Swansea University has announced the appointment of Professor Paul Boyle as its new Vice-Chancellor. Professor Boyle is currently Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Leicester.
The appointment was confirmed at a special meeting of the Swansea University Council last week. This follows a global recruitment process which began after the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard B. Davies, announced last September of his decision to retire at the end of this 2018/19 academic year. As well as the final interview, the rigorous appointment process included discussions with academics, professional services colleagues, students and stakeholders – all of which played a role in the ultimate decision of the panel.
Sir Roger Jones, Chair of Council, said:
“It is excellent news that Professor Boyle has agreed to become Vice-Chancellor following the planned retirement of Professor Richard B. Davies at the end of the current academic year. He brings a wealth of experience at the highest level, with his achievements in Leicester including increased research funding and citations, investment in student experience and championing equality and diversity. He is also a former Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and a board member of Universities UK. I am confident that under his leadership, Swansea University will build on its current strong position and achieve even greater things in the future.”
Professor Paul Boyle said:
“I am enormously excited to be joining Swansea University at such an exciting time as it approaches its centenary in 2020. It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Leicester, but I feel the time is now right for me to take up a new challenge. So much has been achieved at Swansea in recent years, including the campus, growth in student numbers, and a rise in some important rankings. I look forward to working with staff and students to build on this success. More personally, it is wonderful to be returning to the University where I began my academic career and, having grown up on the east coast, I am looking forward to being back by the sea!”
