Dr K. Cohen Tan FRSA, PFHEA is Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning at University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Principal Fellow of Advance HE, he led UNNC to win the prestigious 2021 China Social Impact Awards organised by the British Chambers of Commerce and United Nations as well as the 2021 European Chamber of Commerce 8th CSR Award through innovative student engagement and outreach in local community. UNNC has also been shortlisted for “T&L Strategy of the Year” by Times Higher Education Asia Awards (2022).
He aligned the strategic direction in the school, faculty and university levels with the UN Sustainable Development Goal for Education 2030 and has facilitated change management at UNNC. A widely respected educator with sustained record of teaching excellence, he has demonstrated strategic leadership and impact through numerous contributions to the Teaching and Learning environment at UNNC, educating global citizens with social awareness as well as consulting for external agencies and government bodies in Singapore and China.
Cohen also has extensive experience in executive education for state-owned enterprises in China, focusing on cross-cultural awareness and emotional intelligence skills for leadership. He is committed to positive social change and inclusion in education, helping to establish the first LGBTQ student society in China. Inspired by Bertrand Russell’s maxim “Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed”, he is passionate about the role of critical thinking and sees students as partners in education, stimulating conversation and challenging received wisdom in the classroom.
Outside of it, he has been interviewed by international media outlets such as BBC, AFP and Le Soir, informing public debate in the West on youth culture in China. He also has experience in philanthropy and has created multiple scholarships and awards to benefit more than 100 students by raising their entrepreneurship and innovation.