List of University of Kent people

See also: Category:People associated with the University of Kent

A list of people related to the University of Kent.

## Officers

[edit]

Several positions did not technically exist prior to the formal incorporation of the University by approval of its Charter on 4 January 1965. However several were appointed beforehand as nominal "officer designates", performing the same duties. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was not formally installed as Chancellor until 30 March 1966.[1]

### Chancellors

[edit]

* 1963–1968 Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
* 1970–1990 Jo Grimond (later Baron Grimond) - see University of Kent at Canterbury Chancellor election, 1970
* 1990–1995 Sir Robert Horton
* 1996–2006 Sir Crispin Tickell
* 2006–2014 Sir Robert Worcester
* 2014–2024 Gavin Esler
* 2024–present YolanDa Brown

### Vice-Chancellors

[edit]

* 1963–1980 Geoffrey Templeman
* 1980–1994 David J.E. Ingram
* 1994–2001 Robin Sibson
* 2001–2007 Sir David Melville
* 2007–2017 Dame Julia Goodfellow
* 2017–2024 Karen Cox

### Pro Chancellors

[edit]

* 1960–1971 Wykeham Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis
* 1971–1977 Sir Paul Chambers
* 1977–1984 Robin Leigh-Pemberton
* 1984–1993 Reverend David Say
* 1993–1999 John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne
* 1999–2005 Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield

Title changed to:

### Chair of the Council

[edit]

* 2005–2011 Valerie Marshall
* 2011–2014 John Simmonds
* 2014–present Sir David Warren

### Visitors

[edit]

The Visitor of the university is the Archbishop of Canterbury ex officio. The following Archbishops have served:

* 1965–1974 Michael Ramsey (appointed Archbishop 1961)
* 1974–1980 Donald Coggan
* 1980–1991 Robert Runcie
* 1991–2002 George Carey
* 2002–2012 Rowan Williams
* 2013–2025 Justin Welby

## Notable staff

[edit]

See also: Category:Academics of the University of Kent

* Dominic Abrams \- Professor of Social Psychology & Vice President of the British Academy
* Andy Alaszewski \- Emeritus Professor of Health Studies[2]
* Harry Bloom \- South African former political activist, author (deceased)
* Upamanyu Chatterjee \- author
* David Corfield – philosopher
* Elizabeth Cowie \- professor of film studies at the University of Kent[3]
* Frank Furedi \- founder and chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP), Professor of Sociology
* Robin Gill \- Anglican priest and theologian
* Roy Goodman \- freelance conductor, violinist and organist
* Matthew Goodwin \- professor and researcher of British politics
* Abdulrazak Gurnah \- writer
* Rosalyn Higgins \- President of the International Court of Justice
* Rosemary Hunter \- Legal scholar and researcher Professor of Law
* Michael J. L. Kirby \- former Canadian Senator
* Elena Korosteleva \- Professor and Director of the Institute for Global Sustainable Development University of Warwick
* Bill MacMillan \- Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia
* Molly Mahood \- literary scholar
* Murray Smith \- philosopher and film theorist; Professor of Film at the University of Kent
* Hamish Swanston, the first Catholic to head a Department of Theology at a British university since the Reformation
* David Turner \- computer scientist, designer of the Miranda programming language
* Sarah Turner \- filmmaker, and Director of Research, School of Music and Fine Art[4]
* Glenn White \- astronomer
* John Zarnecki \- space scientist and principal on the Huygens probe

## Notable alumni

[edit]

See also: Category:Alumni of the University of Kent

All Bachelors Degrees unless stated otherwise

### Academia

[edit]

* Anuwar Ali \- (PhD) - economist, exponent of higher education, second Vice-Chancellor and President of Open University Malaysia
* Jo Fox \- Director Institute of Historical Research University of London
* Adrian Franklin \- Professor of Sociology at the University of Tasmania
* Colin Hughes \- Emeritus Professor of Microbiology University of Cambridge, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge
* Belinda Jack \- Fellow and Tutor in French at Christ Church, Oxford at the University of Oxford
* Homa Katouzian \- (PhD) - Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Oxford
* Robert Lethbridge \- Former Master of Fitzwilliam College at the University of Cambridge
* Lisa Roberts \- (PhD) - Vice Chancellor University of Exeter
* Ralph Townsend (MA) - former Headmaster of Winchester College
* Patrick Collinson \- Notable Elizabethan historian; (PhD) - former Regius Professor of Modern History, University of Cambridge
* Rupert Wegerif \- Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge Fellow of Hughes Hall
* Lorraine Whitmarsh \- environmental psychologist, Professor at the University of Bath

