John Bolton

Executive Director, International Branch Campuses (Deakin University)

John Bolton, PhD Candidate | Transnational Education (Deakin University) is currently the Executive Director, International Branch Campuses, reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Partnerships at Deakin University.

John is pursuing his PhD (part-time) in the development of transnational education partnerships since COVID-19, in Australia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

John leads the newly formed International Branch Campus Unit at Deakin University, responsible for establishing and advancing the current Deakin University in the IFSC-GIFT City (India) and the Deakin – Lancaster University IBC in Bandung (Indonesia). 

John has senior leadership experience and regularly engages with local and international stakeholders on a diverse range of university-wide strategic initiatives. John has contributed to developing and implementing the internationalisation strategy at Deakin University. He continues to provide support in fostering new and emerging transnational educational partnerships.

John has worked in seven countries across several sectors, including Hospitality (Radisson SAS), Private Banking (Bank of Bermuda), Offshore Trust & Company Administration (in Guernsey), Professional Services (KPMG), FMCG (Fonterra), and Higher Education (Deakin University).

John is and Associate Fellow of the International Education Association of Australia, he holds a Master of Management Studies – Social Enterprise (First Class Honours), a Post Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management (Distinction) from the University of Waikato, New Zealand, and a Graduate Certificate of Educational Business Leadership (Deakin University). He completed his Executive Master of Business Administration at Melbourne Business School. John is also a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CA) and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

John is passionate about building meaningful connections between Australia and the rest of the world, through innovative transnational higher education partnerships that, “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning and opportunities for all (SDG4)”.

Dr. Rozilini Mary Fernandez-Chung PFHEA

Associate Professor (University of Nottingham, Malaysia)

Recent past Executive Director (Centre for Academic Partnerships and Engagement – CAPE)

Dr Rozilini Mary Fernandez-Chung PFHEA is an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia and recent past Executive Director of the Centre for Academic Partnerships and Engagement (CAPE), where she oversaw institutional partnership development, including operationalising a USD24 million national college education reform project with the Government of Bangladesh from 2017-2024. 

A leading scholar-practitioner in transnational education (TNE), quality assurance and higher education policy in the Global South, she has held senior roles including Vice-President (Quality Assurance) at HELP University and Senior Director for Standards and Reference at the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), where she led teams that developed the Malaysian Qualifications Framework, codes of practice, programme standards. She had also contributed to cross-border QA systems for countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal, including the development of the Qualifications Framework. 

Dr Roz has contributed to multiple British Council TNE research and policy reports and is the editor of the recent book Transnational Education: Bridging Borders, Transforming Futures (Routledge, 2025). A Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA, UK), she has participated in over 150 institutional and programme audits worldwide and produced more than 100 scholarly articles, government reports and policy papers. Her current work focuses on designing equitable, values-driven TNE ecosystems that advance social justice, capacity-building and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Guy Perring – Chair

Regional Director for Asia (ETIO)

Guy Perring is the Regional Director for Asia at Etio, a leading consultancy and benchmarking firm that provides comparative insights to the education sector, with a focus on internationalisation, enhancing the student experience, and helping institutions ensure their students succeed in both employment and citizenship. With over 25 years of experience in education, Guy has worn many hats—ranging from teacher and administrator to market researcher and consultant. His career includes 12 years at the British Council, where he led a Southeast Asian Regional Transnational Education Project, fostering sustainable partnerships between UK and local institutions. A sought-after speaker, Guy has presented at prominent international conferences such as APAIE, Going Global, QS-APPLE, and the Commonwealth of Education Ministers. An alumnus of Manchester and Durham Universities, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role in shaping the future of international education.