Andrew Disbury is Director of Admissions at the University of St Andrews.  He studied Chinese as an undergraduate, and lived and worked in east China in the early 1980s.  He was Director of the China Services Centre, based at Sheffield Hallam University, providing consultancy services for SMEs engaged in business relations with South Yorkshire’s twin province, before entering the Business School’s International Business subject group in 1993 where his interests centred on international business culture and environment.  By 2001 he was one of four undergraduate programme leaders in business and management, and was also academic head of student recruitment for the School.

A combination of experience in higher education, student recruitment and China led Andrew to the British Council where he was based in Beijing 2001-7.  As regional Director Education in China, Andrew was responsible for supporting bi-lateral education policy development, for bi-lateral education projects between organisations, and for marketing Education UK to prospective Chinese students.

Andrew joined the University of St Andrews in August 2007, where he leads the student customer journey from enquiry through application to matriculation.  He is responsible for the student recruitment and admissions strategy, and the University’s marketing, student recruitment and admissions activities for home and overseas markets, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Andrew Disbury participated in session 3a - Capitalising on China's digital cultural explosion.