Steve Smith

. at UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Education to Saudi Arabia

Speaker

Professor Sir Steve Smith was appointed as the UK International Education Champion in June 2020, a new Government role aimed at boosting global education partnerships.

Sir Steve was also appointed as the Prime Ministers Special Representative for Education to Saudi Arabia in October 2020 and is responsible for overseeing the UK-Saudi Education Partnership alongside Education Minister Al Benyan. Since his appointment, Sir Steve has visited the Kingdom four times, with his last visit in November 2022.

Sir Steve was the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter from October 2002 to August 2020. He was previously Professor of International Politics and the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, as well as Head of the Department of International Politics, and Director of the Centre for Public Choice Studies at the University of East Anglia.

• Sir Steve holds a BSc in Politics and International Studies, an MSc in International Studies, and a PhD in International Relations, all from Southampton University. He has also been awarded an Honorary DSc of the University of Southampton; an Honorary DEd at the University of the West of England; and is an Honorary Fellow of both Aberystwyth University and the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. Steve also has Honary degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Jillian University (China) and University of South Florida.