A prominent academic and eminent higher education leader has joined University of the West of Scotland as the new Principal and Vice-Chancellor.
Professor James Miller, who officially took up the role on 1 November, has overall responsibility for the management and operation of UWS, as well as being responsible for driving forward and delivering the University’s ambitious Strategy 2025.
Speaking of his new appointment Professor Miller, said: “I am thrilled to be joining UWS as Principal and Vice-Chancellor and I look forward to working with students and staff to take the University into its next exciting chapter.”
“UWS has an outstanding record in transforming the lives of its students and is an anchor institution across the communities it serves in the West of Scotland, in London and beyond. I am extremely proud to be joining a University that places such a clear priority on ensuring its students are at the heart of every decision, and one which forges such strong, meaningful links with local, national and international partners.”
Beginning his career as a clinical nurse in Edinburgh, Professor Miller is the first nurse to be appointed as a University Principal and Vice-Chancellor in Scotland – bringing a wealth of experience, values and vision closely aligned with that of UWS.
With a substantial leadership track record, Professor Miller was most recently Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University from August 2015 to November 2022 and previously held a range of other senior roles, including Director of the Open University in Scotland and Chief Executive of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, a member of the Institute of Directors, a member of the International Advisory Board for the Amity University Group in India, and was a founder member of the British Council’s Digital Advisory Board.
Professor Miller has also held a series of roles in healthcare, including Deputy Director of Nursing for West Lothian Healthcare Trust and Divisional General Manager in South Glasgow University Hospital NHS Trust.
After completing his registration at North Lothian College of Nursing and Midwifery in 1986, Professor Miller undertook a post registration degree at what is now Abertay University. He also has an MBA from Edinburgh Napier University, a PhD from the University of Edinburgh and is an alumnus of Harvard University’s Institute of Education Management.
Recently named Higher Educational Institution of the Year at the 2022 Herald Higher Education Awards, UWS is the most successful university in Scotland in ensuring more people from disadvantaged backgrounds can access higher education. The University is also achieving excellence on the world stage, as a leader in global knowledge creation, research and innovation – delivering some of the world’s most advanced research in areas such as 5G, eye care, drone technology and thin films.