Rama Thirunamachandran

Rama Thirunamachandran
OBE DL FRGS
Thirunamachandran in June 2023
BornSeptember 1966 (age 59–60)
CitizenshipBritish
Alma materDowning College, Cambridge
OccupationUniversity administrator

Rama Shankaran Thirunamachandran (born September 1966) is a British university administrator and the former vice-chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University. He was previously deputy vice-chancellor of Keele University and director for research, innovation and skills at the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Early life

Thirunamachandran was born in September 1966 in Britain.[1][2] He is the son of theoretical chemist Thuraiappah Thirunamachandran, a Tamil from northern Ceylon.[3][4] He studied at geography and natural sciences at Downing College, Cambridge, graduating in 1986.[5][6]

Career

Thirunamachandran worked on flood prevention projects in Bangladesh for the United Nations Development Programme.[6][7] He held various posts at the University of Bristol and King's College London.[8][9] He was head of research and enterprise at Royal Holloway, University of London and director of Royal Holloway Enterprise Limited.[8][9] He was director for research, innovation and skills at the Higher Education Funding Council for England from 2002 to 2008.[2][8]

Thirunamachandran was deputy vice-chancellor and provost of Keele University from 2008 to 2013.[9][10] He became vice-chancellor and principal of Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) in October 2013, becoming the first British born Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic vice-chancellor of a mainstream UK university.[5][10] In February 2025 it was announced that Thirunamachandran would retire from CCCU, and in April 2026 was succeeded by Claire Ozanne as vice-chancellor.[7][11]

Thirunamachandran was chair of the Higher Education Academy (2015–2018) and a member of the board of UCAS (2010–2013).[12][13] He has been on the board of Universities UK since 2017 and chair of MillionPlus (2020–2022)[2][6] and he has been a non-executive director of Medway NHS Foundation Trust (2020-2024).[6][14]

Thirunamachandran is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.[6][14] He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Kent in November 2020.[7][14] He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to higher education in the 2023 Birthday Honours.[15][16]

References

  1. ↑ "Rama Shankaran THIRUNAMACHANDRAN". Cardiff, UK: Companies House. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Vice-Chancellor awarded OBE in King's Birthday List". Canterbury, UK: Canterbury Christ Church University. 17 June 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  3. ↑ Andrews, David (18 February 2009). "Obituary of Thiru Thirunamachandran". Physics Today. College Park, USA: American Institute of Physics. ISSN 1945-0699. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  4. ↑ Davies, Alwyn (2009). "Obituaries" (PDF). ChemUCL. London, UK: Department of Chemistry, University College London. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Downing alumnus recognised in King's Birthday Honours". Cambridge, UK: Downing College, Cambridge. 23 June 2023. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "King's Honours: Professor Rama Thirunamachandran OBE DL". Cambridge, UK: Development and Alumni Relations, University of Cambridge. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Harbert, Joe (4 February 2025). "Canterbury Christ Church University leader Rama Thirunamachandran to depart after huge jobs cut announced". Kent Online. Rochester, UK: KM Media Group. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Lipsett, Anthea (27 February 2008). "Funding council head moves to Keele". The Guardian. London, UK. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Gibney, Elizabeth (29 June 2013). "Former Hefce research director to become v-c". TES. London, UK. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  10. 1 2 Claridge, Alex (26 June 2013). "Canterbury Christ Church University appoint Rama Thirunamachandran as replacement for Prof Robin Baker". Kent Online. Rochester, UK: KM Media Group. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "CCCU welcomes new Vice-Chancellor". CCCU. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "University Awards 2020: the judges". The Guardian. London, UK. 18 November 2019. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  13. ↑ "Professor Rama Thirunamachandran". Canterbury, UK: Kent and Medway Medical School. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 "Our Board: Professor Rama Thirunamachandran OBE". London, UK: Universities UK. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024.
  15. ↑ "Birthday Honours List - United Kingdom: Order of the British Empire - Civil Division". The London Gazette. No. 64082. London, UK. 16 June 2023. p. B15. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  16. ↑ Harris, Mary (16 June 2023). "Meet Kent's awe-inspiring heroes named in the King's Birthday Honours". Kent Live. London, UK: Reach plc. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
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