Professor Gough will take up the role of Vice-Chancellor on 1 January 2020, succeeding Professor Stuart Bartholomew, who has led us with distinction for the past 22 years.
Professor Gough joins from RMIT, based in Melbourne, Australia, where he is currently Pro-Vice Chancellor and Vice-President of RMIT’s College of Design and Social Context. He was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at UWE, Bristol; and prior to that, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts, Design and Media at the same institution. He retains the title Royal West of England Academy Professor of Fine Arts.
In his time at RMIT, Professor Gough has led a major expansion of the College of Design and Social Context and established major strategic collaborations across the creative industries, and with public and private sector organisations. The College also significantly enhanced its educational partnerships with institutions across Asia. Whilst at UWE, he also held roles with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and HEFCE (including chairing the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) sub-panel for Art and Design); and he led research assessment internationally both in Europe and Asia.
Professor Gough said: “I have long admired the many achievements of AUB: it has an outstanding record of student success, impactful research and industry engagement. The university has a history of nurturing innovative staff who have enriched the creative industries in the UK and beyond. I am really thrilled to be part of AUB’s future, building on its present high reputation, and following in the footsteps of an outstanding leader.”
A painter, broadcaster and writer, Professor Gough has exhibited internationally and is represented in the permanent collection of the Imperial War Museum, London, the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, and the National War Memorial, New Zealand. In addition to roles in national and international higher education, his research into the imagery and aftermath of war has been presented at global conferences, symposia and to audiences throughout the world. He has also published extensively about the arts of war and peace; and also on street art, including an edited book on the street artist Banksy.
Chris Martin, Chair of the Board of Governors, said: “We are delighted that Professor Gough is to become our new Vice-Chancellor. Paul is internationally recognised both as a researcher and artist, and as a creative leader, and I am confident that he will be instrumental in leading the University to continued success”.
We look forward to welcoming Professor Gough to the AUB community in January.
