Acumen is part of Sannam S4 Group, who have over 17 years of experience in partnering with government bodies, higher education institutions, schools and other education providers to maximize opportunities globally and enhance international recruitment strategies.
We are leaders in the provision of tailored solutions and complimentary services for transnational education and research partnerships, a sustainable in-country presence, and lead-to-enrolment services, as well as a broad range of insights and market intelligence.
Unmatched experience, strategic insight
Our team brings decades of hands-on experience in transnational education. We don’t just understand the global landscape, we’ve helped shape it. From articulation agreements to international branch campuses, we design bespoke solutions that align with your goals and regulatory realities.
Global
With a presence in over 25 markets and deep networks across education, government, and industry, we provide unrivalled access to opportunities. Our onthe-ground experts open doors. We don’t just advise, we execute. From strategy development to launch and beyond, our integrated services cover every stage of the TNE journey. Our flexible, high-quality approach ensures compliance, and delivers real-time insights that drive smart, sustainable growth.
End-to-end solutions, tailored to you
Whether you’re entering a new region or scaling an existing partnership, we offer a flexible, full service solution, from market assessment and strategy development to partner identification, programme launch, recruitment, and student support. We listen, adapt, and deliver measurable results at every stage of the TNE journey.
The trusted partner of 15 of the world’s Top 50 QS 2025 universities, including 13 Russell Group institutions and 4 of the Group of Eight
partnerships including universities, colleges, VET, schools, government, service providers and EdTech firms.
Cardiff University utilised Acumen’s research and consulting services. The project required Acumen to review Cardiff University’s value proposition as an institution and to identify which markets Cardiff University should focus on to develop a wider range of TNE and progression partnerships. Having identified six markets and two broader regions, Acumen provided a detailed research report for each, which included a wealth of information to assist us in developing our partnership development strategy for each country/region. In addition, Acumen also provided a final report which recommended an internal strategy for us to follow in our pursuit of partnerships.”
Anne Morgan Head of International Partnerships, Cardiff University
We can develop low risk TNE partnerships such as articulation arrangements and student/staff exchanges or amplify your in-country presence through joint venture collaborations, multi-faculty and international branch campus, and other TNE models.
We have successfully helped leading international universities, governments, and organizations establish and grow their presence in new markets.
Our expert team has led and executed TNE initiatives across the full spectrum, from setting up international branch campuses to designing articulation and dual-degree programs, from expanding executive education delivery overseas to establishing international research collaborations.
We understand the risks, the regulatory landscapes, and the practical steps required to make TNE successful and sustainable.
Our methodology includes:
> UNDERSTANDING YOUR GOALS
We start by gaining a deep insight into your institutional objectives.
> LOCAL MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Our teams on the ground provide real-time insights and open doors to key local decisionmakers.
> IMPLEMENTATION EXCELLENCE
From selecting partners to launching programs, we are with you at every step, ensuring a smooth and efficient process.
> SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
We work to build programs that are robust and adaptable, fostering long-term success.
Our capabilities include:
We handle approvals and work with governments to meet all local education rules.
We assess demand, competition, and costs to find the right place and approach.
We shape business models, funding plans, and pricing — and advise on tax and operations.
We connect you with investors and secure financing from bodies like UK Export Finance (UKEF), enabling projects like branch campuses with £8-10M in funding (e.g. India TNE initiatives).
We help secure sites, design campuses, and include smart, sustainable infrastructure.
We connect you with employers for internships, research, and training opportunities. Our employer networks ensure graduates are work-ready, with 80% securing roles within 6 months.
We co-create future-ready programs that meet both university and local needs.
We build your brand and boost student enrolment through local networks and outreach.
We maintain strong links with policymakers and advocate for your success.
We set up student support systems that match your home campus standards.
We build research partnerships, secure funding, and support joint innovation.
We hire top local and international staff and support staff exchange and mobility.
We design digital and blended learning, with the right tech for engagement and delivery.
With a collective 100+ years of education, government and industry experience, our team has delivered TNE projects across 20+ markets, from branch campuses in India to articulation programs in Vietnam. We combine strategic foresight, local market intelligence, and operational excellence, ensuring every partnership achieves measurable success.
Adrian Mutton
Founder and Executive Chairman
Adrian is a pioneer in international higher and corporate global expansion. In 2008, he founded Sannam S4, now a 320-strong firm serving students and universities global ambitions from across over 50 countries. Adrian pioneered the in-country representation model in India which created the platform for an entire sector to enter and seize the India market opportunity. This model has since been expanded globally, with continued demonstration of innovation through Acumen single handedly driving organised student recruitment from the United States to the UK recognising the gap left by British Council’s retreat. Adrian’s corporate networks across India go back to 2008 when he was the founding Country Director of the U.K. India Business Council and the pioneer of the U.S. India Business Centers. He launched the U.S.-India Knowledge Exchange (USIKE) in 2018 in Washington D.C., successfully establishing TNE and research collaboration between high ranked US and Indian institutions. Adrian has sat on the advisory Group of India's Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry on trade and market access and works closely with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of External Affairs on driving India’s national and global ambitions. Adrian was part of India’s B-20 mission when India hosted the G-20 in 2023 and was part of India’s mission at Davos in 2024.
