Bill Lawton has been Policy Adviser at the UK HE International Unit since its inception in 2007. The Unit is based at Universities UK; and it coordinates and undertakes activities to support UK universities in the context of the internationalisation of higher education globally. The Unit combines intelligence and outreach functions and its main outputs are a fortnightly electronic newsletter (International Focus, which is read around the world), a practical research programme (which is aimed at the UK sector), and presentations and events to disseminate research findings. Bill’s activities include writing for International Focus and facilitating a partnership initiative with the Indian higher education sector.

Prior to joining the Unit, Bill worked at the Canadian High Commission in London, first as a political analyst on UK devolution and later as Head of Academic Relations. In the 1990s he was a lecturer in Politics at University of Hull, where his main specialisms were Canadian and American domestic politics and the international political economy. Bill received a Masters degree in Environmental Studies from York University in Toronto, Canada and a PhD, from Edinburgh University, UK.

Bill will be chairing the Responding to HE internationalisation session.