Dr Dame Nicola Brewer to step down as Vice-Provost (International)

During her time at UCL, Nicola has played a big part in increasing UCL’s global impact, one of the six principal themes of UCL 2034. She co-created UCL’s Global Engagement Strategy through wide consultation with UCL’s academic, student and professional services communities in 2014/15 and implementation has similarly been a joint effort across the university.  

Nicola has been instrumental in developing UCL’s strategic global partnerships with Peking University and the University of Toronto in particular, and also with the Max Planck Society, Yale, the National University of Singapore and the University of Sydney. She leaves a great legacy in the form of an experienced and high performing Global Engagement Office team.

Nicola supervised the UCL Institute of Education, which remains the QS top ranked school of education in the world, and oversaw and supported the Office of the Vice-Provost (Advancement) when Lori Houlihan was away and then sadly resigned on ill health grounds.

She also brought experience in equality and human rights to UCL, with a focus on UCL’s  efforts to improve gender and ethnic diversity. She co-chaired the committees overseeing UCL’s Athena Swan and Race Equality charter mark resubmissions and setting up a male allies network.

Professor Dame Hazel Genn, former Dean of UCL Faculty of Laws (2008-2017), will take on the role of Vice Provost International & Advancement with effect from 17 August 2020. UCL Council approved the proposal for Hazel’s appointment on 9 July 2020 on an interim basis, pending a permanent recruitment processes to be instituted in due course.

UCL President and Provost, Michael Arthur, said:

“I have known this has been in Nicola’s mind for some time and I am grateful to her for delaying her move while UCL was dealing with the initial effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was extremely valuable to be able to call on her experience of crisis management and of government affairs, both during the pandemic and in response to Brexit.

“Nicola’s work over the last six and a half years has transformed UCL across many areas, including global impact and equality and diversity, and I am incredibly grateful to her for her leadership of the Global Engagement Office and Office of the Vice-Provost (Advancement).

“Professor Dame Hazel Genn’s previous service as Pro Vice-Provost Alumni (2017-20) and Pro Vice-Provost International (2019-20) will be invaluable in leading forward these two critical areas of UCL activity. Hazel also brings a wealth of experience from her previous and current roles as Director of the UCL Centre for Access to Justice and Co-Director of the UCL Judicial Institute.”