Professor Rama Thirunamachandran is the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Canterbury Christ Church University. He joined the institution in 2013.
Rama’s academic background is in geography and natural sciences and he is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He was Director of Research, Innovation and Skills at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and was Chair of the Higher Education Academy. He is currently Chair of the UUK Membership Committee, a Non-Executive Director of the Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Chair of MillionPlus, and a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent.
The role of vice-chancellor is incredibly diverse and I enjoy the daily variety. The university is all about people – staff and students – and trying to make a difference in peoples’ lives is the most fulfilling and rewarding part of my role.