### Theatre film and entertainment

[edit]

* Farah Zeynep Abdullah \- Turkish actress and singer including film The Butterfly's Dream
* Heather Agyepong \- Actor/performer, photographer, visual artist.
* Andrew Burt \- actor - the original Jack Sugden in Emmerdale
* Daragh Carville \- playwright and screenwriter including The Bay
* Jackie Clune \- actor, singer, and comedian
* Alan Davies \- comedian, actor, and author: work includes television QI, Bob & Rose and Jonathan Creek and book Just Ignore Him
* Richard Denton \- producer and director of television documentaries including Comrades and Kingswood - a Comprehensive
* Lyn Gardner \- theatre critic, children's writer and journalist, founding member of City Limits magazine
* Mark Gillis \- actor, including for the Royal Shakespeare Company, writer / director including for the indie film Sink
* Stuart Hazeldine \- screenwriter and film director including The Shack
* Kim Ismay \- actor including Royal Shakespeare Company and singer
* Bruce Langley \- actor, known for playing the role of Technical Boy on American Gods
* Rebecca Lenkiewicz \- playwright and screenwriter including Ida, Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards 2015 and She Said (film)
* Laura Lexx \- comedian and writer
* Matthew Morsia \- fitness influencer, team member Gladiators
* Mark Simmons \- stand up comedian
* Megan Swann \- magician, President of The Magic Circle
* Paul Telfer \- actor, NCIS and Days of Our Lives
* Ramon Tikaram \- actor, This Life and EastEnders
* Michelle Tsiakkas \- professional dancer including Strictly Come Dancing series 22
* Neal Purvis and Robert Wade \- screenwriters of the film Let Him Have It and eight James Bond films including Casino Royale, Skyfall and No Time to Die
* Ariel Vromen \- Israeli screenwriter and film director including The Iceman
* Tom Wilkinson \- actor, including The Full Monty and Academy Award nominee for In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton.

### Literature

[edit]

* Michael Baigent \- (MA) - co-author of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail
* Valerie Bloom \- poet
* Debjani Chatterjee \- poet
* Fred D'Aguiar \- novelist, playwright, poet, and academic
* Abdulrazak Gurnah (MA) (PhD) - academic and novelist including Paradise and 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature winner
* Jane Harper \- author The Dry
* Sir Kazuo Ishiguro \- novelist, Man Booker Prize winner for The Remains of the Day and 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Screenwriter of Living (2022 film)
* E. L. James \- author Fifty Shades of Grey and film producer Fifty Shades of Grey
* David Mitchell \- novelist Ghostwritten, Cloud Atlas and Utopia Avenue
* Sarah Waters \- novelist Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet
* David Wingrove \- science fiction writer
* Frederick Kambemba Yamusangie \- novelist
* Musaemura Zimunya \- Zimbabwean contemporary author
* John Lewis-Stempel \- farmer and writer

### Media

[edit]

* Rosie Boycott \- journalist, former editor of The Independent and Daily Express
* Janusz Bugajski \- host of Bugajski Hour on several Balkan TV channels
* Ian Collins \- radio presenter and TalkRADIO host
* Oliver Double \- comedian and comedy historian
* Gavin Esler \- former BBC Newsnight presenter and BBC North America Editor
* Shiulie Ghosh \- former ITV news presenter
* Fi Glover \- BBC Radio 4 presenter including The Listening Project
* Charlotte Green \- BBC radio presenter
* David Horsey \- (MA) - Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist
* Mark Mardell \- Presenter The World This Weekend BBC Radio 4, former BBC North America and Europe Editor
* Matt Preston \- Australian television presenter and food journalist
* Carolyn Quinn \- BBC Radio 4 political presenter
* Paul Ross \- journalist and presenter, former editor and presenter The Big Breakfast
* William Sitwell \- former editor of Waitrose magazine now Telegraph columnist and Masterchef presenter
* Charlotte Smith \- Presenter Countryfile and Farming Today
* Peter White \- BBC Radio 4 presenter of You and Yours and BBC Disability Affairs Correspondent
* Patrick Wright \- journalist, academic and author
* Sahar Zand \- British-Iranian journalist, television presenter and documentary maker

### Music

[edit]

