Australia’s international education sector is grieving with the terrible news that Saskia Loer Hansen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor International and Engagement, RMIT University, died in a car accident on Friday.
RMIT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alec Cameron, announced the loss earlier today, in a statement that clearly showed the devastating impact of Saskia’s death to him personally and to the broader community.
Saskia was a well-respected colleague in the international education sector, was incredibly well-thought of, and universally liked. Her untimely death has hit hard.
I was fortunate to have known Saskia by virtue of being her successor at RMIT in the Global Development and Performance portfolio, following her promotion to the role as Pro Vice-Chancellor International, Aston University in 2017. Her return to Australia, to RMIT, in 2023 was widely celebrated.
The last time I caught up with Saskia was at the Australian International Education Conference in Melbourne in October last year.
She was wearing a beautiful shawl that, because I’m a knitter, caught my attention. I asked if I could take a photo for inspiration, which she agreed, and it’s the one pictured below.
During our conversation I learned that the shawl was just one of many that was made by Saskia’s mother in Denmark, and we had a long conversation about mums and family and home. This will be how I will remember Saskia. I’m sure you will have your own memories.
As the news starts to spread, on behalf of myself, Dirk Mulder and The Koala News, I want to extend my sincerest condolences to everyone that knew and loved Saskia. We are so much poorer following this loss.
Vale Saskia.
