Dr Janet Ilieva is an economist by training. Her work focuses on global student mobility, transnational education and university partnerships, and national policies for global engagement and sustainable development. Janet began her career as a university lecturer in economics before joining the British Council in 2004 to lead its higher education research and market intelligence. In 2013 she became Head of the HEFCE Observatory. Since establishing Education Insight in 2015, she has delivered strategic research and consultancy for universities, government departments and international organisations across Europe and Asia. She serves as a university trustee and as an adviser to the Technical Committee for Transnational Education under the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and was a NAFSA Senior Fellow (2020–21).

Pat Killingley is a highly experienced international higher education specialist with a distinguished career spanning university leadership, consultancy, and senior roles in international education strategy. As former Director of Higher Education at the British Council, Pat has collaborated with universities, government agencies, and education bodies in more than 20 countries, contributing to initiatives across student recruitment, institutional partnerships, transnational education, and national policy development.

Pat has worked extensively as an independent consultant and as a research collaborator with Education Insight, delivering projects focused on global higher education trends and capacity building. She is a strong advocate for the transformative role of international education and its capacity to enhance social, cultural, and economic well-being worldwide.

Winnie Eley has been working in international education and senior management for over 25 years within both the Tertiary Education sector and Cultural Relations organisations in Africa, Asia, Australia and the UK. Winnie’s previous appointed positions included Secretary to the Governing Board of CityU (Dongguan), Vice President at University of Southampton in the UK, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at The University of Newcastle in Australia, Director of International Affairs at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Deputy Country Director at British Council in Nigeria and Director of Education Services at British Council in Hong Kong.

She was the principal investigator and author of the China – Environment for Transnational Education Partnerships and UK Qualifications: Challenges and Opportunities and Nigeria reports in a 16-countries research project on internationalisation of higher education systems commissioned to Education Insight by the British Council in 2022.

Rebecca Finlayson joined Educational Insight as a Consultant Statistician in 2019. She has a passion for ensuring the robust use of data to improve the experience of students and inform policies and strategies across the higher education sector.

Rebecca has more than ten years of analytical experience, including seven years as an Analyst at the Higher Education Funding Council for England and later the Office for Students. She has led a range of projects, drawing on a wide variety of administrative and survey-based data sources to provide insights across the student lifecycle. A number of these projects featured international students and diversity in the UK sector. She also has experience with many analytical techniques, including statistical modelling, data visualisation and presenting data meaningfully.

Stephanie Ashcroft is an experienced international development professional with over 19 years of service at the British Council, specialising in programme management, research enablement, and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). As Consultant, Enabling Research, she oversaw the delivery of global initiatives such as Researcher Connect Online and Future Climate Leaders, coordinating international partners, managing grants, and supporting women’s participation in STEM.

Throughout her career, Stephanie has championed inclusive practices, developing and facilitating gender equality training and contributing to strategic EDI initiatives across the organisation. She was also a Trustee of the British Council Benevolent Fund, supporting global staff welfare and fundraising activities, and an active volunteer in community and animal welfare initiatives.

Stephanie is recognised for her professionalism, integrity, and commitment to advancing equality and opportunity in international development, as well as for her ability to build strong partnerships and deliver impactful global programmes.