University of Manchester appoints Duncan Ivison as new President and Vice-Chancellor

The University of Manchester announced to students today that Professor Duncan Ivison would succeed Nancy Rothwell as president and vice-chancellor next year.

The change comes into place at the end of July 2024.

Duncan Ivison was chosen by a wide range of stakeholders, including members of staff, Senate, students, alumni, civic leaders, unions and business partners.

The process began in March of this year and students from each subject area were selected to join a panel to give their vote. The university announced Ivison was appointed after an “extensive global search.”

His background is promising, with Ivison’s most recent role being Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sydney, where he is a professor of political science. He has also worked at fellow Russell group uni – the University of York, as well as the Australian National University.

The Canada-born academic has achieved a BA in Political Science, a masters in political theory, and a PhD – which he obtained at LSE.

In the announcement, Ivison praises the university’s “social responsibility” “civic engagement” and describes the university as a “powerhouse” and “like the city, it is an institution with true heart and soul.”

Philippa Hird, chair of the board of governors, is also quoted saying: “He has a clear sense of the future of the University”. No information has been given yet on the specific direction he aims to take.

The new president joins during a memorable occasion for the university – 2024 marks the bicentenary of the universities founding in 1824.

Current president and vice-chancellor Nancy’s reign has recently been marred by scandal and controversy, receiving backlash from University of Manchester students. From the SU holding a referendum on her leadership in 2021, to the response to student rent strikes and the caging in of students living on the Fallowfield campus during the covid lockdown.

She steps down after 14 years in the role, at the conclusion of her contract. She has been paid £260,399 annually for the last seven years of her leadership. The university announced earlier this month that Rothwell had recently been awarded the “Outstanding Achievement Award” by the Times Higher Education magazine, for her “lifetime of achievement”.

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