* YolanDa Brown \- saxophonist, composer, broadcaster, philanthropist; double MOBO "Best Jazz" winner. Chair BPI music.
* Jon DaSilva \- DJ and Record Producer - House and Dance music - pioneer at The Haçienda Manchester.
* Ana Free \- Portuguese singer songwriter.
* Barbara Gaskin \- singer - recorded No 1 hit single "It's My Party" with Dave Stewart
* Ellie Goulding \- singer / songwriter (dropped out - did not graduate) albums include Lights
* Steve Hillage \- guitarist (dropped out - did not graduate)
* Lami Phillips \- Nigerian singer / songwriter and actress
* Tiwa Savage \- Nigerian singer / songwriter

### Business

[edit]

* Afsaneh Mashayekhi Beschloss \- CEO Rock Creek , Former Chief Investment Officer World Bank, Carnegie Corporation of New York Great Immigrants, Great Americans list 2020
* James Buckley-Thorp \- Founder and Chief Executive Officer Bequest
* Zameer Choudrey, Baron Choudrey \- Chief Executive Bestway Group
* Wayne Garvie \- President International Production at Sony Pictures Television
* Tristia Harrison -Chief Executive Officer TalkTalk Group
* Max Hole \- former Chairman and Chief of Global Operations Universal Music
* Carolyn McCall \- Chief Executive Officer ITV
* Charles Wigoder \- Executive Chairman Telecom Plus

### Politics

[edit]

* Abdullah Md Zin \- (PhD) - minister in the Malaysian government
* Abbas Araghchi \- (PhD) - Foreign Minister of Iran
* Azizan Abdul Razak \- Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of the Malaysian state of Kedah
* Gareth Bacon \- Conservative Member of Parliament for Orpington \- Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
* Steve Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton \- (MA) - former Government Whip in the House of Lords
* Judith Blake, Baroness Blake of Leeds \- former Labour Leader of Leeds City Council
* Wayne Caines \- Minister of National Security Government of Bermuda
* Ronald D. Coleman \- (Year abroad) - former United States Representative for Texas
* Baron Collins of Highbury \- former Labour Party General Secretary
* Kaya Comer-Schwartz \- Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime - former Labour Leader of Islington Council in London
* Chris Davies \- (MA) - former Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for North West England
* Mark Drakeford \- former First Minister of Wales
* Tamsin Dunwoody \- former Labour Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Preseli Pembrokeshire; former minister in the Welsh Assembly Government
* Natalie Elphicke \- former Conservative / Labour Member of Parliament for Dover
* Kishwer Falkner, Baroness Falkner of Margravine (MA) - Liberal Democrat peer
* Allison Gardner \- Labour Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent South.
* Sheila Gilmore \- former Labour Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East
* Stephen Gethins -(MA) - SNP Member of Parliament for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry
* Kostis Hatzidakis \- (MA) - Minister for the Environment and Energy in the Greek Government
* Dame Ann Hercus \- (MA) - New Zealand politician and diplomat
* Jane Hutt \- Minister for Social Justice - Senedd
* Kamarudin Jaffar \- Member of Parliament of Malaysia for Bandar Tun Razak constituency and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Jean-Charles Larsonneur \- Deputy representing La Republique En Marche! for Finistère in the French National Assembly
* David Lepper \- former Labour Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion
* Eunice M. Tembo Luambia Zambian ambassador to the UN in Geneva[5]
* James MacCleary \- Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Lewes
* Mastura Mohd Yazid \- Member of Parliament for Kuala Kangsar district and Deputy Minister in the Malaysian Government
* Munira Mirza \- (MA) (PhD) - former Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit
* Maria Mezentseva (MA) - Member of the Ukrainian Parliament
* Chris Mole \- former Labour Member of Parliament for Ipswich
* Raychelle Omamo \- Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs
* Abena Oppong-Asare \- Labour Member of Parliament for Erith and Thamesmead \- Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office.
* Taiwo Owatemi \- Labour Member of Parliament for Coventry North West \- Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.
* Suren Raghavan (MA) (PhD) - Sri Lankan politician, former Governor of Northern Province, now National List MP for the Parliament of Sri Lanka
* Blake Stephenson \- Conservative Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire.
* Dan Tehan \- (MA) - Australian politician, former Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment in the Morrison government
* Emily Thornberry \- Labour Member of Parliament for Islington South and Finsbury Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
* Robin Tilbrook \- leader and founder of the English Democrats
* Tom Vandenkendelaere \- (MA) (PhD) - Belgian Member of the European Parliament
* Peter Whittle – former Deputy Leader of the UK Independence Party[6]
* Alex Yam \- Mayor of North West District and Member of the Singapore Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC
* Fu Ying \- (MA) - Chinese former Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.

