Role
Vangelis Tsiligkiris (also known as Tsiligiris) (SFHEA, FCMI) is Professor of International Education and Head of the Department of Accounting and Finance at Nottingham Business School (NBS).
Career overview
Vangelis Tsiligkiris possesses a 20-year track record in executive leadership within higher education, having spearheaded large academic units as the College Principal at the College of Crete and as the Head of Online Programmes at Roehampton University London/Laureate International Universities. At present, Vangelis is the Head of the Department of Accounting and Finance and a member of the Nottingham Business School Executive Team.
An expert in transnational education (TNE) and internationalisation within higher education, Vangelis brings extensive practical and research experience to these fields. His accomplishments include designing and managing large-scale projects involving partner-supported delivery and online education, as well as advancing internationalisation at home through initiatives such as curriculum innovation, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), staff and student mobility, and international experiential learning.
Vangelis’s current academic focus lies in innovative pedagogies and the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education and business. His research and practice explore how generative AI is reshaping learning design, knowledge creation, and assessment in higher education, and how AI-driven innovation influences business education, leadership, and employability. He is also actively involved in capacity-building initiatives that help educators and business leaders integrate AI responsibly and effectively into their work.
In addition to his academic leadership, Vangelis has served as a higher education policy advisor to governments and international organisations. His consulting portfolio includes projects for the Ministry of Education of Malta, the Ministry of Education of Greece, the British Council, the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), NAFSA, Universities UK, the HE Quality Assurance Agency of Georgia, UK NARIC (ECCTIS), Jisc, the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), and numerous UK-based universities.
Vangelis has contributed significantly to the development of academic programmes such as the MSc in FinTech and Financial Markets, the Online MBA at Nottingham Business School, and a summer school in Financial Management using Bloomberg terminals. As an educator, he has taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels across diverse modes of delivery (online, hybrid, and face-to-face) at leading UK universities including the University of Liverpool, Queen Mary University of London, Roehampton University London, Staffordshire University, and Salford University.
His academic background includes studies in Financial Technology at the University of Oxford, Economics at the University of East London, Management at the University of Leicester, and a PhD in Cross-Border Higher Education Management from Birmingham City University. He recently completed an MSc in Artificial Intelligence at the School of Computing Science at Nottingham Trent University.
Research areas
Vangelis is an active researcher focusing on two main areas: (a) transnational education (TNE), emphasising international student experiences and higher education business strategy; and (b) teaching and learning in accounting and finance, with a particular emphasis on how generative artificial intelligence (AI) transforms learning design, assessment, and knowledge retention. His recent research investigates how interaction with AI tools influences student learning outcomes, cognitive engagement, and the development of professional competencies relevant to the evolving finance and accounting professions.
He has published peer-reviewed academic papers, research reports for international organisations, book chapters, and has served as editor for two books. His work has appeared in leading 3* Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) journals, including Studies in Higher Education, as well as in international scholarly publications such as Boston College International Higher Education. He is also the author of the book 500 Ways to Engage with Generative AI in International Higher Education: A Practitioner’s Guide.
Vangelis has led and contributed to several innovative research initiatives. He created TNE Impact, a case study database tracking how university international partnerships advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
His current research explores the intersection of AI and higher education, leading projects such as the Authentic Assessment Evaluation Tool , which empowers educators with AI-driven assessment analytics, and the AI Task Evaluation Framework , a methodological tool for determining the appropriate level of AI integration across educational tasks.
External activity
External Engagement
Vangelis is a Visiting Professor at Harokopio University, Athens, and serves as an external examiner for the University of Surrey, having examined numerous doctoral candidates across multiple institutions.
He advises and mentors EdTech start-ups through the Supercharger EdTech accelerator programme, supporting innovation in educational technology.
Vangelis serves as Co-Chair of the International Committee of the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) and is a Trustee of AI for Global Education.
Professional Memberships
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE) – SFHEA
- Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute – FCMI
Sponsors and collaborators
- British Council
- Association of Commonwealth Universities
- Universities UK International (UUKi)
- The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
Publications
Some selected publications include
In 2024, he co-authored the research report "Towards a more competitive environment for transnational education in Viet Nam". This report was conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Training of Viet Nam and its findings will be used to inform and shape the country’s policy towards international branch campuses.
- ILIEVA, J.B., TSILIGKIRIS, V., NGUYEN, V.X., PHAM, H., QUACH, M. and KILLINGLEY, P., 2024. Towards a more competitive environment for transnational education in Viet Nam. British Council.
In 2023, Vangelis co-authored the research report “The Role of Transnational Education Partnerships in Building Sustainable and Resilient Higher Education” for the International Higher Education Commission (IHEC). The purpose of the IHCE is to develop recommendations for a new ‘International Education Strategy 2.0’ in partnership with the higher education community. The Commission is Chaired by the Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP.
- TSILIGKIRIS, V., ILIEVA, J., ALEXANDER, W. and PILSBURY, D., 2023. The role of transnational education partnerships in building sustainable and resilient higher education. International Higher Education Commission.
In 2022, he has contributed to the major research project "Value of Transnational Education " for the British Council. This is a major study, including evidence from 20 countries. This work has been central to the UK government's International HE strategy.
- ILIEVA, J., HEALEY, N., TSILIGKIRIS, V., ZIGURAS, C., KILLINGLEY, P. and LAWTON, W., 2022. The value of transnational education partnerships. London: British Council, pp. 1-92.
In 2021, Vangelis conducted an extensive research about the skills and personal qualities required in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This work has been very influential having been the third most read publication of the Accounting Education journal.
- TSILIGKIRIS, V. and BOWER, D., 2021. Exploring the impact of 4IR on skills and personal qualities for future accountants: a proposed conceptual framework for university accounting education. Accounting Education. ISSN 0963-9284
In 2019, Vangelis published a conceptual framework that facilitates the concurrent management of student experience and educational quality in an international higher education context.
- TSILIGIRIS, V. and HILL, C., 2019. A prospective model for aligning educational quality and student experience in international higher education. Studies in Higher Education. ISSN 0307-5079
Press expertise
Vangelis is a regular media commentator and keynote speaker on transnational education (TNE) issues and research.
Some of the media he has contributed to include:
- BBC radio
- The Guardian
- Times Higher Education
- University World News
- EAIE Forum magazine
- Gulf Business
- The PIE News
- ICEF monitor
UN Sustainable Goals
Vangelis has been working extensively on the application of international education in promoting the UN SDGs. He has developed the TNE IMPACT (www.tneimpact.org); a global repository of transnational education impact case studies in relation to the UN SDGs. Also, he has secured a British Council exploratory grant to develop a micro-credentials online course that aims to widen the participation in higher education of disadvantaged groups in India. Lastly, he has conducted research on the impact of international education partnerships in promoting the UN SDGs.
