ID007 Strong in shaping ourselves

The Idea

Global geopolitical shifts, technological disruption and changing international alliances are fundamentally reshaping the environment in which universities operate. For Keele, this presents both a risk and a significant strategic opportunity.

In January 2026, Ursula von der Leyen stated: “The shift in the international order isn’t just seismic but permanent. The speed of change outstrips anything we have seen in decades… We must be strong in shaping ourselves if we don’t want to be shaped by the world around us.”

This framing provides a compelling strategic lens for Keele: to proactively define and strengthen its global role rather than react to external pressures.

Keele is starting from a strong position. The University established the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) in 2023 to lead and strengthen its global engagement and international strategy under the leadership of Professor Antonius Raghubansie. The international strategy focuses on growing and celebrating its global community, expanding internationally co-authored research and funding, and developing carefully selected transnational education partnerships aligned with academic priorities.

Through this strategic focus, Keele has seen significant progress in international recruitment, reporting a record-high intake of international undergraduate and postgraduate students. This growth has been driven in part by deeper relationships with agents in key Asian and African markets and enhanced international initiatives.

Keele should build on this momentum and continue to focus on:

• Strengthening a focused portfolio of international partnerships in regions aligned with its academic strengths and global challenges.
• Embedding global and intercultural perspectives across teaching, research and professional services.
• Equipping students and staff with the skills, cultural intelligence and adaptability needed to thrive in an uncertain world.

By positioning global engagement as a core strategic priority, Keele can move from responding to external change to actively shaping its role and impact within it.

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

Geopolitical uncertainty, shifting alliances and technological disruption are directly shaping higher education. If the UK higher education sector, and Keele University specifically, does not define its global role with clarity and intent, it risks having that role defined by external forces.

Making global engagement a core strategic priority enables the University to protect its values, diversify partnerships and enhance its reputation, resilience and impact.

How We Would Implement This Idea

• Embed global engagement as a core strategic priority within Keele’s strategy, with clear ownership and accountability.
  • Establish a dedicated Global Engagement Board or committee to oversee international activity and track impact across teaching, research, marketing and communications, and partnerships.
• Focus on a small number of high-impact international partnerships aligned with Keele’s strengths, values and areas of global challenge.
  • Map global partners against priority regions and sectors identified within UK Government international education policy and related strategic frameworks.
• Integrate global and intercultural perspectives across teaching, research and professional services.
  • Introduce institution-wide intercultural competency frameworks for staff and students, aligned with recognised sector guidance and government recommendations.
• Equip students and staff with global skills, cultural intelligence and adaptability through curriculum design, mobility opportunities and professional development.
  • Introduce structured global skills modules embedded within programmes, internships and staff development pathways.
• Strengthen policy and government engagement to position Keele as a thought leader in international education and responses to global challenges.

What Success Would Look Like

• Keele is recognised as a confident global university with a clear and distinctive international role, informed by meaningful engagement with international partner institutions.
• A focused portfolio of strong international partnerships delivers measurable benefits for students, research and global impact, while maintaining ethical boundaries in research funding and collaboration and safeguarding institutional autonomy.
• Graduates and staff demonstrate strong global skills, cultural intelligence and social mobility awareness, supported by enhanced data and digital literacy, language-learning opportunities and experiences that foster inclusive and equitable participation.
• Success is measured through clear outcomes, including partnership quality, student experience, research impact and graduate attributes, supported by agile governance structures that enable Keele to respond confidently and effectively to external change.