Queen Mary University of London appoints Professor Colin Grant as new Vice-Principal (International)

Professor Grant is the first Vice-President at the University of Southampton with specific responsibility for international affairs.

He leads the University’s international strategy and is responsible for international students and alumni, international staff community, international research and innovation, international mobility, global profile and international partnerships with universities, governments, and industry. He is Chair of the Boards of the University of Southampton Malaysian Campus and Southampton International Singapore Ltd.

He has acted as Chair of the Russell Group International Forum since March 2017. He is also a member of the British Council Education Advisory Group and the Universities UK International Strategic Advisory Board.

Professor Colin Bailey, Principal and President of Queen Mary University of London said: “Professor Grant will be an outstanding addition to the senior leadership team at Queen Mary. He joins us with a wealth of experience from his tenure at the Universities of Southampton, Bath and Surrey. He is an established global leader in higher education and his deep understanding of the international agenda and extensive global networks will be invaluable to the strategic development of Queen Mary in the years ahead.”

Professor Grant is a Professor of Human Communications and specialises in the study of communications in unstable environments – a field in which he has published nine book-length studies.

Professor Grant said: “I am delighted to be joining such a diverse and innovative world-leading international institution. Queen Mary has a rich history of research excellence and high-quality teaching. I am looking forward to working with colleagues across the university to build on existing partnerships and initiatives, to harness the power of international values in support of all our endeavours and to establish the university as a world-leading powerhouse in international education for the benefit of all our communities.”

He is a member of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Global Strategic Partnerships Review Committee and a Specialist Reviewer of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications. He was Chair of the UUK Latin America Community of Practice from 2014 to 2017. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Professor Grant studied Modern Languages, Literature and Politics in Edinburgh, Bath, Leipzig, Nantes, Berlin and Siegen. He was DAAD Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Siegen in 1996 and 1997 and Visiting Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Université Sorbonne Paris.

Professor Grant is a fluent writer and speaker of French, German and Portuguese and a learner of Chinese.