Establishing and managing an overseas office - Andrea edwards

Establishing and Managing an Overseas OfficeAndréa Edwards

UoB’s Pattern of Global Engagement

• 150 Source Countries for Recruitment

• 33% of faculty are international

• 20 TNE partnerships, including in-country delivery in Singapore, China/HK, India

• 4 Strategic Global TerritoriesChina, India, North America, Brazil

• 6 Regional Offices/Global Hubs

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Joinville, SC, BrazilJoint Office with UoN

Birmingham Global Hubs

Brussels, BelgiumShared Regional Office

New Delhi, IndiaConsultant-led

Shanghai, ChinaLaunch-pad service

Guangzhou Centre, ChinaRep Office leading to WFOE

Lagos, NigeriaAgent-hosted

Advantages of Global Hubs

• Facilitate academic engagement and enhance stakeholder relations in identified strategic regions

• Enhance market intelligence and gain competitive advantage

• Demonstrate commitment to a region

• Platform approach co-ordinates engagement with partners

• Demonstrable returns: assessment based on combination of researcher engagement, student mobility, student recruitment/market share, alumni engagement and fundraising, education collaboration and capacity building

Stage 1: Scoping & Project InitiationStage of Development Considerations

Identification of need and Business Case

Link to Strategy, purpose of engagement and in-country presence

Project Board Establishment International team, HR, Finance, Legal, planning, senior academic chair

Appointment of Project Lead Typically in International Office or secondment

Scoping Office models, market conditions, legal, financial and HR considerations, location

Liaison in-country and appointment of advisers

Lawyers, consultancy firm, HR organisation, Consulate & British Council liaison

Final Business Case sign off Executive Level

Stage 2: Set Up

Stage of Development Considerations

‘Registration’ Contractual requirements

Recruitment & induction of Staff Scope of office, Type of contract, direct or via third party, objectives, line management & communications

Office fit out & operational set up Branding, signage, systems

Soft Launch Internal

Official Launch External

Stage 3: Office Launch

• Opportunity for stakeholder engagement

• Hosted by senior figurehead

• Signature events: launch, alumni reception, roundtable, academic symposia

• Project team: Press Office, Alumni Relations, International Office, VC’s Office, Business Engagement, Research Office

Stage 4: On-going Management

• Clear line management and communications, reporting (to capture intelligence)

• Monitoring of KPIs and objectives, personal development

• Regional working group

• Management of expectations

• Annual review to Board – media monitoring, joint publication, grant capture, recruitment, fundraising

• Cultural awareness, trust and shared vision

Criteria for Success

1. Effective blended leadership – academic and administrative

2. Strong faculty engagement

3. Clear Business Plan with accountability, metrics

4. Flexible approach: based on local conditions, priorities for engagement, rather than fixed model

5. Recruitment of dedicated, outstanding individuals

Over to you!Questions for Consideration1. What’s worked for you?

2. What are the key challenges faced in :a. establishing an overseas office?b. managing an office?

3. What do you consider to be the advantages (and disadvantages) of the models of engagement?- Hosted office, consultancy, representative office, agent-based

4. How can success be measured?