About Robert Coelen

Professor, researcher, and consultant in internationalisation of higher education

Background

I have spent over four decades working in education, research, and university leadership across five continents. My career has spanned senior roles including Vice-President International at Leiden University and Stenden UAS, Director of International Education at the University of Queensland, and Professor of Internationalisation of Higher Education at NHL Stenden UAS. I founded and directed the Centre for Internationalisation of Education at the University of Groningen's Campus Fryslân, now known as the Centre for Transformative Education.

My work bridges research and practice: I have published extensively on topics including student mobility, intercultural competence, transnational education, and curriculum internationalisation, while simultaneously leading institutional strategy and partnerships at the highest levels. I hold a PhD from the University of Western Australia and have held visiting professorships at Tongji University and East China Normal University in Shanghai.

I bring a unique combination of scientific research background (virology and molecular biology) and deep expertise in education, giving me a rigorous, evidence-based approach to every engagement.

University lecture

Mission

To help education institutions develop meaningful, sustainable international strategies and partnerships that embrace diversity, enrich learning, and advance global understanding.

Publication Record
  • h-index: 22 (WoS) / 26 (ResearchGate)
  • Citations: 2041
  • Publications: 70 (education & science)

Career Highlights

2024
Interim Dean

University of Applied Sciences, Europe. Developer of a new MSc in Business Management programme.

2016 – 2023
Director, Centre for Internationalisation of Education

Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen. Leading research on internationalisation with 10+ PhD candidates.

2013 – 2022
Professor of Internationalisation of Higher Education

NHL Stenden UAS, The Netherlands. Research and teaching on internationalisation across all levels of education, both pre-tertiary and tertiary.

2004 – 2010
Vice-President International

Leiden University, The Netherlands. Strategic leadership of internationalisation at one of the world's leading research universities.

2002 – 2004
Director International Education

The University of Queensland, Australia. Leading international education strategy at a world top-50 university.

2013 – 2014
Executive Dean (interim)

Stenden University Qatar. Leading operations and academic delivery at an international branch campus in the Gulf.

Diverse international students

Recent Activities

Quality Assurance Auditor

I have been a member of audit panels for the Lithuanian Quality Agency for Higher Education and the Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education, FINEEC in Finland, and the NVAO in the Netherlands.

Associate Editor & Reviewer

Reviewer for leading journals including Journal of Studies in International Education, Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education, and many others.

PhD Supervision

Co-supervising PhD candidates researching cultural intelligence, curriculum internationalisation, intercultural competence, international branch campuses, and student diversity.

Author & Editor

Author of Internationalization and Employability in Higher Education (Routledge, 2019) and co-editor of Global and Local Internationalization (Sense Publishers, 2016). Book reviewer for Routledge Publishers.

