Mary Stiasny joined the Institute of Education from the British Council to take up the post of Associate Director, with responsibility for Learning and Teaching and oversight of International Strategy, in July 2007.

Mary began her working life as a secondary school teacher of Social Sciences at Holland Park School. She joined Goldsmiths College in 1975 as a Lecturer in Sociology with responsibility for the Social Sciences subject specialism on the PGCE programme. In 1992 she moved within Goldsmiths to the Department of Education as Director of the Secondary PGCE, and subsequently Deputy Head of Department. She joined Oxford Brookes University as Deputy Head of School, followed by five years at the University of Greenwich as Head of the School of Education and Training (Dean equivalent).

Mary subsequently spent almost four years at the British Council as Director of Education and Training for the Council. She has written and spoken extensively about internationalism in education, taking the lead for the UK in working with the education sector recruiting overseas students, developing partnerships and enabling staff and students to develop an international outlook. Mary has been a member of the UK UNESCO Education Committee, and a Director of the UK UNESCO National Commission.