Biography

Professor Robin Smith’s career in education spans over thirty years, during which time he has taught in the college, polytechnic and university sectors. He has extensive experience as a lecturer, examiner, manager, researcher and consultant.

He was created Professor of Higher Education Development at Anglia Ruskin University in 1995 where he was also Pro Vice Chancellor until September 2004. He remains Emeritus Professor and is currently undertaking research, training and consultancy activities through Arethusa Projects Ltd, the consultancy company he founded.

He has lectured, written and published in the field of higher education policy, vocational higher education, quality assurance and curriculum development. He has a particular interest in all forms of flexible learning, curriculum design and access to Higher and Further Education, especially in the context of vocational education.

His work has often taken him abroad and he has gained extensive experience of educational processes world wide including Europe, the USA, South Africa, Turkey, Brunei, Russia, Malaysia and China.

He has been a member (and chair/vice chair) of various FE/HE college Governing bodies and is a founder member and one time Vice Chair of the UK based Universities Vocational Awards Council (UVAC).

In addition to UVAC’s Board and Education & Accreditation Committee, his committee membership has included the Executive Committee of the Council of Validating Universities (CVU), the Management Board of the Thames Gateway South Essex New Technology Institute, various steering bodies for funded research projects, South East Essex Consortium for Credit Transfer and BTEC/Edexcel.

He is currently an Associate of Continuum, the Centre for Widening Participation Policy Studies based at the University of East London. He was also the Regional Director of the East of England Lifelong Learning Network MOVE.

Professor Robin Smith

Director,

Arethusa Projects Ltd