Publications in Education

  1. Ambagts-Van Rooijen, M.V., Beelen, J.M.H.J, and Coelen, R. J. (2025) Leveraging diversity through purposeful flexibility: towards a redefinition of the international classroom, European Journal of Higher Education, 15(3) DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2024.2347533
  2. Eftekhari, Pouneh, Yousefzadeh, Sepideh, Coelen, Robert J. (2025) Internationalization of the Curriculum at Home (IoCaH): Why Academic Disciplines Matter, Journal of Studies in International Education, 29(4) DOI: 10.1177/10283153241307967
  3. Malay, Elok D., Coelen, Robert J., and Otten, Sabine (2024) The dynamics in the relationship between perceived cultural distance, cultural intelligence and adjustment of international students, Journal of Intercultural Relations,102 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.102016
  4. Li, W., Otten, S., Van der Zande, I.S.E., and Coelen, R. (2023) Do students value intercultural group work? The effects of perceived value in diversity on intercultural interactions, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, DOI: 10.1080/14703297.2023.2179521
  5. Malay, E.D., Otten, S., & Coelen, R.J. (2023). Predicting adjustment of international students: The role of cultural intelligence and perceived cultural distance. Research in Comparative and International Education, 0(0).
  6. Coelen, R.J. (2023) Is Internationalisation at Home, as an Alternative for Student Mobility, the Only Way to Equip Students with Intercultural Skills? Chapter 10. Proceedings of the Academia Europaea HERCulES Conference in Uppsala (2022), Springer
  7. Merola, R.H., Coelen, R.J., Hofman, W.H.A., and Jansen, E.P.W.A. (2023) Through the Looking Glass: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed International Branch Campuses’ Academic Experience and Home Campus Relationship. Journal of Studies in International Education 27(1), 3-20.
  8. Van den Hende, F, Whitsed, C., and Coelen, R.J. (2022) An Organizational Change Perspective for the Curriculum Internationalization Process: Bridging the Gap Between Strategy and Implementation. Journal of Studies in International Education 0(0).
  9. Coelen, R.J. (2022) The impact of international student mobility on employability. Chapter 21 in Broadley, T., Cai, Y., Firth, M., Hunt, E., and Neugebauer, J. (eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Graduate Employability, Sage Publishers, London
  10. Malay, E.D., Otten, S., and Coelen, R.J. (2022) Does exposure to an international environment increase our cultural intelligence? European Proceedings of International Conference on Education & Educational Psychology, DOI: 10.15405/epiceepsy.22123.7, pp. 65-80
  11. Okken, G.J., Jansen, E.P.W.A., Hofman, W.H.A., and Coelen, R.J. (2022) Interculturally competent teachers: behavioural dimensions and the role of study abroad. Cogent Education 9(1), DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2022.2138048
  12. Merola, R., Coelen, R.J., Hofman, W.H.A (2021) What really matters? Factors impacting international student satisfaction: the case of the UK. International Journal of Management in Education
  13. Coelen, R.J., Geitz, G., Donker, A., and Assen, H. (2021) Stepping into Design-Based Education. Leeuwarden: NHL Stenden UAS.
  14. Merola, R.H., Hofman, W.H.A., Jansen, E.P.W.A., & Coelen, R.J. (2022). Making the Grade: Do International Branch Campuses and Their Home Campuses Differ in International Student Satisfaction With the Academic Experience? Journal of Studies in International Education, 26(4), 472–492.
  15. Okken, G., Jansen, E.P.W.A., Hofman, W.H.A., and Coelen, R.J. (2022) The Relationship between Intercultural Teaching Competence and School and Classroom Level Characteristics. Intercultural Education
  16. Van Werven, I., Jansen, E.P.W.A., Hofman, W.H.A., and Coelen, R.J. (2021) Global teaching competencies in primary education. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education
  17. Okken, G.J. and Coelen, R.J. (2021) The Impact of International Mobility in Teacher Education on Professional Practice in Cairns, D. (Ed.) The Palgrave Handbook of Youth Mobility and Educational Migration. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 131-142.
  18. Coelen, R., and Gribble C. (2019) Internationalization and Employability in Higher Education. Abingdon, UK: Routledge
  19. Coelen, R.J. (2019) Changing Landscapes of Internationalization of Higher Education: Moving Beyond Theories in Internationalization of Higher Education. The Dynamics of Educational Ecology Bhat, H.V. & Inamdar, N. (eds) Manipal: Manipal University Press
  20. Merola, R.H., Coelen, R.J., & Hofman, W.H.A. (2019) The Role of Integration in Understanding Differences in Satisfaction among Chinese, Indian, and South Korean International Students. Journal of Studies in International Education vol. 23, 5: pp. 535-553
  21. Okken, G., Jansen, E., Hofman, A., and Coelen, R. (2019) Beyond the ‘welcome-back party’: The enriched repertoire of professional teacher behaviour as a result of study abroad. Teaching and Teacher Education 86, 1-11
  22. Coelen, R.J. (2018) The role of leadership in university internationalisation in Beelen, J. & Walenkamp, J. (eds.) Leading Internationalisation in Higher Education: People and Policies. The Hague University of Applied Sciences: The Hague, pp. 55-59
  23. Coelen, R.J. (2018) Diversity, a concern for us all. Forum (Spring 2018) 42-44
  24. Coelen, R.J., Van der Hoek, K-W., Blom, H. (editors) (2017) Valorisation of Internationalisation – About Internationalisation of Higher Education, Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
  25. Coelen, R.J. and Nairn, P. (2017) Student motivation for non-degree international mobility. In Coelen, R.J., Van der Hoek, K-W., and Blom, H (eds.) Valorisation of Internationalisation. Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, pp. 239-259
  26. Coelen, R.J. (2017) A PhD programme at the Centre for Internationalisation of Education (CIE) in Internationalisation of Higher Education – A Handbook, Egron-Polak, E., Müller, C., Teekens, H., Purser, L., Green, M.F. (eds.) DUZ Academic Publishers
  27. Coelen, R.J., and Gehrels, S. (2017) Future Curricula of International Hospitality Management Education. In Dekker, D.M., Oskam, J.A., Wiegerink, K.W. (eds.) Innovation in Hospitality Education. New York: Springer
  28. Werner, E., Coelen, R.J., Ahkola-Lehtinen, A., Carvalho, L., Saaristo, A., Kajaste, M., and Isoaho, K (2016) Audit of Tampere University of Applied Sciences 2016. Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, Helsinki, Finland
  29. Jones, E., Coelen, R.J., Beelen, J. and De Wit, H. – editors of book (2016) Global and Local Internationalization. Sense Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
  30. Coelen, R.J. (2016) A Learner-centred Internationalisation of Higher Education. In Global and Local Internationalization, Sense Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
  31. Mazzolini, E. and Coelen, R.J. (2016) Italian Higher Education Reform, a great potential for Internationalisation: Issues in implementation. In Global and Local Internationalization, Sense Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
  32. Kostelijk, E., Coelen, R.J., De Wit, H (2015) The development of international competences by IBMS alumni. An examination of the match between education and professional needs. Center for Applied Research on Economics and Management (CAREM). Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands

