About the team
Based at the Academy's headquarters: Prince Philip House, London, the team are part of the Policy and International directorate. They work to address global challenges by enhancing international engineering leadership.
Associate Director, Shane McHugh
Mr Shane McHugh
Associate Director, Engineering Diplomacy
Shane McHugh oversees the Academy's international partnerships team, including our work on global talent visas, global mobility, and partnership activities with the US, China, India, Korea and Europe. Before joining the academy, Shane worked in the Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on research and standards policy and at the Irish Embassy in London on trade, economic and science issues.
Email: [email protected]
Connect on LinkedIn
Senior Manager, Alaka Bhatt
Ms Alaka Bhatt
Senior Manager
Alaka is the Senior Manager for International Partnerships at the Academy, where she leads a team dedicated to strengthening bilateral and multilateral partnerships with national engineering academies worldwide. She oversees the delivery of a diverse portfolio under the UK government's International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF), including a flagship programme of thought leadership workshops on future technologies delivered in partnership with key academies across the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, Alaka manages the Academy's strategic involvement with global multilateral networks like CAETS and Euro-CASE. She holds a master's in international relations from the University of Leiden and has a background in delivering capacity-building programmes at International Network for Advancing Science and Policy (INASP). Alaka is passionate about engineering for international development and championing diversity and inclusion across the sector.
Email: [email protected]
Connect on LinkedIn
Manager, Fatima Bokhari
Ms Fatima Bokhari
Manager
Fatima Bokhari is a Manager for International Partnerships at the Royal Academy of Engineering, where she facilitates international exchange on engineering policy, research, and innovation issues and manages the team's multilateral portfolio.
In her previous role at the Academy, she managed awardee grants and community events for Skills for Safety programme at the Academy that supports the delivery of skills and education programmes and to enable safer engineering practices for a safer world. Drawing from her diverse range of experiences. Fatima's keen interest lies in cultivating strategic partnerships to drive impactful change. Her experience has afforded her a nuanced understanding of collaboration dynamics, which she leverages to forge connections and foster meaningful relationships with diverse stakeholders. She holds an MA in Education and International Development from University College London and a BA in Economics from Carleton University, Canada.
Email: [email protected]
Connect on LinkedIn
Manager, Taylor Huson
Ms Taylor Huson
Manager
Taylor is a Programme Manager in the International Partnerships team at the Academy, where she helps build and maintain bilateral and multilateral partnerships with advanced economies. In this role, she delivers various international projects with engineering academies across Asia, North America, and Europe. Previously, she worked for the US Department of State in Washington, DC and at the US Embassy in Myanmar, and for the Atlantic Council. Her previous roles involved a variety of national security, foreign affairs, and science policy-related projects. She holds a master's degree in Human Rights and Politics from the London School of Economics and a master's degree in International Security from George Mason University. She is interested in the role engineering can play in solving global challenges.
Email: [email protected]
Connect on LinkedIn
Manager, Alisha Assomull
Ms Alisha Assomull
Manager
Alisha leads and supports on bilateral and multilateral aspects of the International Partnerships Programme. She is interested in the relationship between political decisions and international relations. Alisha enjoys working on projects relating to sustainability and sees engineering as a mechanism to promote a greener future. Before joining the Academy Alisha spent three years teaching History in Surrey. She joined the Academy in 2022 as part of the Research Team and moved to the International Team in 2023.
Email: [email protected]
Connect on LinkedIn
Mr Edmund Laidler
Manager
Ed Laidler is a programme manager at the Academy, overseeing engagement with the International Fellowship as well as running the Distinguished International Associates programme. Ed has previously worked on the Global Talent Visa programme, and now leads on facilitating involvement of International Fellows in Academy activities, as well as managing proactive nominations to the International Fellowship to improve diversity and engagement. Ed also works closely with the International Committee, supporting the Academy’s portfolio of global activities. He holds a master’s in Humanitarianism, Aid & Conflict from SOAS, University of London, and a BA in History from University of Nottingham.
Email: [email protected]
Manager, Edmund Laidler