Change at the top
Professor Andy Schofield has been appointed as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, taking up the role on 1 October 2025.
Professor Schofield is currently Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, a position he has held since May 2020. He was previously Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Engineering at the University of Birmingham.
The appointment was made following an open and competitive recruitment process, supported by Saxton Bampfylde, after Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli announced in April that he would step down from the role in 2025.
Commenting on his appointment as the University’s 51st Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Schofield said: “It is a great honour to have been appointed as the next Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. Glasgow is an impressive, world-changing institution which has made huge strides under Sir Anton’s leadership. I very much look forward to building on his legacy and working with a brilliant set of colleagues to take the University forward.”
Professor Schofield has an academic background in theoretical condensed matter physics, specialising in correlated electrons. He studied natural sciences followed by a PhD at the University of Cambridge where he was appointed to a Research Fellowship in 1992. He moved to the United States of America in 1994, working at Rutgers University for two years before returning to Cambridge.
In 1999, Professor Schofield moved to the University of Birmingham and was promoted to Professor of Theoretical Physics in 2002. He held a number of leadership positions within the University of Birmingham before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor.
Since his appointment at Lancaster University, Professor Schofield has taken up the role of Senior Independent Member on the Science & Technology Facilities Council. He chairs the USS Employers' Pensions Forum and is a board member of the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association. Professor Schofield is an honorary fellow of the Manufacturing Technology Centre and champions the UK International Campus Alliance Network.