attribute than a skill, but I’d say ‘curiosity’. Curiosity about other people and cultures, about learning new things, even about getting underneath the data to work out what it all means.
Book or podcast recommendation for others in the sector?
My three go-to podcasts (depending on what mood I’m in) are Tales from the Departure Lounge (obviously) (for the perfect mix of laughs, relatability and serious points), the Wonkhe Show (to keep me up to speed on key UK HE issues) and Think Education. This one is hosted by Professor Chris Hill and Professor Judith Lamie, and offers relaxed, rambling (in a good way) chats with interesting guests on a range of international education topics.
