A NEW pro vice-chancellor for global engagement has joined Bournemouth University (BU).

Dr Sonal Minocha has been appointed to the new role, which involves global recruitment, partnership, staff and student mobility and a global profile-raising agenda for the university.

She said: “Bournemouth University is perfectly poised to capitalise on its strong academic and infrastructural foundations to take its presence global.

“The shifting sands of global higher education give us the opportunity to shape an exciting and innovative global engagement agenda at BU and I look forward to being the connector and ambassador for the many ideas that staff and students already have for this.”

Dr Minocha joins BU with more than 10 years’ experience in various senior management roles.

She started her career at Newcastle Business School, University of Northumbria, before joining Raffles Education in Singapore, setting up and developing a number of sites across Australasia, including the establishment of the first foreign private university in Mongolia.

Dr Minocha returned to the UK in 2008 as head of department at Ashcroft International Business School and joined Sunderland University in 2010 as an associate dean before moving to the University of Bedfordshire in 2012.

She has also received, or been shortlisted for, numerous awards including Asian Academic of the Year at the Asian Voice and Politics Awards 2012 and Annual Award of Achievement (Education) at the Annual India International Foundation Awards 2012.

She said: “I am delighted to be joining BU at such an exciting time in the university’s development.”

“There is much scope for programme innovation, collaboration, joint research, transnational education and also EU/International student number growth.”