Professor Li Li

Professor Li Li joined Newcastle University as Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global in January 2026. She provides strategic leadership for the University’s global engagement, advancing Newcastle’s Vision and Strategy by strengthening its international presence and ensuring that global activity aligns with institutional priorities and values.

As Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global, Professor Li works closely with colleagues across the University to develop and deliver an integrated global strategy that supports education, research, and innovation. Her remit includes leadership of international campuses and partnerships, enhancement of international student recruitment, strengthening the University’s global reputation, and the development of sustainable global collaborations that deliver academic, cultural, and societal impact.

Professor Li joined Newcastle from the University of Exeter, where she served as Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement. In this role, she led major international initiatives and contributed significantly to the development of Exeter’s global engagement strategy. She is the founder of the Exeter–Tsinghua Joint Institute for Global Humanities and a former Deputy Secretary-General of the UK–China Humanities Alliance for Higher Education, advancing multidisciplinary collaboration between universities in the UK and China. She is a strong advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education.

A Professor of Applied Linguistics, Professor Li has an internationally recognised research profile and has published widely on language teacher cognition, higher-order thinking skills, and technology-enhanced education. She holds an honorary distinguished professorship at Zhejiang University of Technology and has led numerous funded international research projects.