Study Group announces the appointment of Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon as Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Study Group is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon to a new role of Provost and Chief Academic Officer. In this role Elena will carry global responsibility for Study Group’s academic strategy and teaching and support of students, as well as operational responsibility for the teaching and support of students at our international study centres and colleges in the UK and Ireland.

Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon is an internationally respected educator and passionate advocate for excellence and innovation in teaching and student support. Having been brought up and studied in Mexico, Elena served as a Professor of Engineering in a UK Russell Group university before becoming the first President and Chief Executive at the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering. She then served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

A Principal Fellow at Advance HE and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Elena is also a champion for Women in STEM and has led transformational work on enterprise education and collaboration with employers within education. Teams of international students she mentored have been UK winners of Enactus – an international organisation that connects student, academic and business leaders through entrepreneurial-based projects – and finalists in its prestigious global awards.

Elena is also a long-standing supporter of international students and has advocated in Parliament for the #WeAreInternational campaign. Her work on support and innovation in education has been extensively published by sector and mainstream media. In 2015, she received a doctorate of engineering honoris causa by her alma mater, the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in México and in 2020 she was named Woman of the Year in Technology by FDM Everywoman.

Study Group Chief Executive Officer Ian Crichton says,

“I am extremely pleased to announce the new role of Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Study Group and delighted that Professor Rodriguez-Falcon has agreed to join us. Our reputation for excellent teaching and support is built on the dedication of our teachers and the commitment of student support teams – the success of our students themselves as they progress to their degrees, and beyond into their careers and lives, is the true testament to that.

“This role will strengthen that commitment to student success still further, and in Elena we will have a unique combination of experience in leadership in a traditional university and innovation in new forms of provision. I am very much looking forward to the energy and care I know she will soon bring to our Executive Committee and the organisation as a whole.”

Commenting on her appointment, Elena says:

“I am delighted to be taking up this new role of Provost and Chief Academic Officer for Study Group and to help increase the participation and success of students from around the world in international education. The role includes the opportunity to work with our excellent established International Study Centres and Colleges and teachers, and to develop new models of education globally with partners in universities and government across the world. I very much welcome the determination of Study Group to put quality in teaching and the support of students at the core of everything it does, and am truly looking forward to this exciting opportunity.”

Congratulating Elena on her appointment, Chair of the Study Group Academic Board Professor Sir Keith Burnett says,

“I am delighted to welcome Elena to Study Group and very much look forward to her contribution. Having worked with Elena at the University of Sheffield, I witnessed at first hand her dedication to students’ learning as well as her creativity and flair in finding meaningful ways to engage and inspire. She is a true ambassador for international education and, on behalf of the Academic Board, I am looking forward to working closely together to meet the needs and hopes of our diverse cohorts of students.”

In her new role, Elena will be supported by very strong operational delivery and academic senior leadership team including Vaughan Leyshon and Melinda Tan, existing University Partnership Directors and long-standing members of the Study Group team. Previous Managing Director (University Partnerships) Dr Mark Cunnington leaves Study Group after seven years to take up the role of Pro- Vice-Chancellor for BIMM, a private university specialising in music, film, performing arts and creative technology. He leaves Study Group with the warm thanks of all of his colleagues for his commitment to academic quality and good wishes for his next role.