New Pro Vice-Chancellor looks to make his mark at home and on the world stage

Forging partnerships at home and on the world stage is the focus of Wrexham Glyndwr University’s new Pro Vice-Chancellor. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Aulay Mackenzie is aiming to bolster business relations, grow educational partnerships, expand international recruitment and bring employers together with academia under the interim position. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As Pro Vice-Chancellor, Partnerships – Home and International, Dr Mackenzie has already targeted the University’s burgeoning relationship with Malaysia as an area of growth. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As well as establishing a presence in the country – targeting partnership development and student recruitment in the Far East, including Singapore and Thailand – he will be looking to bolster links with further education institutions and colleges in North Wales and the UK. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This role is going to be about developing streams which will ultimately lead to more overseas and domestic students,” said Dr Mackenzie, who is married to Natalie and has five daughters. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The different strands of academia, business and international will cross over, and there’s a lot to do, but I’m confident we can get there.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Working alongside new Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Professor Richard Day, he is also planning to elevate the level of research engagement with industries, including increasing the number of KTPs (Knowledge Transfer Partnership). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Mackenzie, a former Dean and Senior Lecturer in ecology at the University of Essex – who will himself release a publication on the modelling of bird mortality caused by marine windfarms in the New Year – will look to “make a mark” ahead of the next Research Excellence Framework, expected in 2020. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

For now, the Dumfries-born former PVC at Teeside University is putting a structure in place that will see Wrexham Glyndwr continue on an upward trajectory which saw it achieve a figure of 92.1% for employability and rank among the top 10 biggest risers in the 2016 National Student Survey. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We’re trying to make these strides simultaneously, which is a challenge, but working together we are making progress already,” he said. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I’m already closely engaged with the heads of schools and their teams, and together we are focusing on driving forward these agendas to further strengthen the university.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​