Winter School Speakers
The 2026 Speakers are being added regularly
Oriol Amat
Professor of Financial Economics and Former Rector, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, ES
Oriol Amat studied at Autonomous University of Barcelona (PhD in Business Administration and Bachelor’s degree in the same speciality), at ESADE (Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and MBA) and at the Stockholm School of Economics (International Teachers Programme). He has had visiting appointments at international universities, such as Linköping University (Sweden), Massey University (New Zealand), Université de Montpellier (France) and Diego Portales University (Chile).
As a professor at UPF since 1992, he has always been interested in the four main dimensions of academic life: research, knowledge transfer, teaching and management.
His lines of research include the analysis of the success factors of organisations, transformation processes and the ethical aspects of finance. He has directed more than fifteen theses and is the author of scientific articles and more than forty books. Some of his books have been translated into several languages (French, English, Portuguese…). He also collaborates and is a member of the editorial board of several international scientific publications.
In the field of service in higher education, he has had different responsibilities at UPF. He has been rector of UPF (2021-2023), dean of the UPF Barcelona School of Management (2018-2021), director of the Department of Economics and Business (2003-2005), vice-rector for Economics, Information Systems and Services (1997-2001) and, specifically in the teaching field, he was director of the Centre for Teaching Quality and Innovation (2006-2011).
Llorenç Bagur
Dean, UPF Barcelona School of Management, ES
Llorenç Bagur Femenías has a degree in Economics from the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), a PhD in Business Studies from the University of Barcelona (UB) and a Master’s degree in Accounting and Financial Management from the UPF-BSM.
He is currently the Dean of the UPF Barcelona School of Management, Associate Professor BSM, co-director of the Master in Business Accounting and Financial Management and Lecturer of different programs at the UPF Barcelona School of Management.
He is the author of different books and articles, both professional and academic, some of them published in leading international JCR research journals.
He has participated as a speaker in different Master’s programs at European and Latin American universities.
Llorenç regularly collaborates on projects, both with public administrations and private companies, advising companies
Arnold Boon
University Director, Copenhagen Business School, DK
Arnold Boon is since 2022 the University Director at Copenhagen Business School. He is a strategic leader with solid management skills and experience from higher education and research institutions. He previously was University Director and member of the Senior Management Team at Aarhus University. He is responsible for the University administration, including finance, HR, it and digital transformation, student administration, research support and compliance. He is also responsible for real estate and campus development at the university. He has more than 18 years of experience with financial management and a wide experience in leading major change projects, digital transformation, continuous process improvement and organisational changes. He has an extensive network in higher education in Denmark and in Europe.
Earlier positions include Faculty Director at the University of Copenhagen at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (2006-2015), Chief Financial Officer at the Danish Institute of Food and Veterinary Research (2004-2006), Head of Budget department at the Danish Agency for Food, Fisheries and Agri business (2002-2004), Executive Officer at the Danish Agency for Food Fisheries and Agri business (2000-2002), Executive Officer at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (1999-2000) and Researcher at the Danish Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Economics (1991-1998).
Jake Broadhurst
Senior Global Partnerships Advisor, The University of Edinburgh; Leader of the HUMANE thematic expert group on internationalisation, UK
Jake has a keen interest in using evaluation to build better university partnerships. From 2021 to 2022 he coordinated the ERASMUS+ EVALUATE project – Developing a Framework for Evaluation of International University partnerships. Working with scholars of evaluation and professional services colleagues across 6 universities in 6 countries, the project group created a Framework and Handbook. This resource is intended to help staff in university international offices, and those involved in international policy and strategy development, to improve the quality of international strategic partnerships through evaluation.
Over many years Jake has helped set up a wide range of academic-led partnerships that enable the University of Edinburgh make a more positive impact on the world. These range from multi-disciplinary responses to global challenges, a biomedical research centre in China, and a new global data institute that will grapple with the darkest corners of the internet to protect children from harm.
As chair of Future UniLab – the Una Europa alliance think-tank – Jake helps universities to explore their common future.
He has also held diverse roles in digital education, international research management and commercialisation. Before joining the University of Edinburgh, jobs included project manager for a healthcare NGO in India; and various roles in TV and film production in Spain.
