UK-based analyst and journalist Timothy van Gardingen runs TimVG Research. Tim previously held diverse roles in international higher education research and consultancy, and business news and analysis for the global energy and commodities sector. Tim worked in Japan and Beijing before settling in London, UK.
Tim holds an MA in International Political Economy from King’s College London and a BA in German and Chinese from the University of Leeds, receiving an award for spoken Mandarin Chinese.
Tim keeps up to date on the latest higher education (HE) policy and business developments, looking for patterns that the larger HE media outlets miss. He specialises in East Asia, where he can use skills in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese to dig deeper into the trends.
Blending the news finesse and storytelling of journalism with the data focussed rigour and insight building of an analyst, TimVG Research offers a business-focussed edge to HE insights.
Why work with TimVG Research?
International understanding and outlook
When working in an international environment you need an internationally minded team. Tim has carried out research on over 30 countries, covering every continent and nearly all major education markets. He takes a big-picture approach which thinks hard about how each market affects others and how policy plays into business decisions.
Data-driven research
Strong research is quantifiable. Tim uses solid data analysis as a foundation for understanding the bigger picture, tackling demographic, economic and financial data to reveal insights for sector leaders.
Stronger research digs deeper than the numbers. For Tim, datasets are a starting point that must be contextualised. He cross-checks quantitative findings with policy developments, in-country news and wider reports.
Multilingual research
Sometimes the best sources are not available in English. Tim uses fluency in German, Chinese and Japanese, as well as proficiency in several other languages, to dig into sources unavailable to most teams. This proves hugely useful for the highly international world of higher education, where often the best information is not published in English.
A human-first approach to content
TimVG Research actively avoids the use of AI for both research and writing purposes. While many news and consultancy outlets are finding creative ways to use the technology, the risks of introducing errors are too high. All work remains the product of real, thinking human beings.
Want to collaborate with TimVG Research? You can read about our services here.