Professor Bhwana Kumar
Professor Bhawna Kumar (India-based), is our TNE India Project Director and brings 30 years of experience spanning internationalisation of higher education, transnational partnerships, academic management, teaching and research. Bhawna has a profound understanding of the Indian higher education landscape and was most recently the Vice President at the Amity Education Group. In that role Bhawna contributed to the launch of international campuses, and successfully developed and managed study abroad programs and international collaborations.
Ceceilia
Pereira-Yates
Director, External Relations
With over 30 years in global higher education, Cecilia is a TNE expert with extensive strategic and operational experience. She began her TNE career in 1999, developing and managing distance learning, flying faculty, and articulation partnerships, leading to international branch campus development at EduCity Malaysia, where she later served as Global Partnerships Director. Cecilia has worked directly with university governance and quality assurance teams, developing QAA-compliant codes of practice for international partnerships. Now at Acumen, she supports universities to expand globally through sustainable, high-impact TNE models across South and Southeast Asia, and North America.
Dr. Roger Brindley
President, North America
Roger, former Vice Provost for Global Programs at Penn State (2020–2024), led education abroad, international student support, and global partnerships, advancing Penn State’s international strategy. He held the ultimate responsibility for Penn States’ global research and 300 partnerships across the world with long standing ‘premium’ interdisciplinary and research and academic agreements on every continent including the Universities of Freiburg, Sheffield, Taiwan Normal, Sungkyunkwan, and Monash.
Previously, as Vice President of USF World at the University of South Florida, he managed global engagement and an eight-year partnership with Sannam S4, supporting thousands of students. With 24 years at USF, he earned top teaching and faculty awards and served as interim dean of the College of Education. A recognised thought leader, Dr. Brindley has published extensively, edited three international journals, and spoken at global conferences on higher education.
Executive Director, India and South Asia, East and Southeast Asia
Sagar is a seasoned TNE expert with over 17 years of experience leading internationalisation strategies across global education markets. As Executive Director for India, South Asia and Southeast Asia at Acumen, he drives TNE growth and institutional partnerships in dynamic regions. He has spearheaded the launch of multiple overseas campuses with Amity and over 40 global collaborations with Gradstar Global. Sagar also led in-depth market research across Indian states, producing sector reports and insights into student preferences, vital for designing effective TNE models. He has also led TNE initiatives in India with institutions like the University of Queensland and MDIS Singapore, across pathways, dual degrees, and local delivery. His leadership at Acumen supports universities in building sustainable, student-centric, and scalable international education strategies.
Bang Pham Head of Operations, Southeast Asia
Bang has over a decade of international education experience, with a strong focus on Transnational Education (TNE). His TNE expertise began early in his career at Nuffic, supporting the development and recruitment for transfer programs between Dutch and Vietnamese universities. Throughout his career, Bang has honed his business development skills, which now inform his strategic advice on multiple successful TNE projects at Acumen. Notably, he has been instrumental in partnerships such as Melbourne Business School’s executive education program with FPT School of Business, and the University of Auckland’s collaboration with HUTECH, showcasing his ability to manage and deliver impactful TNE initiatives.
Our mission is to help institutions build meaningful, sustainable, and impactful TNE partnerships that benefit both the sending and receiving countries, fostering collaboration that drives innovation, economic growth, and lifelong learning. Delivering successful and sustainable transnational education (TNE) requires much more than just ambition, it demands deep expertise, market intelligence, regulatory know-how, and strong local partnerships. At Acumen, we bring all of this together with a team that has handson experience across every facet of TNE.”
Adrian Mutton, Founder and Executive Chairman
We have supported and partnered with hundreds of institutions and organizations to achieve excellent results. Our partnerships are wide-ranging and include higher education institutions, schools and other education providers, as well as government bodies across the UK and Ireland, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, India, Southeast Asia, the US and Canada, and Japan.
We are the trusted partner of more than 120 organisations and institutions including universities, colleges, VET, schools, governments, service providers and EdTech firms. Our partnerships are growing across the globe, not only with universities but other organizations that will support the growth of TNE initiatives.
Locations of Acumen offices and specialist delivery staff
Locations where Acumen can set up and oversee delivery of services. Includes: Europe, Middle East, China, Hong Kong, Latin America, Nigeria and other African countries
15+ offices across India, Vietnam, UK, US, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore
150+
in-country representatives across the globe
We are proud to have implemented some of the following TNE initiatives:
> As Knowledge Partner to NITI Aayog, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), and IIT Madras, Acumen has supported the largest national study on internationalisation in India.
