Oxford Brookes University inaugurates new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Helen Laville

Oxford Brookes University inaugurated its new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Helen Laville, in a ceremony held this morning (Friday 5 September).

Professor Laville officially took up the role on 1 August, succeeding Professor Alistair Fitt, who retired in June 2025.

John Zealley, Chair of the Board of Governors at Oxford Brookes, leading the ceremony, said: “The Vice-Chancellor is the chief executive of Oxford Brookes University, providing the vision, leadership and strategic direction that enables our staff and students to thrive, and guiding the institution as it continues to make a powerful contribution locally, nationally and globally.”

Mr Zealley said he was very much looking forward to working with Professor Laville and delighted to have the honour of inaugurating her as the University’s Vice-Chancellor. 

Professor Laville said: “It is my great pleasure and honour to become Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University today, because of our commitment to being a university of consequence. A university that makes a difference to the lives of our students, but also  our city, to our regions and communities, our national and international partners, and to those fields of study and research that are expanded and pushed forward through the efforts of my colleagues.” 

Professor Laville has held senior academic leadership roles across a number of universities. Most recently, she was Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Kingston University, where she achieved notable success in enhancing the research agenda, improving student outcomes, and embedding employability into the curriculum. She also led Kingston’s submission to the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, securing the only institutional move from Bronze to Gold.

Helen’s record shows her commitment to strategic change and development, alongside her passion for building inclusive, outward-facing universities. She was the executive sponsor for Kingston’s LGBTQ+ staff network, a Governor on the Board of the South Thames College Group, and worked with local partners to expand the civic role of the University.

Her academic career began at the University of Birmingham, where she studied Medieval and Modern History, graduating with first-class honours, before gaining her PhD in American History from the University of Nottingham. Over a distinguished 20-year career at Birmingham, culminating as Head of School, she built her reputation as a scholar and academic leader before taking up senior leadership roles at Manchester Metropolitan University and Kingston.

Watch a recording of Professor Laville's inauguration address.