Five new members are joining the ACU’s governing Council from 1 August 2025.
The elected ACU Council brings together university leaders from ACU member universities across the Commonwealth, with a shared responsibility to oversee our strategic direction.
The new Council members are:
- Professor James A. Miller FRSE, University of the West of Scotland, UK
- Professor Alan Shepard, Western University, Canada
- Professor Dr. A. B. M. Obaidul Islam, Bangladesh Open University, Bangladesh
- Professor P. M. C. Thilakarathne, Open University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
- Professor Kenneth Matengu, University of Namibia, Namibia
We would like to say thank you to the departing Council members for their dedicated service and contribution to the ACU in recent years: Professor Abiodun H. Adebayo of Covenant University, Nigeria; Professor Amanda Broderick of the University of East London, UK; and Professor Rhonda L Lenton of York University, Canada.
Professor Cheryl de la Rey, Chair of ACU Council, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, said:
‘I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Council members. Their experience, skills and knowledge will help us to ensure the effective governance of the ACU, and help us to deliver our recently launched new strategic plan.’
Professor Colin Riordan CBE, Chief Executive and Secretary General of the ACU, added:
‘The ACU Council performs a vital role in ensuring that our organisation continues to be a dynamic global network making a difference to higher education across the Commonwealth.
The experience, leadership and connections that our new Council members bring from their impressive careers will be deeply valued.’
About the ACU Council
The ACU Council is the ACU's governing body and is responsible for overseeing the ACU's activities and determining its future strategic direction, while ensuring compliance with the laws of England, the ACU's Charter, Statutes and Regulations, and the ACU's core policies and procedures relating to governance.
The ACU Council is made up of vice-chancellors from across the Commonwealth, each of whom has been nominated and elected by their peers within the ACU membership network. The new members will each serve for a period of three years until 31 July 2027.