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Professor Madeleine Atkins, CBE, Vice-Chancellor, Coventry University

Photo of MadeleineCoventry Uni LogoProfessor Madeleine Atkins studied law and history as an undergraduate at Cambridge University before qualifying as a Secondary teacher. She taught for four years in a large comprehensive school in Huntingdon before returning to higher education to complete her PhD at Nottingham University.

Following various post-doctoral research positions, she became a lecturer in education management at Newcastle University, developing a keen interest in the use of new technologies to support effective learning. Having held the positions of Head of Department, Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Newcastle University, Professor Atkins became Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University in September 2004.

Professor Atkins is currently a Board member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England and sits on its Audit Committee.

Internationally, Professor Atkins is Deputy Chairman and Council Member of The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). Nationally, she is a Trustee and Member of the Public Services Lab Board of NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), and also an Associate on The Engineering Council. In addition she is a Member of Universities UK‘s Longer Term Strategy Group and its Employability Business and Industry Policy Network.

Professor Atkins is a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute and a Fellow of the RSA.

Recently Professor Atkins was member of the CBI’s Higher Education Task Force and has also represented academia on the “Fair Access to Professions” Cabinet Office Panel.

Regionally, she has until recently been a Board Member of Advantage West Midlands (the RDA) and was Deputy Chair of Advantage West Midlands’ Council for Innovation and Technology