Matt Durnin

Principal

Matt specialises in higher education strategy and internationalisation.

He has played a role in establishing more than 30 academic and research partnerships across 15 countries and helped dozens of universities improve student recruitment and form or revise their international strategies. Matt has 13 years of consulting and research experience in China and speaks Mandarin. His writings have been published by the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, the Journal of Strategic Studies, the BBC and Times Higher Education, among others.

Influential work

Designed and led a landmark study on student mobility through UK transnational education programmes and articulation agreements (Transnational routes to on-shore UK higher education)
Led a performance review of a UK branch campus in Malaysia, with evaluation of subject area offerings and market positioning
Led TNE partnership-scoping exercises in Indonesia, Vietnam, and India for a UK university, resulting in six new ventures
Evaluated business case and market demand for a UK branch campus in Dubai
Designed new international strategy and implementation plan for a London-based university, including its student recruitment functions and overseas partnerships.

Outside of Nous

Prior to joining Nous Group, Matt led the British Council’s consultancy services for UK education institutions. He also previously worked as Chief Researcher for the Financial Times’ China Confidential consulting team and was managing editor and a lead researcher at the World Security Institute’s China programme, where he was awarded the Naval War College’s Hugh G. Nott award for outstanding research publication. Matt also was correspondent for the Economist Intelligence Unit, covering economics and politics in mainland China, Taiwan, and Mongolia.