06 May 2015

Head and shoulders portrait of Gabrielle RolanActing Pro-Vice Chancellor for External Relations at the University of New England, Gabrielle Rolan has been appointed to lead the University of South Australia’s International Office. 

As Director: International, Rolan will oversee the University’s international student recruitment and engagement strategies. 

Announcing the appointment, UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor International and Development, Nigel Relph says Rolan has a breadth and depth of experience to bring to the role that will be a distinct advantage for the University. 

“Gabrielle has outstanding knowledge and experience of international education both within the context of universities but also working in the private sector,” Relph says. 

“Her background in both marketing and business management and her real experience at the business end of international education over more than 10 years is a record of success and achievement that will be of enormous benefit to the University.” 

A graduate of Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Business Communication, Rolan has forged a career in international student recruitment that began with frontline experience in Swinburne University’s offshore campuses in Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. 

She has held senior international marketing positions at Swinburne University, Central Queensland University and the University of Southern Queensland where she was ultimately Director, Global Recruitment and Admissions before leaving to establish her own consultancy, WorldStar International. 

She then returned to universities to take on the Director International position at the University of New England in 2010 and has been acting PVC External Relations at UNE since 2014. 

Rolan says she is delighted to be joining a metropolitan university with an ambitious international expansion plan. 

“As has been evidenced in recent weeks with UniSA’s rapid rise in the Times Higher Education Rankings for the Top 100 universities under 50 years old and its exciting new research and education partnership with University College London, UniSA has an enterprising outlook," Rolan says. 

“The future strength of universities in an increasingly globalised environment will lie in developing high-value partnerships with other universities, institutions and industries. 

“For students, both international and domestic, the great attraction will be knowing that their university is not only offering a quality education within, but one that is enhanced by global connections with the best educators and researchers in the world.”   

Media contact: Michèle Nardelli office: +61 8 8302 0966 mobile: 0418 823 673 email: michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au

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