Jake founded TEDxUniversityofEdinburgh, co-founded the World Access to Higher Education Day and has been awarded the University of Edinburgh Principal’s Medal for Outstanding Service. He holds a Masters of Business Administration MBA from University of Edinburgh; a MSc Applied Computing from Dundee University; and a BSc Environmental Studies from Newcastle Polytechnic.
Jake is an alumnus of the HUMANE Winter School 2022.
Nigel Healey
Consultant, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Associate, ICHEM, University of Bath, UK
Dr Nigel Healey is a researcher and consultant in higher education. His research interests are the internationalisation of higher education, transnational education and higher education management. He has served in senior academic management roles at the University of Limerick, Fiji National University, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Canterbury and Manchester Metropolitan University, and was Jean Monnet Chair at the University of Leicester.
Professor Healey has a strong commitment to internationalisation and to putting internationalisation at the heart of the student experience. His research interests are in the internationalisation of higher education, and particularly the management of transnational education partnerships.
Karen Stanton
Vice-Chancellor, University of the Arts London, UK
Professor Karen Stanton is the Vice-Chancellor, University of the Arts London, UK. Previously she was Vice-Chancellor at Bishop Grosseteste University, Vice-Chancellor at Solent University and prior to that Vice-Chancellor at York St John University. Professor Stanton was Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Glasgow Caledonian University and has also held positions at King’s College London and at the Universities of Nottingham, Birmingham and Sheffield Hallam.
Her previous areas of responsibility have included Director of the Centre for e-Research, a 4* rated research team based at King’s College London, responsibility for GCU’s overseas campuses in New York, Oman and Bangladesh and as a member of the United Nations Alliance-UK. She was Chair of the Cathedral’s Group and Vice Chair of GuildHE until December 2019. Prior to her academic career Professor Stanton worked as a researcher for the BBC and the Home Office.
Professor Stanton has over 20 years of academic leadership experience having dedicated her career to enhancing and advancing life and career opportunities through education, with a particular commitment to widening access and support for all. She is Chair of Southampton Connect.
Winter School Panel
Arnold Boon
University Director, Copenhagen Business School, DK
Arnold Boon is since 2022 the University Director at Copenhagen Business School. He is a strategic leader with solid management skills and experience from higher education and research institutions. He previously was University Director and member of the Senior Management Team at Aarhus University. He is responsible for the University administration, including finance, HR, it and digital transformation, student administration, research support and compliance. He is also responsible for real estate and campus development at the university. He has more than 18 years of experience with financial management and a wide experience in leading major change projects, digital transformation, continuous process improvement and organisational changes. He has an extensive network in higher education in Denmark and in Europe.
Earlier positions include Faculty Director at the University of Copenhagen at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (2006-2015), Chief Financial Officer at the Danish Institute of Food and Veterinary Research (2004-2006), Head of Budget department at the Danish Agency for Food, Fisheries and Agri business (2002-2004), Executive Officer at the Danish Agency for Food Fisheries and Agri business (2000-2002), Executive Officer at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (1999-2000) and Researcher at the Danish Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Economics (1991-1998).
Nadine Burquel
Winter School Director and Director General of HUMANE, BE
Nadine is the Director General of HUMANE. She works closely with the Chair and the governing bodies on HUMANE’s strategic developments. She manages the HUMANE Office to offer the membership an attractive portfolio of professional development and networking activities. She has been involved with HUMANE since its foundation in the mid-nineties, until December 2022 as Executive Director of the three residential schools (the Barcelona Winter School, the Berlin Summer School and the Asia School).
Nadine has extensive director level experience, having worked with multiple international non-profit organisations, university networks and international boards. She has wide knowledge of leadership, governance and management in higher education institutions, and the global trends in the higher education sector. As EFMD Director of Business School Services she was responsible for a wide portfolio of large global events and communities of practices, interacting with business schools and universities in the wider Europe, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, the Gulf, as well as North and South America. More recently in Maastricht University she was strategic adviser to the leadership of the School of Business and Economics, advising on international accreditation, the internationalisation strategy, and delivering societal impact.
She has significant experience with EU (higher) education policy and programmes since the early days of the Erasmus programme. She has a strong track record of EU projects, leading large EU-funded European university networks and providing technical assistance to the European Commission. She is high level EU policy expert, working at system level in Brussels and beyond, carrying out capacity building and evaluations of EU interventions, having worked with EU Delegations in many countries.
