Former USW v-c to chair Wales’ new post-16 education regulator

A former vice-chancellor has been appointed to lead Wales’ new post-16 education regulator.

The Welsh government said that Dame Julie Lydon, who retired as vice-chancellor of the University of South Wales in September 2021, would chair the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER). As vice-chancellor of the University of Glamorgan from 2010, Dame Julie led the merger that formed USW in 2013 and also served as chair of Universities Wales and vice-president of Universities UK.

Meanwhile David Sweeney, the former executive chair of Research England, will be deputy chair, and will chair the regulator’s research and innovation committee.

CTER, established as an independent Welsh government-sponsored body, will be responsible for overseeing the entire post-16 sector, including further education, higher education, apprenticeships, sixth forms and Welsh government-funded research and innovation. The legislation to create the body followed a 2016 government-commissioned report on the future of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

Jeremy Miles, the Welsh education minister, said: “I am glad to confirm the appointments of Dame Julie Lydon and David Sweeney. I look forward to working with Julie and David over their term of appointment to deliver our innovative and ambitious vision for Wales’s tertiary education and research sector.”

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com