Appointment of Vice-Chancellor

Croeso and thank you for your interest in our University.

Bangor is a unique institution, the most Welsh in language and attitude, but also, arguably, the most international in outlook and ambition. Its principal campus is situated in the stunning landscape of northwest Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea, while its presence is felt across north Wales via partnerships and direct delivery of training in education and healthcare.

Under the leadership of our outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Iwan Davies, Bangor University has strengthened academically, organisationally and financially. Significant achievements have included the confirmation and early establishment of an independent North Wales Medical School at Bangor University, recognition of sustainability achievements by being ranked in the top 70 Global Universities and a top 15 position in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, all of which contribute to the University’s guiding ambition to create a sustainable world for future generations.

The new Vice-Chancellor will join Bangor at an exciting moment in its remarkable 138-year history; following a period of transformation Bangor has launched its Strategy 2030 which will see the University broaden and deepen its positive impact throughout Wales and internationally. Working with Council, staff and students, you will have a collaborative leadership style, and an ability to engage at all levels. Importantly, a deep commitment to the University’s mission and values will be essential.

The new Vice-Chancellor will be joining us at a particularly challenging time for the HE sector in Wales and the UK as we emerge from the pandemic. Bangor has a strong strategy in place, but to realise this the next Vice-Chancellor will need to bring a progressive vision, pragmatism and political nous to guide the University to future success as a globally connected and culturally vibrant institution. 

I do hope you share our aspirations and are excited by the prospect of leading and guiding this University into a successful and sustainable future.

Marian Wyn Jones, Chair of Council

ABOUT BANGOR UNIVERSITY

Our History and Today

The University was founded as a direct result of a campaign in the late nineteenth century for higher education provision in Wales. Funds were raised by public subscription to establish a college of university rank in Bangor. An important feature of its foundation was the voluntary contributions made by local people, including amongst others, many farmers and quarrymen who could ill afford to donate money, but did so despite the difficulties in order to benefit future generations.

The University was founded as the University College of North Wales. It opened its doors on 18 October 1884 in an old coaching inn with 58 students and 10 members of staff. The students received degrees from the University of London until 1893 when the University of Wales, Bangor became one of the three original constituent colleges of the University of Wales.

Bangor has had a long tradition of academic excellence and a strong focus on the student experience. Today around 11,800 students study at the University, and it has approximately 2000 staff, based in nine Academic Schools within three Colleges, and supported by a number of Professional Services. In addition, the University has a campus in Changsha, China (where just over 500 students are currently studying)  as well as major teaching facilities in Singapore, Bahrain and Uzbekistan. We have more than 150 Students’ Union Clubs and Societies which were named 2nd in the UK at the WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2020.

The University is in the top 10 in the UK in the StudentCrowd reviews and is in the top 20 Universities in the UK for Teaching Quality. The University is ranked in the top 40 in the UK for research, according to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014. Bangor University has been ranked in the top 30 in the world for its “greeness”.The latest UI GreenMetric World University Ranking compared 360 universities in 62 countries on their efforts towards campus sustainability and environmentally-friendly university management.

The confirmation of the establishment of the new North Wales Medical School in collaboration with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Cardiff University and with support from the Welsh Government marks an exciting new step for Bangor. The new Medical School will capitalise on the University’s existing strengths in life sciences, health practitioner education, community engagement and Welsh medium provision to bring transformative impact in the region, feeding into Bangor’s strategic imperatives and national policy priorities. 

We were pleased to receive the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold when the scheme was launched, which highlighted our staff’s work in providing outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for our students.

Today, with the University on a better financial footing and faculty, staff and students united behind the Strategy 2030 which has research, education, student experience and cultural enrichment at its core, this is an excellent time for a new Vice-Chancellor to play a key role in taking the university into the next phase of its development.

Teaching and Learning

The University prides itself on the quality of teaching offered. This was supported in a recent review by the UK Quality Assurance Agency, which resulted in the highest possible endorsement of the University’s academic standards.

Students are enrolled on 526 undergraduate programmes and 376 postgraduate taught programmes. Undergraduate students are registered on 2130 modules. There are 264 undergraduate modules offered through the medium of Welsh, and Bangor is recognised as the leading provider of Welsh medium education in Wales.

Research

Research is central to Bangor University; it is an integral part of our teaching and a passion of our academic staff. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework recognised that more than three-quarters of Bangor’s research is either world-leading or internationally excellent, ahead of the average for all UK universities.

Research in Sports Science; Modern Languages; Welsh; Education; Linguistics; Ocean Sciences; Biological Sciences; Environment, Natural Resources and Geography; Psychology; Healthcare Sciences; and Medical Sciences have all been ranked in the top 20 in the UK.

Research and teaching are closely inter-linked: almost all research academics teach, ensuring that our students benefit from the knowledge created by our research.

Community

The University’s Arts and Innovation Centre, Pontio (meaning ‘to bridge’ in Welsh), provides a wide variety of high-quality activities and entertainment for both the University and the local community, championing Welsh language and culture. The University is the lead institution for the North and Mid Wales Reaching Wider Partnership, demonstrating our commitment to working with our community and region in raising and supporting aspirations. We are also committed to the principles of sustainable development and global citizenship and to ensuring that all our functions reflect this.

Mission

A research-led University of and for North Wales, providing transformative learning experiences and nurturing a positive impact on society regionally, nationally and internationally.

LANGUAGE & CULTURE 

Since its inception in 1884, the University has a tradition of integral links with its local community. Our identity is inextricably associated with our location and we play a leading role in the Welsh culture and economy and in fostering the Welsh language. We are the leading provider of higher education through the medium of Welsh, in terms of volume, breadth of courses and expertise, and we are the sector’s standard-bearer for Welsh Language services and support.

The University actively supports staff to learn Welsh and in using it at all levels of University work. This support will be made available to the successful candidate, if required.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Bangor University was created as a direct result of a campaign in the late nineteenth century for higher education provision in Wales. Funds were raised by public subscription to establish a college of university rank in Bangor. An important feature of its foundation was the voluntary contributions made by local people, including farmers and quarrymen, from their weekly wages over a period of time.

As an institution we remain deeply committed to building an inclusive environment that provides equality of opportunity to a diverse community of staff and students. We currently hold the Athena Swan Bronze Award and have established Inclusive Bangor Scholarships to support students who are continuing their studies at Bangor to ensure the student voice and experience is embedded in the EDI and Athena Swan agendas. Our Strategic Equality Plan (2020-2024) is a statement of our ongoing commitment to EDI which identifies strategic objectives by which we will improve the experience of stakeholders across our community. In support of our determination to provide a unique multicultural, inclusive experience for our staff and students we have also recently appointed a dedicated Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor to focus on EDI across the University.

STRUCTURE

The academic activities of the University are grouped into three Colleges.

The College of Arts, Humanities and Business comprises the following schools and academic centres:

Bangor Business School

School of History, Law and Social Sciences

School of Arts, Culture and Language

The College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering comprises the following schools and academic centres:

School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering

School of Natural Sciences

School of Ocean Sciences

The BioComposites Centre

The College of Human Sciences comprises the following schools and academic centres:

School of Educational Sciences

School of Medical & Health Sciences

School of Human and Behavioural Sciences 

 The University also comprises of a number of Professional Services Directorates:

 Canolfan Bedwyr (the University’s Centre for Welsh Language Services, Research and Technology);

Corporate Services;

 Digital Services;

 Estates & Campus Services;

 Financial Services;

 Human Resources;

 Marketing, Communications and Recruitment; and

 Student Services and Administration.