Joanna Newman stepped in as Provost at SOAS University of London.
Joanna Newman stepped in as Provost at SOAS University of London.
Joanna Newman joins SOAS University of London with an exceptionally impressive record as a leader in the service of UK and international higher education. She was the first female Secretary General of the ACU, and in six years she has transformed the organization into a vibrant membership body that plays a significant role as the voice of higher education in the Commonwealth and has a clear vision and mission to build a better world through higher education
“Professor Newman’s leadership experience and international outlook will be invaluable in driving forward our ambitious strategic goals to create the best possible student experience, expand our research, and foster equitable partnerships. We very much look forward to welcoming her to SOAS and working together to play a leading role in reimagining higher education globally,” said SOAS Director Professor Adam Habib.
Newman said: “There has never been a more pressing need across the globe for the specialist knowledge and world-class scholarship that SOAS possesses. As Provost, I look forward to working with the SOAS community to realize its vision and strategy, and I couldn’t be more excited and honored to take on this role and to have the opportunity to support world-class teaching, learning, and research in an institution with equity and diversity at its core.”
Before joining the ACU in 2017, Newman was vice-principal (International) at King’s College London, where she was instrumental in forging new international research and teaching collaborations. Her previous roles include Director of the UK Higher Education International Unit (now known as Universities UK International), where she led the development of a UK-wide international education strategy; and Head of Higher Education at the British Library, where she commissioned the Google Generation report, the first study of Generation Y researchers.
Newman serves on a number of boards, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Leadership Council, the High-level Advisory Group for Mission 4.7, and as a lay member of the Council of Cardiff University. She is a Senior Research Fellow in History at King’s College London. Her most recent publication is Nearly the New World: The British West Indies and the Flight from Nazism, 1933-1945. In 2014, Newman was awarded an MBE in recognition of her work promoting British higher education internationally.
