Royal Holloway, University of London, is delighted to announce that Professor Julie Sanders has been appointed to be its next Principal. Professor Sanders will succeed Professor Paul Layzell who will retire later this year following 12 very successful years in the role.

Professor Julie Sanders

A Professor of English Literature and Drama with an international research reputation in early modern literature, Professor Sanders is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at Newcastle University where she is responsible for the university’s three faculties and academic strategy. Professor Sanders is also the Executive lead for the university’s value-led work and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and social and environmental justice.

Having obtained her first degree in English at Cambridge University, Professor Sanders completed her master's and PhD at the University of Warwick. Her first lectureship was at Keele University in 1995. In 2004, she joined the University of Nottingham as Chair of English, Drama and Literature and held the post of Head of the School of English from 2010 to 2013, after which she was seconded to the university’s Ningbo China joint venture campus, where she held the position of Vice Provost (Teaching and Learning) for two years. Professor Sanders joined Newcastle University in 2015 as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Humanities and Social Sciences.

Dame Margaret Hodge, Chair of Council at Royal Holloway, who led the appointment process said:

“I am delighted that Professor Julie Sanders will be joining us at Royal Holloway as our Principal. With her excellent personal academic track record and her wide experience in leading institutions both in the UK and overseas, I am confident that she is the right person to take our university forward. She will be able to continue to grow our reputation for outstanding teaching, world class research and strong support for our students. We are all looking forward to working with her as she starts to implement her ambitious plans and ideas for Royal Holloway.”

Speaking of her appointment as Principal at Royal Holloway, which recently confirmed its position as a research-intensive university in the REF 2021 and is ranked within the top 25 of the UK’s universities in the UK, Professor Sanders said:

“I am absolutely delighted and honoured to be taking up the role of Principal at Royal Holloway later this year. I know that I am building on very firm foundations – not just the history of the institution, which is significant and moving, but also all the recent work that has been undertaken to create a teaching and research community of students and colleagues underpinned by values of inclusion, academic excellence and social justice. I look forward to being able to meet everyone soon and to becoming part of that community and part of an exciting future.”

Professor Sanders will take up post on 1 October 2022.