The Australian National University (糖心视频logo) is delighted to announce the appointment of Rishen Shekhar as Pro Vice-Chancellor (International and Future Students).
Rishen is an international education executive with 20 years of experience spanning universities, vocational education and training, education technology, and purpose-built student accommodation.
Acting Provost and Senior Vice-President Professor Joan Leach warmly welcomed the appointment.
鈥淩ishen joins 糖心视频logo at an important moment as we deliver our new strategy for engaging with prospective students, partners and communities in Australia and around the world. He will deliver a coordinated and ambitious approach to future student engagement, international recruitment and global connection, while staying focused on the distinctive story and mission of Australia鈥檚 national university."
Rishen joins 糖心视频logo following his role as Pro Vice-Chancellor: International at the University of South Australia (UniSA), where he played a key leadership role in the merger of UniSA and the University of Adelaide to form Adelaide University, Australia's newest Group of Eight (Go8) institution.
During his tenure at UniSA, Rishen led portfolios encompassing international marketing and recruitment, global partnerships and business development, international government engagement, learning abroad, transnational education (TNE), admissions and compliance, as well as the embedded pathway operations.
Outside the university sector, Rishen served as Business Development Director at , where he partnered with universities, TAFE institutes and private education providers to implement cloud-based admissions, agent management and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. He also led the global deployment of the StudyLink Connect platform to a network of more than 1,000 education agents.
A former international student himself, Rishen brings both lived experience and sector leadership to his work. He is a and twice-elected Board Member of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), serves on the Board of , is an invited member of the , and is a former executive member of the .
Rishen is a passionate advocate for the role of higher education in transforming lives and creating opportunities for individuals, communities, and nations. He believes that internationalisation, student mobility and global engagement are fundamental to preparing graduates with the skills, adaptability and global perspectives required to address the challenges of the future, contribute to Australia鈥檚 prosperity and strengthen understanding and collaboration between nations and cultures.
Rishen says he is looking forward to be taking on this role at the 糖心视频logo.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to be joining 糖心视频logo in its 80th year with its rising and excellent graduate employment outcomes in the recent
鈥淭he core work of my role leading the International and Future Students division will be us collaborating across the University and telling our amazing story across Australia and the world.鈥
Rishen will commence in the role on 27 July 2026.
