University Welcomes New Vice-Chancellor

As the new academic term prepares to get underway, the University of Suffolk is delighted to welcome Professor Jenny Higham as the new Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Higham, who has taken over the role from Professor Helen Langton MBE following her retirement this summer, was previously Vice-Chancellor at St George’s, University of London which she joined in 2015 as the first female leader in its 290-year history.

In addition to her Vice-Chancellor role, Professor Higham has national responsibilities in the university sector, sitting on the boards of both the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) and Universities UK (UUK). She is also a Council member for the All-Party Parliamentary University Group.  

Professor Higham commented on her new role: “It is an exciting time to join the University of Suffolk - I am so delighted to be bringing my wealth of Higher Education experience to this rapidly progressing and ambitious university.  It is a terrific opportunity to work closely with staff, students and all its partners to continue this positive momentum.”

Professor Higham has a specialist medical background and led St George’s University of London in its successful merger to create the brand new City St George’s.  She has previously chaired the Medical Schools Council and served as Vice-Dean for Institutional Affairs and Director of Education for the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London.  Whilst at Imperial, she worked closely with Nanyang Technological University to create a new medical school in Singapore.

Chair of the University of Suffolk Board, Ian Ailles, said: “I am delighted to welcome Professor Higham to the University of Suffolk. Her sector knowledge and expertise will be a huge asset to the organisation as we continue to deliver our ambitious strategy for growth.”

This year, the University has celebrated a number of successes including ranking in the top 60 in the UK in the 2025 Complete University Guide, climbing by 68 places in the last three years.

It is also first in the East of England for facilities in the 2024 WhatUni Student Choice Awards as well as scooping the ‘Career Coaching and Work Placements’ award. In addition, the University enjoyed strong student satisfaction results in the 2024 National Student Survey (NSS), scoring well above the England average in all nine areas.