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The Open University was founded in 1969 with the mission to: “promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high quality education to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential – open to people, places, method and ideas”. We are the only institution worldwide with such a single vision and purpose. We are distinctive and unique. Our mission is still as relevant today as it was then, perhaps even more so.
Defined by our social purpose, we have one of the most recognised and respected brands of any organisation in either the public or private sector. Our bespoke distance-learning delivery and inspired teaching, together with our ability to reach and support students wherever they may be, whatever their circumstances, are what make us unique amongst higher education providers.
We seek a new Vice-Chancellor at a pivotal point of change for society and for our organisation. We have a unique opportunity to reshape how we deliver our mission and change lives. Nothing could be more important, relevant, impactful or stimulating.
Whilst we remain true to our mission, we operate in extraordinary times: destructive geo-political forces in a post-pandemic world, a cost-of-living crisis, the challenges of financial sustainability; changing working patterns, increased unpredictability, and uncertainty in every aspect of people’s working lives, often with the unwelcome influence of increasing inequity. We also face the challenge of environmental sustainability, changing student demographics, and perhaps most challenging but potentially the most exciting of all, the impact of technological development and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on society.
These elements create an exceptionally complex set of circumstances through which any successful organisation must navigate their future. The scale of the challenges is not underestimated, but nor is the exceptional and exciting opportunity ahead of us.
The Open University is truly unique amongst higher education providers: ours is a large, dispersed, and complex organisation with approximately 200,000 students, almost 10,000 staff and over two million alumni, operating across the whole of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, responsible to the devolved administrations in Belfast, Cardiff, and Edinburgh as well as to the UK government in London. As the best-known distance education provider, we must retain our reputation for being at the forefront of innovation in education delivery. To do this we must understand how the future impact of technology will alter the way society functions, how we live and work and define the role that education can play in preparing current and future generations for their own success.
The Open University is the largest academic institution in the UK by student numbers. Our size and scale, and the focus of our mission mean that we have the power and the talent to collaborate with external partners to influence policy and help shape the future of education.
All who work at The Open University are immensely proud of our distinctiveness. Motivated by and committed to our mission and purpose, we form a powerful and distinctive collective force for good.
Our next Vice-Chancellor will have the privilege of guiding and leading our extraordinary and talented community to ensure we are responsive to the demands of society. They will help us reach the widest possible audience through innovative delivery of distance learning, positioning us to influence and work with others to effect change and working with The Open University community to enhance our mission whilst ensuring our continued financial sustainability.
Our next leader will protect and nurture our mission and embrace our values of being inclusive, innovative and responsive. Respecting and recognising our heritage, they will have the empathy and judgement to help us navigate the future by encouraging and supporting innovation and creativity from within, enabling us to identify and seize the opportunities ahead with confidence.
We have already made a difference to lives for more than fifty years – together, we will ensure we are making a difference for the next fifty years.
The Candidate Pack for this role is available to download and view by clicking on the thumbnail to the right. Have a look through the candidate pack to read all about The Open University, the role and the job description.
Full video here
Watch the video below to listen to Baroness Martha Lane Fox of Soho, Chancellor of The Open University.
Watch the video below to find out more about The Open University.
Watch the video below to find out more about The Open University student family.
To apply please submit the below documents quoting the reference 7348:
Her experience in senior level executive search includes Board, Chief Executive and Senior Academic and Administrative appointments globally in higher education.
Fiona has spent the majority of her career in executive search, working with a variety of organisations in both the public and private sectors. For the last decade, she has focused on Higher Education, helping to establish the Practice for Heidrick and Struggles and more recently working at Odgers Berndtson. She holds a Joint BA (Hons) in History & American Studies from Keele University.
Sukhpal Uppal is a Consultant in the Higher Education sector.
His senior level executive search experience covers a range of appointments across governance, communications, marketing, human resources, and academic and research leadership. This includes a number of Vice-Chancellor appointments at, among others, Durham University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Birmingham.
Sukhpal holds a First Class Honours degree in French and Spanish from University College London and speaks fluent French and Spanish.