Publications in Science

  1. Soden, M., Vasudevan, H., Robert, B., Coelen, R.J., Hamlin, G., Vasudevan, S., La Brooy, J. (2000) Detection of ribonucleic acid and histologic analysis of inflamed synovium in Ross River Virus infection. Arthritis & Rheumatology 43(2):365–369
  2. Ghadersohi, A., Hirst, R.G., Forbes-Faulkener, J., and Coelen R.J. (1999) Preliminary studies on the prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis mastitis in dairy in cattle in Australia. Vet. Microbiol. 65(3):185-194
  3. Sammels, L.M., Lindsay, M.D., Poidinger, M., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1999) Geographic distribution and evolution of Sindbis virus in Australia. J. Gen. Virol. 80: 739-748
  4. Owens, L., Haqshenas, G., McElnea, C., Coelen, R. (1998) Putative spawner-isolated mortality virus associated with mid-crop mortality syndrome in farmed Penaeus monodon from northern Australia. Dis. Aq. Org. 34: 177–185
  5. Coelen, R.J. (1997) Special Topic Review: Virus diseases in aquaculture. World J. Microbiol. & Biotech. 13
  6. Ghadersohi, A., Coelen, R.J., and Hirst, R.G. (1997) Development of a specific DNA probe and PCR for the detection of Mycoplasma bovis. Vet. Microbiol. 56(1-2): 87-98
  7. Coelen, R.J. (1995) A Molecular Biology Interactive Multimedia Facility: The Learning Interface. In Tertiary Teaching, Models of Innovative Practice. McGinty, S. and Fitzpatrick, A. (eds) CSAWR, James Cook University, Australia
  8. Sellner, L.N., Coelen, R.J., Mackenzie, J.S. (1995) Detection of Ross River virus in clinical samples using a nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Clin. Diagn. Virol. 4(3): 257-267
  9. Sammels, L.M., Coelen, R.J., Lindsay, M.D., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1995) Geographic distribution and evolution of Ross River virus in Australia and the Pacific Islands. Virology 212(1): 20-29
  10. Chadwick, B.J., Coelen, R.J., Wilcox, G.E., Sammels, L.M., Kertayadnya, G. (1995) Nucleotide sequence analysis of Jembrana disease virus: a bovine lentivirus associated with an acute disease syndrome. J. Gen. Virol. 76: 1637-1650
  11. Adams, S.C., Broom, A.K., Sammels, L.M., Hartnett, A.C., Howard, M.J., Coelen, R.J., Mackenzie, J.S., and Hall, R.A. (1995) Glycosylation and antigenic variation among Kunjin virus isolates. Virology 206(1): 49-56
  12. Chadwick, B.J., Coelen, R.J., Sammels, L.M., Kertayadnya, G., and Wilcox, G.E. (1995) Genomic sequence analysis identifies Jembrana disease virus as a new bovine lentivirus. J. Gen. Virol. 76: 189-192
  13. Blitvich, B.J., Mackenzie, J.S., Coelen, R.J., Howard, M.J., and Hall, R.A. (1995) A novel complex formed between the flavivirus E and NS1 proteins: analysis of its structure and function. Arch. Virol. 140(1): 145-156
  14. Sellner, L.N., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1994) Sensitive detection of Ross River virus – a one-tube nested RT-PCR. J. Virol. Methods. 49(1): 47-58
  15. Mackenzie, J.S., Lindsay, M.D., Coelen, R.J., Broom, A.K., Hall, R.A., and Smith, D.W. (1994) Arboviruses causing human disease in the Australasian zoogeographic region. Arch. Virol. 136(3-4): 447-467
  16. Mackenzie, J.S., Coelen, R.J., Sellner, L., Broom, A.K., Lindsay, M.D., Hall, R.A., and Oliveira, N. (1994) Surveillance of mosquito-borne viral diseases in Western Australia. In Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology and Immunology. Intercept, Hampshire, UK pp. 191-202
  17. Kertayadnya, G., Wilcox, G.E., Soeharsono, S., Hartaningsih, N., Coelen, R.J., Cook, R.D., Collins, M.E., and Brownlie, J. (1993) Characteristics of a retrovirus associated with Jembrana disease in Bali cattle. J. Gen. Virol. 74: 1765-1778
  18. Lindsay, M.D., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1993) Genetic heterogeneity among isolates of Ross River virus from different geographical regions. J. Virol. 67(6): 3576-3585
