Rama Thirunamachandran

Rama Shankaran Thirunamachandran (born September 1966) is a British university administrator and the current 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.

Rama Thirunamachandran OBE DL FRGS
Thirunamachandran in June 2023
Died	September 1966 (age 58)
Citizenship	British
Alma mater	Downing College, Cambridge
Occupation	University administrator

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 in January 2026.^[7]

Thirunamachandran was chair of the Higher Education Academy (2015–2018) and a member of the board of UCAS (2010–2013).^[11][12] He has been on the board of Universities UK since 2017 and chair of MillionPlus (2020–2022).^[2][6] He is a non-executive director of Medway NHS Foundation Trust.^[6][13]

Thirunamachandran is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.^[6][13] He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Kent in November 2020.^[7][13] He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to higher education in the 2023 Birthday Honours.^[14][15]

References

1. "Rama Shankaran THIRUNAMACHANDRAN". Cardiff, UK: Companies House. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
2. "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. "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. "King's Honours: Professor Rama Thirunamachandran OBE DL". Cambridge, UK: Development and Alumni Relations, University of Cambridge. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
7. 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. 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. Gibney, Elizabeth (29 June 2013). "Former Hefce research director to become v-c". TES. London, UK. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
10. 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. "University Awards 2020: the judges". The Guardian. London, UK. 18 November 2019. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
12. "Professor Rama Thirunamachandran". Canterbury, UK: Kent and Medway Medical School. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
13. "Our Board: Professor Rama Thirunamachandran OBE". London, UK: Universities UK. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024.
14. "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.
15. 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.