“Competing with the World: Globalism, Higher Education, and Employability”.

Presently, postgraduate higher education is faced with (at least) two major paradigm shifts simultaneously: techno-pedagogical disruptions that challenge what, how, and even why we teach; and geopolitical flux caused by economic, demographic, and ideological trends. Based on a fifteen years of leading International Relations for universities in Europe and the Middle East, this talk highlights the risks and opportunities in the postgraduate education sector.

Dr. Christopher Brown currently serves as Director International at University College Cork (Ireland). In this capacity he is responsible for implementing UCC’s internationalization strategy and enhancing its global reputation. Core elements of this role include managing government engagement, international partnerships & joint/dual degrees, non-EU recruitment, admissions & pastoral care of international students, and management of UCC offices and staff around the world.

Before assuming this post in 2014, he spent fourteen years at Zayed University (Abu Dhabi, UAE), where he served various roles including Associate Professor of Humanities, Asst. Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Founding Dean of the International College, and Director of International Programmes. He holds degrees from Notre Dame (BA), Northwestern University (MA), and University of Colorado (Ph.D).

His research includes published work on Internationalisation & Education, Globalisation & Translation, Travel Literature, Urban Development in the Arabian Gulf, and Architecture & Identity. Dr. Brown is also an Honorary Fellow at Durham University School of Government (UK), a Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary International), and on the Board of two NGOs, Women for Sustainable Growth (Sweden) and the Geneva Global Cooperation Centre (Switzerland).