  19. Sellner, L.N., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1992) A one-tube, one manipulation RT-PCR reaction for detection of Ross River virus. J. Virol. Methods. 40(3): 255-263
  20. Sellner, L.N., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1992) Reverse transcriptase inhibits Taq polymerase activity. Nucleic Acids Res. 20(7): 1487-1490
  21. Turner, K.J., Creany, J., Coelen, R.J., Cameron, K.J., Holt, B.J., and Beilharz, M.W. (1991) Comparison of IgE expression at the mRNA and protein levels in vitro. Immunology 74(4): 703-708
  22. Howard, M.J., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1991) Detection of immobilised Murray Valley encephalitis virus RNA using oligonucleotide probes with varying degrees of mismatch. J. Virol. Methods 34(3): 333-341
  23. Hall, R.A., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1991) Immunoaffinity purification of the NS1 protein of Murray Valley encephalitis virus. J. Virol. Methods 32(1): 11-20
  24. Poidinger, M., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1991) Persistent infection of Vero cells by the flavivirus Murray Valley encephalitis virus. J Gen Virol. 72: 573-578
  25. Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1990) The 5’-terminal non-coding region of Murray Valley encephalitis virus RNA is highly conserved. J. Gen. Virol. 71: 241-245
  26. Sorokin, L.M., Morgan, E.H., Yeoh, G.C.T., and Coelen, R.J. (1989) A method for infection of cultured myogenic cells with Rous Sarcoma Virus using polybrene. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. (25): 63–68
  27. Flynn, L.M., Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1989) Kunjin virus isolates of Australia are genetically homogeneous. J. Gen. Virol. 70: 2819-2824
  28. Coelen, R.J., Flynn, L.M., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1989) Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of RNase T1 resistant oligonucleotides of flavivirus RNA using ultrathin gels. J. Virol. Methods. 23(1): 71-76
  29. Coelen, R.J., and Mackenzie, J.S. (1988) Genetic variation of Murray Valley encephalitis virus. J. Gen. Virol. 69 (Pt 8):1903-1912
  30. Coelen, R.J. (1988) Phenotypic and Genotypic Variation of Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus. PhD Thesis. Library University of Western Australia
  31. Dawson, V.M., Coelen, R.J., Murphy, S., Graham, D., Dyer, H., and Sunderman, J. (1985) Microbiology of chronic otitis media with effusion among Australian Aboriginal children: role of Chlamydia trachomatis. Aust. J. Exp. Biol. Med. Sci. 63: 99-107
  32. Coelen, R.J., Jose, D.G., and May, J.T. (1983) The effect of hexadimethrine bromide (polybrene) on the infection of the primate retroviruses SSV 1/SSAV 1 and BaEV. Arch. Virol. 75(4): 307-311
  33. Coelen, R.J. (1982) Primate RNA tumour virus studies in cell culture systems and human leukaemic cells. Master’s Thesis, Library of La Trobe University
  34. Thorne, H.J., Jose, D.G., Adams, F.C., Coelen, R.J., Whitehead, R.H., and Klugg, G. (1982) Children’s brain tumour cells produce RNA particles with incomplete retrovirus characteristics. Oncology 39(3): 156-162
  35. Coelen, R.J. (1980) Viroids: “Simplified” viruses or auto-inducing cell regulatory RNAs? Aust. Microbiol. 1(4): 16-19
  36. Coelen, R.J. (1980) Tumour Viruses. Aust. Microbiol. 1(2): 10
  37. Coelen, R.J. (1980) Virus reference collections. Aust. Microbiol. 1(1): 22
  38. Welsh, J.K., Arsenakis, M., Coelen, R.J., and May, J.T. (1979) Effect of antiviral lipids, heat, and freezing on the activity of viruses in human milk. J. Infect. Dis. 140(3): 322-328

Publication Statistics: WoS H-index: 22; Researchgate.net: Research Interest Score 1137, Citations 2,041, h-index 26

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