Kavita Cassidy
Director of the Centre for Academic Partnerships
Email: kcassidy@arden.ac.uk
Kavita Cassidy joined Arden in November 2019 with the primary aim to secure a UKVI Licence to enable the University to recruit international students to the UK. Having achieved this she became the Director of International. In January 2024 she became the Director of the Centre for Academic Partnerships (CAP).
Prior to her time at Arden, Kavita qualified as a solicitor practising immigration law. It was her knowledge of immigration that first found her working in Higher Education as an International Student Advisor at Coventry University. She developed her skills as an International HE specialist during her 11 years there, where she led student support, admissions and conversion teams, becoming Co-Director by 2017.
Ruth Kailla
Head of Partnerships Operations and Development
Email: r.kailla@arden.ac.uk
Ruth Kailla joined Arden University in August 2023 as the Head of Partnerships Operations and Development. Ruth has over thirteen years' experience working in the further and higher education sector in business development, recruitment, academic registry, quality assurance and standards and student support roles.
Ruth understands the benefits and challenges of establishing and maintaining diverse partnerships, taking into consideration various contexts and developing the resources and processes needed to support all stages of a partnership lifecycle. Ruth’s role focuses on long term objectives and goals as well as the daily interconnections to ensure focused, relevant support is provided to existing partners whilst finding and developing expansion opportunities.
Jo Watson
Account Manager - Centre for Academic Partnerships
Email jwatson@arden.ac.uk
Jo Watson joined Arden University in September 2021 as Administrator of the Centre for Academic Partnerships (CAP).
Prior to joining Arden University, Jo spent the last 28 years working at The Open University as a Programme Coordinator in The Open University Business School and Law School. Jo has a wealth of experience in the HE sector and works hard to enhance the student journey.
Jo is committed to Arden’s mission statement which is to ‘remove the barriers to higher education, inspire new ways to learn, and enrich people and their lives’, and strongly believes that education should be accessible to all.