Speakers

Plenary Speakers

AKUFFO, Hannah

Hannah Akuffo is Head of Team at the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and Chair of ESSENCE on Health Research.

She is also Chair of the General Assembly of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Governing Board, and adjunct Professor of Parasitology at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

Ms Akuffo is a member of the steering committee of the Tanzanian COSTECH, Netherlands research council NWO and Sida postdoctoral twinning programme, TASENE. She is on advisory boards of research networks funded by organisations other than Sida, whose task is to improve research capacity.

Ms Akuffo will speak alongside Dr Snewin at Plenary 5 - Future of international research: getting the relationships right (Thursday 17 October). Read their abstract here.

ANGYA, Professor Charity

Professor Charity Angya is currently the Vice-Chancellor of Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. She holds a BA, MA and PhD in Drama and Theatre Studies with specialisation in semiotics of Theatre and Drama. She has also undergone post-doctoral training in Gender and Sustainable Development. 

Professor Angya has attended and presented several well researched papers at home and abroad. She is a winner of the Association of Nigerian Authors' (ANAN) literary prize award of Elizabeth Ivase prize literature 2003. 

She has written extensively on higher education and gender-related issues, and has to her credit a number of scholarly and literary publications.

Professor Angya will speak at the Centenary Debate - 'This house believes that society expects too much from universities' (Friday 18 October)

BANERJEE, Professor Srikumar 

Professor Srikumar Banerjee is Homi Bhabha Chair Professor at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), India, and Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir, India. He served as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy from 2009-2012, and as Director of BARC from 2004-2010.

Professor Banerjee is currently engaged in research in advanced nuclear fuel cycle, policy for sustainable energy, and metallurgy of actinides. He holds Distinguished Visiting Professor positions at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the Indian Institute of Science, and the University of Delhi.

Professor Banerjee will speak at Plenary 6 - Universities and the innovation cycle (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

BOSE, Mihir

Mihir Bose is an award-winning journalist and author based in London, UK. His areas of expertise are sports, India, race, immigration, and other social and cultural issues.

Mr Bose has written for nearly all the major UK newspapers, presented programmes for radio and television, and written 28 books. His book History of Indian Cricket earned him a Silver Jubilee Literary award and was also the first book by an Indian writer to win the prestigious Cricket Society Book of the Year Award.

In September 2012, Loughborough University, UK, awarded Mr Bose an Honorary Doctorate for his outstanding contribution to journalism and the promotion of equality.

Mr Bose will speak at the Centenary Gala Dinner (Thursday 17 October)

CLARKE, Charles

Charles Clarke is a British Labour Party politician, who joined the Cabinet in 2001 as Labour Party Chair, then Secretary of State for Education and Skills, and finally Home Secretary until May 2006.

After reading Mathematics and Economics at King’s College, Cambridge, UK, Mr Clarke was President of the National Union of Students and then a Labour councillor in Hackney before working for Neil Kinnock, the Leader of the Labour Party, as his Chief of Staff. He was Labour MP for Norwich South from 1997-2010.

Mr Clarke is married with two sons and holds Visiting Professorships at three British universities: the University of East Anglia, the University of Lancaster, and University College London.

Mr Clarke will speak at the Centenary Debate - 'This house believes that society expects too much from universities' (Friday 18 October)

DE LA REY, Professor Cheryl

Professor Cheryl de la Rey is Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Her previous roles include Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Higher Education, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Executive Director of the National Research Foundation, South Africa.

Professor de la Rey completed her BA (Hons) and MA at the University of Natal (now Kwazulu-Natal), South Africa, and her PhD at the University of Cape Town. She has published books and several journal articles in her discipline, psychology.

Professor de la Rey is a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa and of the Academy of Science of South Africa.

Professor de la Rey will speak at Plenary 2 - Governance and leadership (Wednesday 16 October). Read her abstract here.

DIAMOND, Professor Philip

Professor Philip Diamond is Director-General of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). He was appointed in October 2012, and leads the team designing and constructing the SKA, which, when completed, will be the largest scientific facility on Earth.

From 2010-2012, Professor Diamond was Chief of CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, which operates all of the major radio astronomy facilities in Australia. Prior to moving to Australia, he was Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, part of the University of Manchester, UK, where he completed his PhD in 1982.

Professor Diamond will speak at Plenary 5 - Future of international research: getting the relationships right (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

DZULKIFLI, Professor Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Razak 

Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak was appointed in 2013 as the President of the International Association of Universities (IAU), a UNESCO-affiliated organisation based in Paris, France.

