Richard Middleton has been appointed Chair of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom.
Richard, who was recently appointed a Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Middlesex University, will take up the post on 1 January 2015. He succeeds Professor Tim Unwin in the role.
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (CSC) awards over 900 scholarships and fellowships for postgraduate study and professional development to Commonwealth citizens each year. The CSC contributes in unique ways to the UK’s international development objectives and to the UK’s wider overseas interests. In awarding scholarships and fellowships to some of the most able students and professionals, the CSC supports excellence in UK higher education, and sustains the values and mission of the Commonwealth. The CSC is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for International Development (DFID).
International Development Secretary Justine Greening, welcoming Richard Middleton’s appointment, said ‘Richard Middleton is an experienced Commissioner who has delivered strategic improvements in education and student services at a number of UK universities. He has an impressive understanding of the role of the Commission in delivering the UK’s international development aims and a keen interest in the work of its students and academics. These are qualities that will serve him well in his leadership of the organisation’.
Richard, commenting on his appointment, said ‘I am delighted to have been selected by the Secretary of State for International Development to be Chair of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. I have served as a Commissioner for the past five years and can truly say, as all Commissioners do, that helping these exceptional scholars and professionals to realise their ambitions for development in their home countries is an inspiration.
‘Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships have enabled almost 30,000 people to have a beneficial and significant impact on communities across the world, including in the UK. I look forward to supporting and leading my colleagues on the Commission and the excellent staff who together enable these extraordinary individuals to benefit from and contribute to UK universities and to increase their skills for developing their countries’ economies and societies.’
