Keele University Announces New Chancellor
"Jonathon Porritt is a highly respected environmentalist and author, not only within this country but around the world. We believe he is the ideal choice for an institution that places sustainability research, education and practice as one of its core aims"
Keele University today announced that Jonathon Porritt, the eminent writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development, will be its new Chancellor.
He will be the University’s fourth Chancellor and succeeds Professor Sir David Weatherall, who has retired after nine years. Jonathon Porritt’s installation as Chancellor will take place on Thursday, 9 February – the first official event in Keele’s 50th Anniversary year.
Jonathon Porritt said: "I am hugely honoured to have been asked to become the next Chancellor of Keele University. I have enjoyed many contacts with the University over the last 15 years, and have been very impressed at the commitment shown by the Vice-Chancellor and many other members of staff in demonstrating real leadership on sustainability issues. But to be Chancellor of Keele is obviously about the whole University, not just one aspect - however important that may be! And this is the challenge that I’m really looking forward to.”
Keele University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Foskett, said: “We are delighted that Jonathon Porritt has agreed to become Chancellor of Keele University at a time of unprecedented change within the Higher Education sector.
“Jonathon is a highly respected environmentalist and author, not only within this country but around the world. We believe he is the ideal choice for an institution that places sustainability research, education and practice as one of its core aims in the next 10 years.
“Through our interdisciplinary curriculum we encourage our students to challenge convention and with Jonathon we will have a Chancellor who is hugely respected by his peer group, and the wider community, but is prepared to be outspoken on issues about which he is passionate. We believe he will inspire our students and help them to become ambassadors for social responsibility and sustainability.”
Jonathon Porritt is the Co-Founder of Forum for the Future. Established in 1996, Forum for the Future is now the UK’s leading sustainable development charity, with 70 staff and over 100 partner organisations, including some of the world’s leading companies.
In addition, he is Co-Director of The Prince of Wales's Business and Sustainability Programme which runs seminars for senior executives around the world. He is a Non-Executive Director of Wessex Water, and of Willmott Dixon Holdings. He is a Trustee of the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, and is involved in the work of many NGOs and charities as Patron, Chair or Special Adviser.
He was formerly Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90); co-chair of the Green Party (1980-83) of which he is still a member; chairman of UNED-UK (1993-96); chairman of Sustainability South West, the South West Round Table for Sustainable Development (1999-2001); a Trustee of WWF UK (1991-2005), a member of the Board of the South West Regional Development Agency (1999-2008).
He stood down as Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission in July 2009 after nine years providing high-level advice to Government Ministers. Jonathon received a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection.
His latest books are Capitalism As If The World Matters (Earthscan, revised 2007), Globalism & Regionalism (Black Dog 2008) and Living Within Our Means (Forum for the Future 2009).