Professor Dzulkifli is the founding Vice-Chancellor of Albukhary International University, Malaysia. He was Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia from 2000-2011.

Professor Dzulkifli has served on the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Asia-Europe Meeting Advisory Education Hub Committee, and the Advisory Committee of the 2008 World Universities Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.

Professor Dzulkifli co-edited the People’s Sustainability Treaty on Higher Education, which was launched in conjunction with the Rio+20 Conference in 2012.

Professor Dzulkifli will speak at Plenary 3 - The international student: the next phase (Wednesday 16 October). Read his abstract here.

ELOFF, Dr Theuns

Dr Theuns Eloff is the first Vice-Chancellor of North-West University, South Africa. He was appointed in 2004, having been Vice-Chancellor of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, his alma mater, since 2002.

Dr Eloff became CEO of the Consultative Business Movement (CBM), South Africa, in 1990 and went on to facilitate the signing of the National Peace Accord in 1991. In 1995, he was appointed Chief Executive of the National Business Initiative, which was formed in 1995 as a merger of CBM and the Urban Foundation.

Dr Eloff served as Chair of the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities from 2009-2011, and Chairperson of Higher Education South Africa from 2007-2009.

Dr Eloff will speak at Plenary 1 - Future forward: taking charge of change (Wednesday 16 October). Read his abstract here.

FORD, Professor David

Professor David Ford OBE is Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, UK, a Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge, and Director of the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme (focusing mainly on Judaism, Christianity and Islam).

Professor Ford co-founded the Scriptural Reasoning movement. He was awarded the Sternberg Foundation Gold Medallion for Inter-Faith Relations in 2008 and the Coventry International Prize for Peace and Reconciliation in 2012. He recently led a two-year project entitled ‘Religion and the Idea of a Research University’.

Professor Ford is a member of the Church of England Higher Education Panel and is involved with the Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education project.

Professor Ford will speak at Plenary 4 - Civil society and social engagement (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

GLOVER, Anne

Anne Glover is Chief Executive and Co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners Limited, the European technology investor. She worked in the USA in manufacturing and in strategy consulting before joining Apax Partners & Co in the UK to invest in early stage companies.

Ms Glover was Chairman of the British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) from 2004-2005. She holds an MA in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Clare College, Cambridge, UK, and a MA from Yale School of Management, USA. In June 2006, she was awarded a CBE for services to business and, in July 2008, was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Anne Glover will speak at Plenary 6 - Universities and the innovation cycle (Thursday 17 October)

GOURLEY, Professor Brenda

Professor Brenda Gourley was Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of the Open University, UK, from 2002-2009. Before that, she occupied the same position at one of South Africa’s largest universities, the University of Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal).

Professor Gourley’s interests include higher education strategy and trends (including the impact of technology), the world of open and distance education, leadership, ethics, and the role of universities in their communities. She is also a great supporter of the role of higher education in promoting social justice and finding a sustainable way out of poverty.

Professor Gourley was a founding member of the Talloires Network of universities involved in civic engagement and served on its steering committee for five years. She also served two terms of office as Chair of the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and on the Board of the International Association of Universities.

Professor Gourley has numerous publications in books, journals, and periodicals and is a frequent speaker at conferences and gatherings all over the world. She has also received recognition for her work in the form of fellowships and awards, as well as honorary degrees from 11 universities on four continents.

Professor Gourley will chair the Centenary Debate - 'This house believes that society expects too much from universities' (Friday 18 October)

GREENING, The Rt Hon Justine

The Right Honourable Justine Greening MP was appointed Secretary of State for International Development in September 2012. She is the Conservative MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields.

Ms Greening attended her local comprehensive school in Rotherham, South Yorkshire before going on to study economics at Southampton University, UK. She has an MBA from the London Business School.

Ms Greening was a Finance Manager at Centrica plc before being elected as a Member of Parliament in May 2005. Following her election, she was appointed as a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for youth. As well as being a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, in 2007 she became a Shadow Treasury Minister and in January 2009 became the Shadow Minister for London.

Ms Greening was Economic Secretary to the Treasury from May 2010 to October 2011 and Secretary of State for Transport from October 2011 to September 2012.

