Professor Ros Richards to retire June 2017
Friday, 14 October 2016
After 21 years outstanding service to the University, Professor Ros Richards will be retiring from her post as Head of the International Study and Language Institute (ISLI) at the end of June 2017.
Ros joined the University as a lecturer in September 1996, to lead the development of English for academic purposes in the Centre for Applied Language Studies (CALS). In 2003, she became Director of CALS, then in the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies. Her remit grew through a number of restructurings and mergers, and by 2013 the scope of the activities and their impact for the University’s internationalisation agenda were sufficient to merit the creation a new School, the International Study and Language Institute (ISLI), with Ros appointed as Head.
During the time of Ros’ appointment as Head of ISLI, higher education has entered a phase of unprecedented change, where engagement in international work requires ever more vision and initiative. The Global Engagement Strategy for 2020 and beyond has put ISLI at the centre of its leadership and implementation.
Ros has also contributed to many international projects, travelling widely to represent the University in capacity building and teaching collaborations with international partners in Sri Lanka, Sudan, Ghana, Qatar, Bahrain, Kurdistan, Turkey, France, Colombia, China and Malaysia.
Ros said 'ISLI has recently added exciting new dimensions to its work, with the establishment of an international partnerships team for growing student mobility and teaching partnerships and plans for an increased portfolio of ISLI activities at the Malaysia campus. I have every confidence that the School will continue to grow and thrive under a new Head, and my focus this year will be to ensure its strongest position yet for my successor to take over in June 2017'.
Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor, commented 'Ros has been a brilliant servant to the University. Undoubtedly Ros’ greatest contribution has been the creation and leadership of an Institute with an impressive diversity of staff expertise, united in a strong commitment to global engagement and all that represents.
As well as providing excellent leadership to ISLI, Ros has been a team player with the interests of the wider university always at the heart of her thinking. At a personal level, I have really enjoyed working with Ros as a wise and thoughtful colleague. All in all, she will be a hard act to follow'.
An internal recruitment exercise is now underway to appoint a new Head of ISLI, with effect from 1 July 2017. Interested colleagues can find out more on the vacancy listing.