Juliette MacDonald received her Ph.D. from the University of St Andrews in 2003. She is the  International Dean (ECA) for the Joint Institute between Donghua  University and the University of Edinburgh, Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation. In 2020 she received the Hongqiao Friendship  Award, in recognition of her role as an envoy for transnational education in Shanghai.

She is currently ECA's Director of Faculty. This role focuses on academic staff, their well-being, and development, and as the role-holder, her aim is to foster a positive, collegiate, and inclusive environment within ECA.