### Law and administration

[edit]

* Sir David Akers-Jones \- (MA) former acting Governor of Hong Kong, 1986/87
* Ursula Brennan \- Order of the Bath \- former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice
* Jonathan Cohen \- High Court Judge, Family Division.
* Ivo Daalder \- President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, former United States Permanent Representative to NATO
* Luke de Pulford \- Human Rights Campaigner - recipient of the Benemerenti Medal
* Sir Chris Ham \- former Chief Executive King's Fund.
* Irwan Hambali \- (MSc) Police commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force[7]
* Alastair John Naisbitt King \- Chairman Naisbitt King Asset Management - Lord Mayor of London 2024 - 2025
* Mark Lucraft \- former Chief Coroner, now Recorder of London, Lead Judge at the Old Bailey.
* Pippa Mills \- formerly Chief Constable West Mercia Police now Assistant Commissioner Metropolitan Police
* Shan Morgan \- Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government
* Damilola Odufuwa \- Founder of Nigerian Feminist Coalition and Microfinance specialist. One of Vogue's 12 Women leaders who changed the World in 2020.
* Sir Hugh Orde \- former Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
* Joanna Roper \- British Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
* Lucy Scott-Moncrieff \- Human Rights and Mental Health lawyer - Past President Law Society of England and Wales
* Dame Glenys Stacey \- Chair Office for Environmental Protection - formerly Chief Executive Ofqual

### Nobility

[edit]

* Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma \- a peer and second cousin of King Charles III, son of John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne
* Lady Amanda Patricia Victoria Knatchbull \- daughter of John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne and cousin to Charles III
* Sir Jonathan Cohen \- grandson of Lionel Cohen, Baron Cohen, great-great grandson of financier Lionel Louis Cohen
* Joshua Leakey \- recipient of the Victoria Cross, member of the Leakey family, relative of Lieutenant General Arundell David Leakey

### Sports

[edit]

* Paul Ackford \- former England Rugby and British and Irish Lions rugby player, The Sunday Telegraph sports journalist
* Adam Ball \- former England Under 19 Cricket Captain who played for Kent County Cricket Club
* Natasha Brennan \- Women's Rugby Union player - Won the gold medal with the 2014 Women's World Cup England Rugby team.
* David Fulton \- cricketer, former captain of Kent County Cricket Club
* Wayne Otto \- British Karate Champion - Winner of multiple gold medals at Karate World Championships
* Jamie Reeves \- (MA) - semi-professional footballer who won the FA Vase twice; pundit on the ESPN Star Sports coverage of the Premier League
* Susannah Townsend \- Great Britain, England and Canterbury field hockey player, Gold medal winner 2016 Summer Olympics, Bronze medal winner 2020 Summer Olympics

### Military

[edit]

* Joshua Leakey \- known for courageous actions in the Afghanistan campaign in 2015; recipient of the Victoria Cross (did not graduate - left in the first year to join the British Army)

### Miscellaneous

[edit]

* Madeline Argy \- Podcaster, Influencer
* Chris Broad \- Youtuber
* Tom Frame \- (MA)- Australian Christian minister of religion, historian, author, and social commentator
* Akaliza Keza Gara \- Rwandan IT activist
* Rachael House \- artist
* Philip Howard \- Michelin starred chef - The Square and then Elystan Street
* Leon McCarron \- Northern Irish adventurer, author, filmmaker, broadcaster. Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Yale World Fellow 2024.
* Duro Olowu \- Fashion Designer
* Martin Poll \- Canon Chaplain of St George's Chapel Windsor Castle
* Stephen Shaw -(MA) - Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales
* Johnny Yeo \- artist and portraitist - his paintings are included in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Graham Martin, From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury (University of Kent at Canterbury, 1990) page 32 ISBN 0-904938-03-4
2. ^ "Andy Alaszewski". University of Kent. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
3. ^ "Prof Elizabeth Cowie". University of Kent. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
4. ^ "Sarah Turner: Director of Research". University of Kent. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
5. ^ "New Permanent Representative of Zambia Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva | The United Nations Office at Geneva". www.ungeneva.org. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
6. ^ "Whittle, Peter Robin". Whittle, Peter Robin, (Born 6 Jan. 1961), author, journalist and broadcaster; Member (UK Ind), London Assembly, Greater London Authority, since 2016 (Leader, UK Independent Group, since 2016); Founder and Director, New Culture Forum, since 2006. Who's Who. 2016. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U287927.
7. ^ "Pengarah Pentadbiran Am & Kewangan PDB, ACP. Mohd. Irwan bin Haji Hambali". Royal Brunei Police Force (in Malay). March 2013. p. 10-11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.

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