5 minutes with: Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr

Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr joined the University of London in 2016 and, earlier this year, she became the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Strategy, Planning and Partnerships) and Director of Property. Prior to joining the University, she was Director of Estates and Campus Services at the University of Roehampton and, before then, she held the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Director of Strategy and Commissioning in the NHS, Head of Design and Engagement at the Prince’s Foundation for Architecture, and Senior Projects Leader at BAA.

Describe yourself in 10 words.

Ambitious for our students, committed to the University, people-centred, results-driven (12 words, sorry!)

Who or what inspires you?

Who – Those who plough on regardless for public good; often they don’t even recognise how brilliant they are.

What – Leveraging the power of ‘we’ and achieving more through collaboration and partnerships.

What has been your proudest achievement?

When you are a mother, it is easy to say ‘my kids’. I am of course very proud of them, but I recognise fully that having kids is a blessing and a privilege. My proudest professional moment is being one of six finalists for the Stirling Prize for Architecture for one of my buildings. Proudest personal achievement is running a half marathon for UNICEF in support of their Winter Blankets Appeal for Syrian refugees.

What do you like most about working for the University of London?

My colleagues! Each member of staff is committed to enabling people from all backgrounds and walks of life, who want to study for a University of London degree to do so anywhere around the world; and we don’t stop there, we help and support students and alumni to do their best in their studies and to realise their ambitions for their lives.

What do you think makes the University so unique?

Our academic community: we are a federation of 17 world leading universities. Our home: London is the world’s most vibrant city. Our inclusive history: we were the first university to admit students regardless of their gender, race or religion, the first to admit women to study ‘special examinations’ and later, degree programmes, and in 1865, the first to give students the opportunity to study our degrees anywhere across the globe.

Broadly speaking, what does your role as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Strategy, Planning and Partnerships) and Director of Property involve?

My main responsibilities are to lead on engaging with colleagues across the University and Member Institutions to develop and deliver our University strategy, to oversee our strategic planning function that provides the evidence base for our strategic actions across the Institution, and to develop partnerships to enable us to be more effective in delivering our mission. I am also responsible for strategic communications and marketing, and our relationships with our Trustees, Member Institutions and our great alumni community.

I also hold the enviable role of looking after our property portfolio. I am a very proud and privileged custodian of our buildings in London and Paris.

Part of your job includes building partnerships with stakeholders. Why is this important?

The University of London is a federation of a number of world-leading universities. Partnerships and collaboration are in our DNA. We also partner with Recognised Teaching Centres and alumni across the world to help us deliver our access mission.

Our unique School of Advanced Study is also tasked by Research England, the UK government’s research funding body, to lead nationally on the promotion of, and public engagement with, research into the humanities. Delivering this relies on the excellent partnerships and relationships that the School has across the UK and internationally, as demonstrated by the Being Human festival with events held across the globe.

The University of London is also home to some of the world’s most valuable library collections; our work to make this accessible to all who seek it, including our global alumni, relies on great partnerships with Member Institutions’ libraries, the British Library and other holders of library collections and archivists.

Importantly, and with the UK leaving the EU at the end of this year, we will continue to work with our European partners, alumni and colleagues through ULIP, the University of London in Paris, to further strengthen our ties with our European neighbours.

What role do you see alumni and supporters having in helping the University to reach its strategic goals?

The generosity of alumni through philanthropic giving is fundamental in supporting the University’s mission. Our alumni across the world provide an unrivalled network for our students to access information, support and opportunities. Higher education provides opportunities like no other, and our alumni hold important positions across the world; they themselves change people’s lives every day by utilising their education to the benefit of others and therefore help us in delivering our mission. They champion education, the humanities, research, public engagement and play a critical role in enabling the University to deliver its strategic objectives.

The University of London has a long tradition and well-established brand – what is the next chapter for 2020 and beyond?

The future is bright for the University of London. As we head towards our 200th anniversary in 2036, you will see us cement our position as the UK’s leader in global distance education and as the home for the dissemination and public engagement of research in the humanities. We will continue to innovate and lead the world in enabling access to higher education by keeping up with all technological and digital advancements, enabling new ways of teaching, learning, researching and engaging with knowledge. Some things will also stay the same; we will continue with our academic rigour, our flexibility and our dynamism, inspired by London, our home city. We will also stay true to our values of enabling social good, collaborating and innovating. I am very excited about leading the implementation of our new strategy and realising our ambitions for our students and our great, and unique, University.