The Rt Hon Justine Greening MP will speak at the Opening Ceremony (Wednesday 16 October)

GUPTARA, Professor Prabhu

Professor Prabhu Guptara teaches Global Business, Management and Public Policy at William Carey University, India, and is a member of the Board of the Institute of Management at the University of St Gallen, Switzerland.

Born and educated in India but based in Switzerland, Professor Guptara works worldwide, helping boards of companies with strategic, organisational, and market-related issues. Previously, he spent 15 years working at Wolfsberg (a subsidiary of UBS, one of the largest banks in the world), identifying new ideas to bring value to the company.

Professor Guptara’s current research focuses on global trends, education, and philanthropy.

Professor Guptara will speak at Plenary 4 - Civil society and social engagement (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

HILL, Dr Christopher

Dr Christopher Hill has been the Director of the Graduate School at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus since 2008. He is a convenor for the Knowledge Without Borders Network, and has international experience of working in higher education in Australia, China, Germany, Ghana, and Iraq, among others.

Dr Hill received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Nottingham, UK. His research interests include transnational education and its impact in Southeast Asia, the development of international education and the student experience in the global arena. He has published in the field of international education and has led on funded projects to develop research capacity and internationalise higher education systems in Iraq and Thailand.

Dr Hill will speak at Plenary 3 - The international student: the next phase (Wednesday 16 October). Read his abstract here.

IBRAHIM, Dr Mo

Dr Mohamed ‘Mo’ Ibrahim is the Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which he established in 2006 to support good governance and exceptional leadership on the African continent.

Sudanese-born, Dr Ibrahim is a global expert in mobile communications with a distinguished business career. He founded Celtel International, one of Africa’s leading mobile telephone companies, in 1998. He is also Founding Chairman of Satya Capital Limited, an investment fund focused on Africa.

Dr Ibrahim has received numerous honorary degrees and fellowships from a range of academic institutions. In 2008, he was listed by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Dr Ibrahim will speak at Plenary 2 - Governance and leadership (Wednesday 16 October). Read his abstract here.

LOW, Professor Teck Seng

Professor Low Teck Seng is Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Foundation (NRF), Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore. The NRF sets the national direction for research and development by developing policies for research, innovation, and enterprise.

Professor Low previously served as Managing Director of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, and as Dean of Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) from 1998-2000, where he was instrumental in setting up the Magnetics Technology Centre.

Professor Low is presently a Senior Advisor to the President of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a tenured Professor at NUS.

Professor Low will speak at Plenary 6 - Universities and the innovation cycle (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

LWAKABAMBA, The Rt Hon Professor Silas

The Right Honourable Professor Silas Lwakabamba has been the Minister for Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda since February 2013. Previously, he was Rector of the National University of Rwanda, and Rector of the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, Rwanda.

Professor Lwakabamba has a PhD in Engineering from the University of Leeds, UK. He later became Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and then Director of Training Extension Services at the UN-supported Africa Regional Centre of Engineering Design and Manufacturing in Nigeria.

Professor Lwakabamba has also been a member of several boards including UNESCO, the African Virtual University, and various committees on higher education, science, technology, and socioeconomic affairs.

Rt Hon Professor Lwakabamba will speak at Plenary 6 - Universities and the innovation cycle (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

O'CONNELL, Professor Brian

Professor Brian O’Connell is Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa, where he is also a Professor in Education Leadership and Management.

Professor O’Connell has been a professional educator for 41 years as a Teacher, Principal, Rector of a teacher education college, Senior Lecturer, Vice-Rector at Peninsula Technikon, South Africa, and Superintendent-General of the Western Cape Provincial Education Department with more than a million students and 2,000 schools.

Professor O’Connell has a BA and an Education Diploma from UWC, a BA (Hons) cum laude in History from the University of South Africa, and an MA and MEd from Columbia University, USA. He is a Fulbright Scholar and has received study grants from the British Council and the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund.

Professor O'Connell will speak at the Centenary Debate - 'This house believes that society expects too much from universities' (Friday 18 October)

RAHMAN, Professor Atta-ur

Professor Atta-ur-Rahman is President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society and an Honorary Life Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge, UK. He has served as Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Federal Minister of Education, and Chairman/Federal Minister of the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. He won the prestigious UNESCO Science Prize in 1999.

A former Commonwealth Scholar, Professor Rahman has 910 publications in several fields of organic chemistry. He is Editor-in-Chief of 12 European chemistry journals and Editor of Studies in Natural Product Chemistry.

Professor Rahman has been conferred honorary doctorate degrees by many universities, including the University of Cambridge.

