The Australian National University has appointed international education leader Rishen Shekhar as its new Pro Vice-Chancellor for International and Future Students.

Shekhar will take up the role on July 27, joining ANU at a time when the university is seeking to strengthen its engagement with prospective students, international partners and communities in Australia and overseas.

He joins ANU from the University of South Australia, where he served as Pro Vice-Chancellor: International and played a senior leadership role during the merger of UniSA and the University of Adelaide.

Shekhar brings more than 20 years of experience across universities, vocational education and training, education technology and purpose-built student accommodation.

ANU Acting Provost and Senior Vice-President Professor Joan Leach welcomed the appointment, saying Shekhar would help lead a coordinated approach to student engagement and global connection.

“Rishen joins ANU at an important moment as we deliver our new strategy for engaging with prospective students, partners and communities in Australia and around the world,” Professor Leach said.

“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’s national university.”

According to ANU, the Pro Vice-Chancellor role is part of the university’s senior leadership structure and is responsible for helping define the university’s international outlook and future student cohort, including international recruitment, student mobility and strategic education partnerships.

During his time at UniSA, Shekhar led portfolios covering international marketing and recruitment, global partnerships and business development, international government engagement, learning abroad, transnational education, admissions and compliance, and Navitas embedded pathway operations.

Before returning to the university sector, Shekhar was Business Development Director at StudyLink Asia Pacific, where he worked with universities, TAFE institutes and private education providers on cloud-based admissions, agent management and customer relationship management systems.

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, Shekhar has also held senior sector leadership roles outside his university positions. He is a Senior Fellow and twice-elected Board Member of the International Education Association of Australia, serves on the board of St Ignatius’ College Adelaide, is an invited member of the IDP Connect ANZ Advisory Panel, and is a former executive member of the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum.

ANU’s International and Future Students Division works to attract prospective students from Australia and overseas, manage domestic and international recruitment campaigns, and build relationships with education agents, schools, parents and sponsors.

Shekhar said he was looking forward to joining ANU in its 80th year and helping tell the university’s story more widely.

“I’m excited to be joining ANU in its 80th year with its rising QS rankings and excellent graduate employment outcomes in the recent QILT surveys,” Shekhar said.

“The 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.”

Shekhar said international education remained central to preparing graduates for a changing world and strengthening collaboration between nations and cultures.

His appointment comes as Australian universities continue to navigate major shifts in international education, student mobility, migration policy and global talent competition.

ANU said Shekhar’s appointment reflected its focus on future student engagement, international recruitment and building stronger global connections.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.