Mary Stiasny

The ‘World’s Largest Classroom’, with 51,000 students worldwide and over 1.4 million learners enrolled on its MOOCs programmes, is the responsibility of Dr Mary Stiasny OBE. 

Professor Stiasny's lifelong commitment to providing access to quality higher education has enabled her to excel in this demanding role, as the first Pro Vice-Chancellor responsible for delivering internationally.  

With a solid foundation in training and teaching tomorrow’s educators, Stiasny has held several key roles, including those at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she was involved in initial teacher education, before becoming Director of PGCE and Deputy Head, Department of Educational Studies.

A move to Oxford Brookes University presented new challenges for Stiasny, as Deputy Head of the School of Education. She met these challenges successfully, and was promoted to Head of the School of Education at the University of Greenwich.

Stiasny also spent four years as Director of Education and Training with the British Council, before moving to the Institute of Education, University of London as Pro Director, Learning and Teaching and International. Having studied at both LSE and Goldsmiths, Mary describes her long association with the University of London as one that she is very proud of, particularly because the University opened up education for women.