Professor Rahman will speak at Plenary 2 - Governance and leadership (Wednesday 16 October). Read his abstract here.

RAMPERSAD, Dr David

Dr David Rampersad is Executive Director for Regional and International Affairs at the University of the West Indies (UWI). He was previously Director of the Office of Research Development and Knowledge Transfer at UWI.

Dr Rampersad has developed a track record in bridging the gap between academic institutions and business, funding agencies, and philanthropic organisations, and is the primary interface between them and UWI to identify and develop value creation opportunities.

Dr Rampersad is a member of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago Research Development Impact Fund Committee, and has overseen the preparation of proposals for funding as well as the administration and management of grants.

Dr Rampersad will speak at Plenary 5 - Future of international research: getting the relationships right (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

REID, Professor Janice

Professor Janice Reid has been Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney, Australia, since 1998, and is currently Vice-Chair of the Talloires Network Steering Committee.

Professor Reid has been a member of the boards of public agencies at state and federal levels in the areas of health information and research, welfare, schools, arts, higher education, energy, and international relations.

In January 1998, Professor Reid was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to cross-cultural public health research and the development of health services for socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in the community. In 2003, she received the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through health and university administration.

Professor Reid will speak at Plenary 4 - Civil society and social engagement (Thursday 17 October). Read her abstract here.

SHARMA, HE Kamalesh

His Excellency Kamalesh Sharma assumed the role of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth in April 2008, having been appointed by Commonwealth heads of government in November 2007. He had previously served as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, where he was closely involved in Commonwealth activities.

Mr Sharma was educated at Modern School and St Stephen’s College, Delhi, India, and at King’s College, Cambridge, UK, where he read Literature. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1965, serving at ambassadorial level in five missions. He was India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 1988-1990 and in New York from 1997-2002, where he chaired the Working Group which led to the Monterrey Consensus. He was Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to Timor-Leste from 2002-2004, with the rank of Under Secretary-General.

Mr Sharma is married with two adult children. His interests include spiritual and mystical traditions, literature, cosmology, cricket, Indian and Western classical music, and jazz.

HE Sharma will speak at the Opening Ceremony (Wednesday 16 October)

SINGH, Professor Dinesh

Professor Dinesh Singh is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi, India; Director of the Mathematical Sciences Foundation, Delhi; and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, USA. He is a member of various committees of the Government of India and of international agencies for furthering research and academic activities.

Professor Singh obtained his BSc and MSc in Mathematics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and his MPhil from the University of Delhi. He obtained his PhD from Imperial College London, UK. He has published numerous research papers in international and national journals and his research work has been cited in books and articles.

Professor Singh will speak at Plenary 1 - Future forward: taking charge of change (Wednesday 16 October). Read his abstract here.

SNEWIN, Dr Val

Dr Val Snewin is International Activities Manager at the Wellcome Trust, UK, with a particular interest in health research capacity strengthening initiatives in Africa. The International Activities team has responsibility for coordinating implementation of Wellcome Trust global health research strategy.

In 2005, Dr Snewin was on secondment as a Health Advisor in the UK Department for International Development, and previously was a member of the Wellcome Trust Strategic Planning and Policy Unit.

Dr Snewin joined the Wellcome Trust in 2000, following ten years of postdoctoral research into malaria and tuberculosis at the Pasteur Institute, France, and as a Research Lecturer at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College London, UK.

Dr Snewin will speak alongside Hannah Akuffo at Plenary 5 - Future of international research: getting the relationships right (Thursday 17 October). Read their abstract here.

TOOPE, Professor Stephen J

Professor Stephen J Toope is President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia, Canada. A former President of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Dean of Law at McGill University, Canada, he also served as Law Clerk to the Right Honourable Brian Dickson of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Professor Toope earned his PhD from Trinity College, Cambridge, UK, and his degrees in Common Law (LLB) and Civil Law (BCL) (Hons) from McGill University, He graduated magna cum laude with his AB in History and Literature from Harvard University, USA.

Professor Toope publishes regularly in leading international journals.

Professor Toope will speak at Plenary 1 - Future forward: taking charge of change (Wednesday 16 October). Read his abstract here.

WOOD, Dr Alison

Dr Alison Wood is Research Associate in English with the Religion and the Idea of a Research University project at the University of Cambridge, UK. In September 2013, she became the Mellon/Newton Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, also at the University of Cambridge.

