About Us
Here at Pembroke College we've been welcoming international students on our programmes for over 40 years. Our team has a wealth of expertise and if you'd like to know more about our programmes, we'd love to speak with you.
Dr Daniela Passolt | Director of International Programmes
Daniela joined the Department in 2008 after receiving her PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and having worked as a research officer and in international education. Overseeing the management of International Programmes activities involves, for example, liaising closely worldwide with universities and their international offices and with lecturers, supervisors and the many staff that are necessary to teach the 700 students who attend Pembroke’s semester and vacation programmes every year.
Dr Geeta Kasanga | Deputy Director, Academic Lead
Geeta joined the International Programmes Department in 2016. She is an Academic Director on the Pembroke Cambridge Summer Programme and a Director of Studies on the Semester Programmes.
Ms Laura Fazenda | Assistant Director of International Programmes
Laura studied German and Portuguese at Cambridge, spending her Year Abroad working in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. After graduating, she spent two years as an English teacher in Hong Kong, followed by a stint at a museum in Manchester, before returning to Cambridge to join the International Programmes team at Pembroke in 2017.
Dr Laura Yan | Assistant Academic Lead
Laura received her PhD in History from Columbia University, where she worked as a teaching assistant and coordinator for academic advising. During her undergraduate studies, Laura studied abroad in Morocco and Jordan and has since lived in the US, Singapore, and Japan before joining the International Programmes team in 2023.
Ms Francesca Woodburn | Registrar and Japanese Programme Director
Cessi joined International Programmes in 1995. Prior to her current position, she taught both language and lecture courses on our summer and Easter vacation programmes, and worked as a Programme Director.
Cessi has three degrees. Her undergraduate degree is in development studies and African languages (Swahili and Maasai), taken at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She also studied for a post-graduate diploma in the teaching of English as a foreign language (TEFL), taken at the University of Brighton. Her third degree is an MSc in reproductive and sexual health research, taken at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where she focused largely on the social, cultural and demographic factors of HIV transmission dynamics in East Africa. Cessi enjoys long-distance walking, beekeeping, horse-riding and hanging out with her dog.
Ms Rosie Lawrence | Pembroke Cambridge Summer Programme Director
Rosie studied Japanese Studies at the University of Sheffield and spent her year abroad at Meiji University in Tokyo. After graduating, she spent two years in Japan teaching English and frequenting karaoke booths before returning to the UK to work at the Embassy of Japan in London. She joined the International Programmes team in 2016.
Mr Isaac Shortman | Programmes and Systems Officer
Isaac studied French, Spanish and Italian at university and after graduating, he moved to Italy to teach English. He then returned to the UK, working in a language school in Cambridge, as well as freelance translating, before joining the International Programmes Team at Pembroke in 2018.
Ms Rebecca Withers | Business Operations Manager
After graduating from Loughborough University with a BSc (Hons) in Economics, Rebecca spent seven years working in an international boarding school in Cambridge before joining the International Programmes Department in 2020. In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys walking and is currently taking evening classes in ceramics.
Ms Stephanie Whittle | International Programmes Administrator
Stephanie studied English Language at the University of Reading, followed by a PGCE at Cambridge University. She then started her career as a primary school teacher before moving into international education. She worked first at a language school and then at an international boarding school, before joining the International Programmes Department at Pembroke in 2021. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys dog walking and is studying for a qualification in Make-up Artistry.
Ms Robin Nguyen | International Programmes Administrator
Robin studied Development Economics at university, followed by a master's degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). She worked as a teacher of English for six years and as a program coordinator in an international school system in Vietnam for two years before joining the International Programmes team in 2022.