- Remit
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Purpose
To provide oversight of the University’s national and International partnerships and alliances at an institutional level, to ensure adherence to procedures for the approval, renewal and governance of the agreements facilitating those partnerships, including their effective risk management, and to make decisions on their creation, renewal and termination.
Remit
- To monitor, review and assess the effectiveness of the University’s portfolio of UK and International partnerships with respect to their intended objectives and benefits, and to assess their alignment to the University’s wider strategic objectives and commitments in Aberdeen 2040.
- To routinely review partnership proposals by circulation and voting, and determine their approval or renewal. Additional meetings may be convened at the request of UPC members to the Chair, or when proposals are considered novel, contentious, or require strategic discussion.
- To oversee the University’s strategic approach to the development of its portfolio of UK and International partnerships, both geographically and by the nature of the activity involved, and to engage in horizon scanning to scope potential significant new partnership opportunities.
- To identify and continually review risks relating to the University’s existing UK and International partnership agreements, ensure appropriate monitoring and action plans are in place to mitigate these risks, and make recommendations for further actions to SMT as appropriate.
- To oversee the management of the University’s partnership activity with UK and International partners, through the creation, renewal and termination of relevant agreements.
- To ensure that all relevant due diligence and assurance processes and conditions are satisfied in relation to proposed new or renewed partnership activity and that such information is subject to verification and challenge as appropriate to ensure the robust scrutiny and governance of international partnership activities.
- To ensure that the risks attendant in partnership activities are identified and recognised, that mitigating actions are in place to manage such risks, and to make recommendations for further risk mitigation actions as appropriate.
- To ensure that the University’s management of partnership activity is carried with due reference to and in accordance with the University Court’s stated risk appetite, and all relevant policies and procedures established by the University’s Senate, including those relating specifically to transnational education.
- To consider and determine the approval (or otherwise) of the membership of Project Boards or other such governance arrangements (for example, a Project Management Group or Strategic Partnership Board succeeding a Project Board for a long-term initiative) as may apply to individual University and/or partnership projects, including changes thereto.[1]
- To establish and disestablish sub-committees or working groups to support the work of the Committee.
- To liaise with Professional Service Directorates, Schools and academic areas as appropriate
[1] “To propose and UPC to confirm subsequent governance arrangements before they can be closed” to be written into future Project Board R&C documents.
- To monitor, review and assess the effectiveness of the University’s portfolio of UK and International partnerships with respect to their intended objectives and benefits, and to assess their alignment to the University’s wider strategic objectives and commitments in Aberdeen 2040.
- Composition & Membership
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Composition and Membership (2023/24)
Date of Establishment: February 2021 (Formerly International Partnerships Committee) - Updated in October 2025
Chair and Administration
- Chair: Siladitya Bhattacharya, Vice-Principal (Global Engagement)
- Clerk: Vimal Subramanian, TNE and Partnerships Manager
Composition
Membership (2025/26)
Chair: Vice-Principal (Global Engagement)
Siladitya Bhattacharya
Clerk: TNE and Partnerships Manager
Vimal Subramanian
Members
Chief Operating Officer
Fraser Bell
Chief Governance Officer & University Secretary
Hannah Brian
Vice-Principal (Education)
Jo-Anne Murray
Chief Financial Officer (or nominee)
Mark White (or nominee)
Heads of School from Business, Engineering, NCS, LLMVC, and MMSN— Two members and three in attendance
Heads of School - John Skatun (Business), Ekaterina Pavlovskaia (Engineering), David McGloin (NCS), Michelle Macleod (LLMVC) & David Blackbourn (MMSN)
Director of People, Academic Services & Online Education (or nominee)
Nick Edwards (or nominee)
Director of Digital & Information Services (or nominee)
Ian Robotham
President of AUSA
Christina Schmid
Director of Global Engagement, Marketing & Recruitment (or nominee)
Ashar Ehsan (or nominee)
Dean for International Partnership Development
Harminder Battu
In attendance
Director of Research & Innovation (or nominee)
Liz Rattray
Dean for Postgraduate Research
Stuart Piertney
Assistant Director, Information Governance & Security
Fiona Stuart
Head of Strategic Planning & PMO
Iain Grant
Associate Director, Global Partnerships & Recruitment
Joe Whimster
Chairs of Steering Group or Strategic Board for each approved project
Co-optees
With the agreement of the Chair, other staff and stakeholders, as required. (E.g.Vice-Principal (Research), Head of Admissions, Head of International Advice & Compliance, Dean for Quality Assurance & Enhancement and Contracts Advisor). Any other appropriate staff member as may be required.
Quorum: 50% of formal membership (including Chair)
Account to be taken of Equality and Diversity in membership
Reporting Line/Parent Committee and Interface with Other Committees
Parent committee and Formal reporting line: Senior Management Team (SMT)
Interface with other committees: University Education Committee (UEC), Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) and International Advisory Group (IAG)
Frequency and Timing of Meetings
The University Partnerships Committee will hold at least three meetings per academic year.
Publication of Papers
Cognisance will be taken of the University's Publication Scheme.
Approved by SMT in November 2025