Rob Cuthbert is Professor of Higher Education Management at the University of the West of England, Bristol, having returned in 2009 to an academic role after 20 years’ management experience in roles including Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Acting Vice-Chancellor.

He has worked in universities, further education colleges and national government agencies as a manager, academic and management consultant specialising in postsecondary education and training. Rob pioneered the study and practice of marketing in further and higher education in the UK and helped create an IT-based management information system used by over 300 UK colleges and universities.

His six books and many reports, articles and papers on HE policy, management, teaching and learning include Management for a Purpose, Going Corporate and Working in Higher Education. His consultancy clients include colleges and governments in Europe, Africa, North America and China. Since 1998 he has chaired a region-wide programme for widening participation in higher education, now operating as Aimhigher South West, an integrated £6million pa programme involving 300 schools, 6 LEAs, 35 FE colleges, 14 HE institutions and other agencies. Rob was Chair of the Society for Research into Higher Education in 2002 and 2003. He was a member of HEFCE’s Widening Participation Strategic Committee during 2005-2008 and was a Senior Associate of the Higher Education Academy 2006-2008, working with senior university staff and institutions throughout the UK on learning and teaching strategy and the linkages between teaching and research.