Born in Australia, Dr Wood holds a BA (Hons) and an MA Research in English from the University of Adelaide, Australia. She gained her PhD from King’s College London, UK, and has published on Darwinism, the Royal Society, and the history of English as a discipline.

Dr Wood also facilitates interdisciplinary initiatives in sciences, arts and humanities, most recently as Principal Investigator for a British Academy-funded project in collaboration with University College London, UK.

Dr Wood will speak at the Centenary Debate - 'This house believes that society expects too much from universities' (Friday 18 October)

Discussion Sessions Speakers

BAJPAI, Professor Arun Diwaker Nath

Professor Arun Diwaker Nath Bajpai is Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, India. He is a renowned academician who has exercised his academic and administrative expertise at the university campuses of Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, India, and Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramoday University, India.

Professor Bajpai was Secretary General of the Association of Indian Universities and is a member of the Executive Council of the International Economic Association. His areas of specialisation and expertise are development economics, economic theory, and spiritual dynamics, and he is associated with a number of reputed academic bodies at national and international level.

Professor Bajpai will speak in the 'Governance and leadership' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

COATES, Diana

Diana Coates is Managing Director of Organisation Systems Design CC, and the Programme Co-ordinator/Lead on Research Uptake Communications of the UK aid-funded Development Research Uptake in Sub-Saharan Africa (DRUSSA) project.

Ms Coates’ international working experience has been in organisational systems design and change management, and management of strategic organisational initiatives. Her area of specialisation is research and innovation management systems. She has consulted and worked in the commercial, non-governmental, and higher education sectors and has extensive knowledge of the international research and development funding sector.

Ms Coates is the first Executive Director of the Southern African Research Management and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA), and is Programme Director of a South African-registered commercial multimedia publishing company, Research Africa.

Ms Coates will speak alongside Karrine Sanders in the the 'The future of research' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read their abstract here.

COX, Professor Kerry

Professor Kerry Cox has been Vice-Chancellor and President of Edith Cowan University, Australia, since March 2006. Previously, he was Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Ballarat, Australia, after being Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the same university, and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Head of Science and Engineering, and Dean of Biological Sciences at Flinders University, Australia.

Professor Cox has been a research scientist at leading institutions in Sweden, the UK, and Australia in his field of microbiology and immunology. He has a strong record of establishing linkages with government, industry, business, and research partners. As a university head, he promotes a pronounced service orientation and high standards of integrity.

Professor Cox will speak in the 'Governance and leadership' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here. 

CRAWFORD, Professor Roy

Professor Roy Crawford is the Chair of Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara and has been the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato, New Zealand, since 2005.

Professor Crawford is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, whose primary research interest has been in the mechanical properties and processing behaviour of plastics. Previously Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at Queen’s University Belfast, UK – his alma mater – he has also taught at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

In 2005, Professor Crawford was elected as a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers, one of 239 Fellows elected worldwide since the Society was established in 1946.

Professor Crawford will speak in the 'Universities and the innovation cycle' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

DOWNES, Professor Andrew

Professor Andrew Downes is Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Development) at the University of the West Indies (UWI). He was previously Director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies at UWI. He received a BSc and an MSc in Economics from UWI and obtained his PhD in Economics from the University of Manchester, UK.

Professor Downes has been a consultant for national, regional and international organisations such as the World Bank, UN agencies, the UK Department for International Development, and the Government of Barbados. He is regarded as one of the region’s leading labour economists, with interests ranging from labour/human resources economics to applied econometrics.

Professor Downes will speak in the 'Employability and economic growth' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

DU PLESSIS, Cuzette

Cuzette du Plessis is Academic Manager of Community Engagement at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. This appointment was preceded by five years of teaching at the University of South Africa as module leader of fourth year community development in the field of social work.

Ms du Plessis will speak alongside Ms van Dyk in the 'Civil society and social development' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read their abstract here.

GRAUS, Ger

Ger Graus is the founding Chief Executive of the Children’s University, UK. Prior to his appointment in April 2007, he was Director of two Wythenshawe Education Action Zones – one of the leading proponents of private/public sector partnership in school improvement – in Manchester, UK.

As a graduate of the Universities of Tilburg and Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Mr Graus taught at Taverham High School, UK, and moved on to a management position at Winifred Holtby School, UK. He was then an Adviser for Manchester City Council, responsible for the introduction of Modern Foreign Languages into primary schools.

