During her long international career with the British Council, Kate Owen has built up significant experience of strategic management of organisations overseas, regional expertise and international education expertise, including three years’ experience living and working in East Jerusalem as Deputy Director Palestinian Territories (2007-10). Therefore, she has a strong understanding of the unique political and cultural context of the region.
In her role as Director Dubai for the British Council (2010-13), Kate had the primary responsibility for the British Council’s support to the higher education sector across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, in addition to her other responsibilities.
In her most recent three posts with the British Council over the last 12 years, Kate worked extensively in and with the countries in MENA and built up a great deal of regional expertise, working with regional partners and stakeholders, developing her knowledge of the education system in each country, liaising with colleagues in-country and interpreting this for colleagues in the UK higher education sector.
She was elected as a CBRL trustee in December 2019 and is currently a member of the human resources sub-committee.