> Conducted in-depth research reports for a state government on opportunities for online delivery of higher education in Vietnam, including but not limited to: (i) market sizing, recognition; (ii) product; and, (iii) market entry models.
> Established two articulation/credit transfer programs in science and education with university partners in Ho Chi Minh City for a global top 100 university. The university is now planning to deepen its footprint in Vietnam through a strategic partnership with a local partner. Acumen has been engaged to support the design and establishment of this footprint.
> Undertook research and built the framework to identify potential partners for a national government initiative which subsequently led to a center being launched in conjunction with an Indian IIT.
> Provided a TNE Business Case for a network of Australian universities to establish an opportunity in India ‘as a consortium’. This report presented popular TNE models, engagement options, entity structures, feasibility analysis, detailed financial models, governance and revenue model and a go-to-market strategy.
IMPERIAL
> OBJECTIVE
To support Imperial to build their first-ever physical ‘hub’ in the US. Imperial Global USA, based in San Francisco, has been established to enhance Imperial’s research partnerships with US academic and industrial partners and support their growing US alumni network and student recruitment opportunities.
> OUR ROLE
Acumen sourced and recruited a Programme Director of Imperial Global USA who is responsible for the development and future direction of a new representative office dedicated to supporting Imperial’s global community to advance frontier technologies and cutting-edge discovery science.
Key to the role of Programme Director is to leverage widespread alumni, industry, academic and philanthropic connections and build new relationships across a range of sectors and disciplines, working closely with university leadership and academics from across the four faculties, and professional service directorates.
The outcome has been to enhance Imperial’s visibility, attracting new types of investors and VCs to Imperial’s innovation activities, as well as helping to recruit a diverse community of students from North America for Imperial programs.
> OBJECTIVE
The University of Auckland (UoA) had an ambitious plan to significantly expand its engagement and establish a strong presence in Vietnam. This initiative was driven by UoA’s vision to deepen its global networks and international outreach, particularly in the promising Vietnamese market.
> OUR ROLE
Acumen played a pivotal role from the outset, providing strategic advisory services that aligned with UoA’s “Taumata Teitei Vision 2030 and Strategic Plan 2025”. This involved a multi-faceted approach where Acumen guided UoA through critical stages, including developing a refreshed Vietnam strategy, advising on partner selection criteria tailored to UoA’s objectives, and ensuring the chosen path was in lockstep with the university’s overarching goals. Acumen’s indepth market analysis, competitor overview, and understanding of regulatory frameworks were instrumental in shaping UoA’s approach.
The culmination of these efforts was the successful establishment of a landmark partnership with Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), a dynamic and rapidly growing private university in Vietnam boasting a comprehensive K-12 to higher education ecosystem. Acumen’s support extended to facilitating the complex discussions surrounding the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). This critical mediation role was key to establishing a pioneering New Zealand pathway program. The resulting articulation arrangement allows qualifying HUTECH students from specific technology-focused bachelor’s programs to gain direct entry into Year 3 of the Bachelor of Science (majoring in Computer Science or Data Science) at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Science, requiring only one additional year of study at UoA to complete their undergraduate degree.
This successful Transnational Education (TNE) project has not only provided UoA with a branded presence in Vietnam through a hosted Offshore Learning Centre model but also created new, sustainable pathways for Vietnamese students to access a world-class University of Auckland education. Acumen’s ongoing support in managing in-market engagement and potentially providing dedicated local staff ensures the continued success and growth of UoA’s strategic objectives in Vietnam.
> OBJECTIVE
To engage world-class universities and global corporations in the visionary Ellinikon Project—a transformative urban redevelopment located on the historic site of Athens’ former international airport. As part of Greece’s Education 2040 initiative, Ellinikon is set to become a dynamic centre for higher education, innovation, corporate collaboration, and residential living, shaping the future of learning, research, and economic growth in Europe.
> OUR ROLE
Acumen has been appointed as the exclusive partner by the University of Nicosia to lead strategic engagement for the Ellinikon Project. Our remit is to facilitate formal partnerships between internationally renowned universities, world-leading corporations, and EDEX – Educational Excellence Corporation LTD to co-establish cutting-edge facilities for teaching, research, and executive education within the new multiversity campus.
In addition to driving these high impact collaborations, Acumen is also supporting international student recruitment to ensure strong enrollment growth and global reach for this bold and future facing academic ecosystem.
How can we help?
Let Acumen help you to reach your international student recruitment goals, find the right partners, understand your ideal market with insights, and launch new global initiatives.
We pride ourselves on our extensive expertise and personal approach to working with our partners.
Book an appointment today to discuss how we can support your internationalisation journey.
Contact us connect@acumen.education
Connect with us linkedin.com/company/acumen-edu
