Bristol v-c Hugh Brady picked as next Imperial president

Imperial College London has poached University of Bristol vice-chancellor Hugh Brady to be its next president.

Professor Brady, who has led Bristol since 2015, will succeed Alice Gast at Imperial when her term concludes in August 2022.

Professor Gast announced in February that she would step down after a disciplinary hearing found her guilty of bullying a staff member at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Professor Brady, an international authority on the pathogenesis of renal inflammation and diabetic kidney disease, will be the first medic to lead Imperial, which specialises in science, engineering, medicine and business.

Prior to joining Bristol he was the youngest ever president of University College Dublin, which he led between 2004 and 2013. His academic career included roles at Harvard Medical School, the University of Toronto and UCD.

John Allan, chair of Imperial’s council, hailed Professor Brady as “one of the outstanding university leaders of his generation”.

“His track record in Bristol, Dublin and as a pioneering researcher with a deep understanding of UK and global higher education make him the ideal candidate to lead Imperial through this period of change,” Mr Allan said.

Announcing his appointment, Imperial credited Professor Brady with focusing on widening participation at Bristol, launching the new Temple Enterprise Campus, creating a series of new centres for doctoral training, and delivering significant growth in philanthropic giving.

At Imperial he will have to heal the wounds of widespread discontent among staff after Professor Gast and chief financial officer Muir Sanderson were forced to apologise for bullying colleagues during early 2020.

University and College Union members at the institution called on the pair to resign and raised concerns about a perceived lack of transparency over the case. There was further controversy when it emerged that the university’s harassment policy had been amended to remove a reference to bullying amounting to gross misconduct, although an independent investigation found that this was the result of a “clerical error”.

Professor Brady may have a closer relationship with unions, having joined picket lines protesting over staff pay and pensions in November 2019.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Brady said that he was “thrilled to lead one of the world’s great universities”.

“I have long admired Imperial’s excellence in education, research and innovation,” he said. The way the whole Imperial community responded to the pandemic is awe-inspiring: from vital scientific breakthroughs and rewiring digital learning to volunteering on the NHS front line and helping the most vulnerable.

“I join at a time when Imperial’s strengths, profile and global impact have never been greater. I look forward to helping build on these achievements.”

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com