Appointments to University of Cumbria’s senior leadership team

Today, the university is delighted to announce that Claire Aindow, who is currently Head of Academic Partnerships at Ravensbourne University in London, will join the University of Cumbria as Pro Vice Chancellor (Growth and Development) on 7 October 2024 and Zulf Ali will take up the role of Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) in early December.

At Ravensbourne, Claire (pictured right) has written the partnership strategy (including links to international recruitment and growth), whilst also working as a senior academic for business development and partnership management, shaping the operational and academic framework to control and mitigate risk.

Her career has also included time as the Dean of the Off Campus Division at the University of Bolton where she focused on the ethical, sustainable and imaginative generation of income. Initially creating and managing collaborative provision partnerships in the UK and internationally, she also led on capital projects, joint ventures and, as a senior member of the university, was part of the development of apprenticeships, policies and practice for graduate student outcomes, and developing networks and wider spheres of influence for the university.

With a background in both higher education and industry, having owned and managed a communications consultancy for 13 years, Claire brings a hybrid mix of academic ability and commercial experience. Her deep-rooted connection with the North West means she understands Cumbria’s history, with its remarkable advantages, and unique challenges, and is perfectly positioned to develop portfolio and partnerships for our university.

Claire said: “I am excited beyond measure to be the first incumbent of this new role at the University of Cumbria. Building on the great work that is already happening, I look forward to leading and supporting growth across all of the university's interests, working to co-create, innovate and deliver in line with our strategic aims. I am bonded to our region both through family ties and personal history, so it is truly inspiring - and a privilege - to be working here, a university where values and place are so intimately entwined”.

Zulf (pictured right) currently leads the Healthcare Innovation Centre (HIC), an initiative that he developed as a partnership between Teesside University and TWI, a research technology organisation. Since 2017, the HIC has won £15 million of research funding from a variety of sources including the European Commission, UKRI and National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR).

Zulf has developed strong links with variety of private and public sector bodies including leading research and technology organisations in Europe and NHS trusts in the North East of England. Existing projects that he has built with leading academic and industrial partners include the Horizon Europe HoliCare (https://holicare-project.org/) and SusFe (https://susfeproject.eu/) projects. Previously, Zulf led the Teesside element of the University Innovation Centre (UIC) Nanotechnology. He initiated a partnership with CPI, part of the InnovateUK (IUK) High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and Newcastle Science City for the Northeast Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

As Dean of Teeside University’s Graduate Research School, Zulf has experience coordinating it's REF 2014 submission which led to a 10-place improvement in ranking within THES league table on basis of quality. He has also led change processes to improve the postgraduate research (PGR) student experience including enhancement of the training provision, restructure of the university’s framework and regulations for clarity and ease of use and a central database for monitoring student engagement and progression.

His own research expertise is at the interface between science and engineering with primarily applications within healthcare. He has generated research and enterprise income of around £14 million from a variety of income streams, including the European Commission, European Structural funding and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC).

Zulf says: "I am delighted to be joining the University of Cumbria as Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) at this very exciting time. I'm looking forward to working with colleagues and our external partners to build on existing strengths and developing the new opportunities."

In addition to Claire and Zulf, Tracey Slaven will join the university as Chief Transformation Officer in the autumn and Cathy Lambert will take the post of Pro Vice Chancellor (Student Journey and Academic Registrar). These new appointments, alongside the University of Cumbria's new Towards 2030 strategy outlining a clear and strategic purpose for the university, in, for and from Cumbria, enables it to deliver continued and long-lasting impact to the region and economy.

Vice Chancellor, Professor Julie Mennell DL, said: 

“We are looking forward to welcoming our new colleagues shortly and to them working with partners and colleagues to deliver tangible impact for our county and beyond. 

With the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine welcoming its first student cohort next year, a growing degree apprenticeship portfolio with over two thousand students, new campuses in Carlisle and Barrow, and plans to further our contributions to the advanced manufacturing sector there is certainly lots for them to build on. I have no doubt that Claire and Zulf will provide the leadership and partnership working for us to do this".