Rodrigo Cetina Presuel
Associate Dean of Education and Academic Affairs, UPF – Barcelona School of Management, ES
Rodrigo Cetina Presuel is the Associate Dean for Education and Academic Affairs, the Coordinator of the Masters in Public and Social Policies and a Senior Lecturer at the the Barcelona School of Management at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF-BSM). He holds a PhD in Communication Law and Policy from the Complutense University of Madrid, and a Master’s in International Law from IEB/ISDE as well as a Bachelor´s degree in Law.
Before joining UPF-BSM he was a Researcher at the Institute for Global Law and Policy at Harvard Law School and served as Executive Director of the RCC at Harvard University. He has held several international faculty, research, and teaching positions, among others at Harvard University, New York University (NYU), Emerson College, Lasell University, and at the City University of New York (CUNY).
Rodrigo conducts research related to freedom of expression and communication rights, particularly into how private entities are shaping the digital public sphere through the policies that govern social platforms and the methods and practices they use to enforce these policies, including the use of artificial intelligence, human moderators, and lobbying. He also explores the interactions between private entities that regulate speech and how governments are responding to the challenges of regulating expression and content as well as policies and practices related to surveillance, privacy and the use of personal data and the enforcement or regulation aimed at protecting fundamental rights online.
He has recently published two volumes, the Handbook of Communication Rights, Law and Ethics (Wiley, 2021) and Blockchain, Fintech and the Law (Tirant lo Blanch, 2022).
Nic van Craen
General Manager, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, BE
Leon van Nic Van Craen is general manager of the Free University Brussels (VUB). He holds overall responsibility for the administrative, logistical and financial management of the university and is advisor to the rector and his vice-rectors towards policy making and the university strategy.
He started working at the university in 1996 as policy advisor for the student services and became coordinator of that department in 2000. In 2003 he became financial manager responsible for budgeting and financial policy and joined the Winter School in 2004 when he was still a junior member of the executive committee of the university.
In 2011 he installed the department of strategy and policy making for the then appointed rector and became general manager in 2013.
He has been involved in several strategic projects for the university and has mandates in different university linked organisations as incubators, student services and the development of new research campuses.
He has got main interests in impact-driven policy making, entrepreneurship and multidisciplinary approach, revenue creation, data driven intelligence and institutional risk. His aim is to install the right eco-system on which education, research and services to society of the university can flourish.
Bart van de Laar
Head of International Affairs, Student & Academic Affairs Office, Utrecht University, NL
Bart van de Laar oversees the Utrecht University international strategy, including partnerships, student and staff journey and the universities warm welcome for all.
Bart is an inclusive innovator at the interface of science and society with an keen eye for international collaboration. Impact-driven, he contributes to transparency and trust through clear structures.
He brings over twenty-five years’ experience in national and international programmes in higher education (Utrecht University, University of Groningen and Surf Foundation).
Alumnus of the 2018 HUMANE Asia Pacific school.
Leon van de Zande
Secretary General, University of Amsterdam, NL
Leon van de Zande is Secretary General and head of administration of the University of Amsterdam since November 2023.
He is secretary to the Executive Board and responsible for the professional services in the university.
He obtained a degree in Dutch Language and Literature at Utrecht University and has been working at that university since 1995 in different positions: since 2009 as director of the Academic Affairs Office and Student Services and between 2016 and 2022 as Secretary General.
Kirsty Walker
Vice-President (External Engagement), UCL, UK
Kirsty Walker is UCL’s Vice-President, External Engagement. She took up the role in August 2022 following a successful and wide-ranging career in political communications and journalism, including spending nearly 13 years as a political correspondent based in Westminster. In her role as Vice-President, External Engagement, she leads UCL’s central student recruitment, marketing, communications, media, social media, public affairs, events and digital experience teams.
During her reporting career, she covered many world-changing events and travelled with successive British Prime Ministers reporting from places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, the White House and the Kremlin. Kirsty is an experienced broadcaster and has appeared as a political commentator on BBC, ITV, Sky and LBC.
After leaving journalism, she worked for Westminster-based communications agency iNHouse Communications before joining the civil service as Head of Strategy and Communications, and then Secretariat Director, for the Social Mobility Commission alongside former chair the Rt Hon Alan Milburn. She joined UCL in June 2018 to lead media relations and develop the university’s senior political engagement strategy, including setting up a new public affairs team in 2021.
Kirsty is also a Humane Winter School alum, having attended the school in 2020.
