Allen’s passing as a result of breast most cancers has shocked many within the sector and social media has been filled with former colleagues and friends remembering her ardour for the trade and her sense of mission and enjoyable.
Allen devoted her complete skilled profession to internationalisation and international engagement inside greater training, one thing she was utterly centered on and obsessed with, touching many hearts and making many mates who at this time are struggling the lack of somebody who contributed to creating and shaping a robust and supportive skilled community of colleagues.
Allen’s love for and dedication to internationalisation saved her centered and motivated by means of a chronic sickness that only some knew about.
Beginning her profession as worldwide advertising supervisor on the College of Portsmouth, Allen moved to the College of Southampton, the place she was nation improvement supervisor.
She was promoted to worldwide deputy director on the College of Studying and returned to the College of Southampton as head of worldwide recruitment and in 2016 grew to become director of scholar recruitment and worldwide relations.
Nevertheless it was her position as Chair of BUILA from 2013 to 2019 that meant she was so broadly recognized and revered.
As chair, she sat on a number of advisory boards within the sector together with the British Council, UUKi and UKCISA, and labored with authorities departments. Allen was dedicated to giving a voice to the neighborhood of internationalisation professionals and to advance the career, offering experience, perception, improvement and networking alternatives.
Gary Davies, deputy vice chancellor at London Metropolitan College, commented, “Charlene re-invigorated BUILA to be a voice on the nationwide degree of debate on worldwide training and supplied management to the Director class the place it hadn’t existed earlier than.”
Charlene re-invigorated BUILA to be a voice on the nationwide degree of debate on worldwide training and supplied management to the Director class the place it hadn’t existed earlier than
Gary Davies, London Metropolitan College
He continued, “Her legacy is clear within the continued voice that BUILA provides on behalf of the sector to our authorities and others all over the world. She will likely be so very a lot missed.”
Catriona McCarthy, director for international engagement at Ulster College described Allen as “a a lot revered colleague, buddy and chief who performed a pivotal position in re-shaping BUILA and laying the foundations for the proactive organisation it’s at this time”.
“Charlene served as BUILA’s first feminine Chair, main on a brand new Manifesto, forging what are actually enduring sector partnerships and bringing a brand new mannequin of professionalisation to our work,” she continued.
“All of us owe a fantastic deal to Charlene and can keep in mind not solely her skilled accomplishments however her unimaginable character and heat.”
Following on from her position at BUILA, Allen, together with Sirin Myles, arrange The IC World Partnership Ltd and its IC Café, which grew to become well-known to many as a consultancy and coaching firm that helped join the sector by means of common webinars. As co-founder and director, Allen continued to collaborate with many universities and organisations inside UK greater training all through her sickness.
“We miss Charlene dearly. Charlene didn’t do issues half-heartedly, she would at all times give 120% of herself,” stated Myles.
“She was resilient, sturdy and would by no means surrender. She used to say that a few years of travelling for worldwide officer roles and dealing in several time zones helped her construct her resilience, even by means of her battle in sickness.
“She continued to work and would at all times be there, supporting and cheering us on at The IC; her legacy. She was wholeheartedly dedicated to creating a constructive affect in worldwide training and actually cared for her worldwide training neighborhood.”
Myles commented, “We all know that Charlene touched many hearts all through her private {and professional} life. Due to this fact, we will likely be organising a celebration of life occasion for her on-line neighborhood all over the world to pay their respects and keep in mind her life with a smile. Particulars of the occasion will likely be shared in the end.”
Allen’s curiosity in international range of cultures, languages and folks was sparked by her father’s work within the Navy. Working in greater training internationally took her to Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and plenty of different international locations the place she mixed her pure abilities for networking and management, first-hand expertise of the worldwide context and its complexity, in addition to a background in advertising.
Dedicated to empower girls in management roles, Allen was recognised as one in all EducationInvestor’s “Ladies to Watch” in 2022, a listing that options girls empowering, inspiring and supporting others within the international training sector.
Allen’s generosity by means of her voluntary roles, mentoring of junior colleagues and the IC World Cafés, and her dream of advancing the career, will proceed in everybody’s recollections as her firm, The IC World Partnership, continues to make her imaginative and prescient potential.
Pals and colleagues can share their recollections, ideas and photographs of Charlene Allen in addition to make a donation to her chosen charities on charleneallen.muchloved.com