Mr Graus was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Staffordshire University, UK, in 2011 and was made an Adjunct Fellow by the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 2013.

Mr Graus will speak in the 'Civil society and social development' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

HAY, Professor John

Professor John Hay was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) of the University of Hull, UK, in April 2012. He was previously Dean of the new Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey, UK.

Professor Hay obtained a BSc (Hons) and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh, UK. A postdoctoral position in pharmaceutical chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich was followed by 14 years in industry, in research and development and research management.

Professor Hay is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Chartered Chemist.

Professor Hay will speak in the 'Employability and economic growth' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

KAMUNGI, Prisca Mbura

Prisca Mbura Kamungi holds an MA in International Studies from the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and is a UPeace/IDRC scholar completing her PhD in Forced Migration Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Ms Kamungi has researched widely and authored many articles on violent conflict, forced displacement, humanitarianism, and peacebuilding in eastern and southern Africa. She has also completed many important consultancies on governance and security issues in Africa.

Ms Kamungi will speak alongside Ms Weston and Dr Mbada in the 'The future of research' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read their abstract here.

KUUPOLE, Professor Domwini Dabire

Professor Domwini Dabire Kuupole was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, in October 2012. He supervises undergraduate and postgraduate theses and has served in various capacities, including Head of the Department of French, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and National President of the Alumni Association.

Professor Kuupole holds a BA (Hons) in French and a Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast. He pursued an MPhil and PhD at the Université de Franche-Comté, France.

Due to his extensive propagation of the French language, Professor Kuupole was awarded Officer of the Order of Academic Palms by the French Government in 2013.

Professor Kuupole will speak in the 'Universities and the innovation cycle' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

MBADA, Dr Chidozie Emmanuel

Dr Chidozie Emmanuel Mbada is a Lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Nigeria. He graduated as a physiotherapist from OAU and later obtained an MSc and PhD in Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy from the University of Ibadan (UI), Nigeria.

Dr Mbada was the recipient of the UI Postgraduate School Award for Publication of Articles from PhD Theses and was awarded a distinguished ADDRF Fellow award for collaborative research work by the African Population and Health Research Centre, Kenya, in 2013.

Dr Mbada will speak alongside Ms Weston and Ms Kamungi in the 'The future of research' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read their abstract here.

SOBTI, Professor Ranbir Chander

Professor Ranbir Chander Sobti is Vice-Chancellor of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, India, and former Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, India. He is a celebrated scientist with about 250 articles and 22 books to his credit, particularly in the area of cancer biology.

Professor Sobti has used innovative ideas in enthusing faculty and research students in research and development and academic excellence, and has initiated a large number of new interdisciplinary courses.

Taking into account his contribution to the National Cadet Corps and societal commitment, the Government of India has given Professor Sobti the honorary rank of Colonel.

Professor Sobti will speak in the 'Universities and the innovation cycle' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here.

VAN DYK, Alida

Alida van Dyk is Director of the Community Engagement Centre at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. The Centre proactively works towards developing community engagement as academically grounded scholarship within the university and the higher education arena. Her current research is focused on higher education policy, and the institutionalising and theorising of community engagement.

Ms van Dyk will speak alongside Ms du Plessis in the 'Civil society and social development' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read their abstract here.

WATSON, Professor Sir David

Professor Sir David Watson has been Principal of Green Templeton College and Professor at the University of Oxford, UK, since October 2010. He was Professor of Higher Education Management at the Institute of Education, University of London, UK, from 2005-2010, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton, UK, between 1990 and 2005.

Professor Watson chaired the national Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning, and co-authored its report Learning Through Life (2009). He was knighted in 1998 for services to higher education, and received the Times Higher Education Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. His new book – The Question of Conscience: higher education and personal responsibility –will be published in December 2013.

Professor Watson will speak in the 'Governance and leadership' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read his abstract here. 

WESTON, Ann

Ann Weston has been Director of the Special Initiatives Division of Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) since 2010. She oversees the fellowships and awards programme, which provides financial support to emerging scholars in Canada and in developing countries, and the Canadian Partnerships Program, which facilitates Canadian participation in international research networks.

Ms Weston received an MSc in Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK, and worked at the Overseas Development Institute and the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. She moved to the North-South Institute in Ottawa, Canada, in 1987, and was President of the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development in 2008-2009.

Ms Weston will speak alongside Ms Kamungi and Dr Mbada in the 'The future of research' parallel discussion session (Thursday 17 October). Read their abstract here.