Colin Riordan Explained

Colin Riordan
Office1:Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University
Term Start1:September 2012
Term End1:August 2023
Predecessor1:Sir David Grant
Term Start2:October 2007
Term End2:2012
Successor2:Anthony Forster
Birth Date:1959 7, df=y
Birth Place:Paderborn, Germany
Nationality:British
Alma Mater:University of Manchester

Colin Bryan Riordan FLSW (born 27 July 1959) is a British academic who was formerly President and Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University from September 2012 to August 2023.[1]

Education

Riordan obtained his PhD from the University of Manchester in 1986.[2]

Career

Riordan taught English as a foreign language at Julius-Maximilians-Universitat Wurzburg in Germany (1982–84). He was Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer in German at Swansea University from 1986 to 1998.

He became Professor of German at Newcastle University in 1998, later being appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in August 2005.[3]

In October 2007, he took up the post of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Essex.[4] On 1 September 2012, he became Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University.[5]

In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.[6]

In 2015, under his purview as Vice-Chancellor, Riordan announced that Cardiff University would launch five new flagship research centres, each focusing on a world issue. These include resolving chronic diseases; the scarcity of water; the prevention of crime; studying big data; and creating smarter energy systems.[7]

Riordan was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to higher education.

Research and publications

He has published on post-war German literature and culture,[8] including editing books on the writers Jurek Becker, Uwe Johnson and Peter Schneider.[9]

Personal life

In November 2017, shortly after missing Bisexual Visibility Day, Riordan came out as bisexual in a monthly email to staff.[10] The BBC quoted him as saying, "Only a few vice chancellors have spoken out about being gay or lesbian and none about being bi, as far as I'm aware."[11] He has two daughters from a former marriage.[12]

Memberships

In 2013 he became chair of Higher Education Wales, the body which represents the interests of Higher Education Institutions in Wales.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: News Centre - New Vice-Chancellor for Cardiff University . 2013-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131213122209/http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/new-vice-chancellor-for-cardiff-university-7013.html . 2013-12-13 . dead .
  2. Web site: NewsLink - Press Office - Newcastle University . 2013-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131212202910/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/newslink/item/1173272911 . 2013-12-12 . dead .
  3. Web site: NewsLink - Press Office - Newcastle University . 2013-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131212202910/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/newslink/item/1173272911 . 2013-12-12 . dead .
  4. Web site: Wyvern : People : March 2007 . 2013-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131212223959/http://www.essex.ac.uk/wyvern/Archive/2007-03/people.htm . 2013-12-12 . dead .
  5. Web site: News Centre - New Vice-Chancellor for Cardiff University . 2013-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131213122209/http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/new-vice-chancellor-for-cardiff-university-7013.html . 2013-12-13 . dead .
  6. Web site: Wales . The Learned Society of . Colin Riordan . 2023-08-31 . The Learned Society of Wales . en-US.
  7. News: Cardiff University research centres to tackle major world issues . BBC News . 29 September 2015 . 5 October 2015.
  8. Web site: Newcastle University ePrints.
  9. Book: German Writers and the Cold War 1945-61. 9780719026621. Williams. Rhys W.. Parker. Stephen. Peitsch. Helmut. Riordan. Colin. 1992. Manchester University Press .
  10. News: Cardiff Uni boss: 'Why I told colleagues I'm bisexual'. 21 November 2017. BBC.
  11. News: Cardiff Uni boss: 'Why I told colleagues I'm bisexual'. 21 November 2017. BBC.
  12. Web site: £288k-a-year university boss bravely comes out as bisexual in email to all staff to help those feeling 'invisible'. Mirror Online. 20 November 2017. 21 November 2017.
  13. Web site: UK Board . Universities UK . 2014-02-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150716015925/http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/aboutus/OurOrganisation/Pages/UKBoard.aspx . 2015-07-16 .
  14. Web site: Board. https://web.archive.org/web/20190820022017/http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/general/board.cfm . 2019-08-20. Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.
  15. Web site: Edge . 2012-05-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120501083155/http://www.edge.co.uk/about-edge/our-people . 2012-05-01 .
  16. http://ecctis.co.uk/naric/Advisory%20Council/Advisory%20Council.aspx
  17. Web site: Board of Trustees. 6 October 2014.
  18. Web site: Board members — Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) . 2013-12-10 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131213053410/http://www.ecu.ac.uk/about-us/board-of-directors/board-members . 2013-12-13 .
  19. Web site: International Education Council.
  20. Web site: International Education Council.

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