Ex Unilag Don, David Mba , Appointed Vice Chancellor of British University

Birmingham City University, one of the top-rated institutions in the West Midlands region of the UK has announced the appointment of Professor David Mba as its Vice-Chancellor. David Mba, a Nigerian is joining the university from the University of the Arts, London (UAL) where he served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise. Mba is expected to resume at BCU on the 1st of October, 2023.

David Mba commenting on his appointment, noted, “I am incredibly excited by the opportunity to take on the leadership of BCU at a pivotal moment for the University, as we begin to work to define – and then deliver – our significant ambitions for the next decade. BCU has grown hugely in recent years, in a city which itself has been transformed, providing a powerful base from which we can accelerate towards 2030.

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“My priority will be to ensure that everything we do focuses on unleashing the potential of our students, ensuring a consistent focus on their experience, alongside recognising, celebrating and further developing the talent of our staff. By getting that right, we will also meet the needs of the regional and national economy, something that BCU – as a powerful civic University – is uniquely placed to deliver.”

Chair of the Board of Governors at BCU, Anita Bhalla, also commented, noting, “I am delighted to have secured such an outstanding talent to lead Birmingham City University in the years ahead. David brings a wealth of experience and expertise, as well as a determination to build on BCU’s many successes with a razor-sharp focus on ensuring our students have every opportunity to achieve everything they aspire to for themselves.

“There is a great deal to do to ensure we achieve BCU’s fullest potential and David takes on a university that achieved a huge amount under the leadership of Professor Philip Plowden. I want to thank Philip for his enormous work over the past six years, during which time BCU’s student community grew from 23,000 to 31,000, and the University has become an ever more powerful presence in our city and further afield.”

Before his position at UAL, Professor David Mba served as the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and Media at De Montfort University. Prior, he was the Dean of the School of Engineering at the London South Bank University. He also served as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace and Engineering at Cranfield University. He started his academic journey at the University of Hertfordshire, obtaining a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering in 1995, followed by a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Cranfield University in 1999.

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Professor Mba has occupied visiting professorial roles at both the University of Lagos and the University of Nigeria, Nuskka. Additionally, he holds prestigious Fellowships in both the Nigerian Academy of Science and the African Academy of Science. Furthermore, he has been honoured as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom.

With the announcement, David Mba has become the second Nigerian and black man to hold such a position in any UK university. The first, Charles Egbu became the Vice Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University in 2020.

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