Appointment of Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students

Professor Judy Williams has been appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students and will join Queen’s on 1 September 2023 from The University of Manchester, where she is Associate Vice President Teaching Learning and Students and Director of the Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Commenting on the appointment, President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer said: “I am delighted that Judy will take up this important leadership role at Queen’s. I look forward to welcoming her to the University and to working closely with her over the years ahead.”

Judy has a national reputation for teaching leadership and academic development. A National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of Advance HE, she has won multiple awards for her academic and teaching development work across her distinguished career.

As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students, Professor Williams will steer the University’s education strategy, including maintaining oversight of educational performance and ensuring the highest standard of student learning experience and an environment and culture of innovation in pedagogy and educational enhancement.

She will also sit on the University Management Board and work with the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellors and fellow portfolio Pro-Vice-Chancellors for Global Engagement and Research and Enterprise to deliver Queen’s Strategy 2030.

Welcoming her appointment, Professor Williams said:

"I am thrilled to be joining Queen’s University Belfast, one of the top 14% of universities in the world, and I am excited by the excellence of our education, the reach of our research and quality of our graduates.

“For me education is the key that unlocks the potential within every student. As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students at Queen's, I am dedicated to empowering minds, nurturing talents, and shaping future leaders. I have been so impressed by the passion, enthusiasm, and ambition of Queen’s staff and students and look forward to starting the academic year alongside our new student intake, exploring the campus, city and region and learning more about what drives and inspires excellence at Queen’s."

Appointment of University Secretary

Alistair Finlay has been appointed University Secretary.

In this post, he will play a pivotal role in ensuring an effective robust relationship between the Senate, as our governing body, and the University Management Board (UMB), and will be responsible for ensuring the smooth, efficient and co-ordinated flow of business between both groups and other University committees. He will be directly accountable to the President and Vice-Chancellor and the Pro-Chancellors of Senate, serving as an adviser to them. He will also sit on the University Management Board.

Key priorities for the role include legal, governance and compliance coordination, building strategic partnerships and relationships with key executive and non-executive stakeholders, and driving best practice across corporate and University governance.

Commenting on his appointment, Alistair said:

“Having worked in the University for some years, I am delighted to take up the post of University Secretary. I look forward to working with colleagues across Queen’s and beyond, to develop the governance, policy and process improvement needed to enable Strategy 2030.”

Alistair has been acting in the role for the past year and will take up post immediately. He has previously served as Interim HR Director in the University and Director of Operations in the Faculty of Medicine Health and Life Sciences.

Commenting on the appointment, President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer said:

“I look forward to working with Alistair. He brings with him a deep understanding and wealth of experience of university governance and management at a senior level, as well as in strategic planning. His role will be key to the delivery of change that will enable us to achieve the ambitions Strategy 2030, ensuring the success of the University and its strategic initiatives.”

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