Today, the ACU welcomed six new members to its governing Council. This elected body brings university leaders from ACU member universities around the world together, with a shared responsibility to oversee its strategic direction.
Joining the Council are:
- Professor Abiodun H. Adebayo, Covenant University, Nigeria
- Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica
- Professor Barney Glover AO, Western Sydney University, Australia
- Senior Professsor Sudantha Liyanage, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
- Professor Wendy Thomson CBE, University of London, UK
- Professor Dato' Ir Dr Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Our warmest thanks to the outgoing Council members, Professor Deep Saini, Engr Ahmed Bazai, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Professor Gabriel Teye, and Professor Suhas Pednekar, for their valued service and contributions to the organisation in recent years.
Commenting on the news, Dr Joanna Newman, ACU Chief Executive and Secretary General, said:
‘I am delighted to be welcoming six new members to the ACU’s Council today. Our Council represents the diversity and strength of Commonwealth cooperation and our Strategic Plan, The Road to 2030, makes the case for the role of Higher Education in addressing each of the 17 SDGs. I look forward to working closely with our Council members in our shared mission to build a better world through higher education.’
Chair of ACU Council, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, Professor Cheryl de la Rey , added:
‘A warm welcome to our newest members of the ACU Council, who join us as the world emerges from a period of unprecedented disruption. They bring with them a wealth of leadership experience and I look forward to sharing in their knowledge, drawing on our diverse communities, and working together to ensure the ACU continues to be a dynamic and exciting global network at the heart of international higher education – now and into the future.’
More information
The ACU Council is the ACU's governing body and is responsible for overseeing the ACU's activities and determining its future strategic direction, while ensuring compliance with the laws of England, the ACU's Charter, Statutes and Regulations, and the ACU's core policies and procedures relating to governance.
The ACU Council is made up of vice-chancellors from across the Commonwealth, each of whom has been nominated and elected by their peers within the ACU membership network. The new members will each serve for a period of three years until August 2025.
- Read the ACU's strategic plan
For further information, please email communications@acu.ac.uk