List of University of Birmingham alumni explained

This is a list of notable alumni related to the University of Birmingham and its predecessors, Mason Science College and Queen's College, Birmingham. Excluded from this list are those people whose only connection with Birmingham University is that they were awarded an honorary degree.

Heads of state and government

State	Leader	Office
	Kenny Anthony	Prime Minister of St. Lucia, 1997–2006, 2011–
United Kingdom	Stanley Baldwin^[1]	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1923–24, 1924–29, 1935–1937
Gibraltar	Joe Bossano	Chief Minister of Gibraltar, 1988–96
United Kingdom	Neville Chamberlain^[2] ^[3]	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1937–1940
Bahamas	Perry Christie	Prime Minister of the Bahamas, 2005–07, 2012–
Zambia	Hakainde Hichilema	President of Zambia, 2021-

Nobel Prize recipients

Name	Year	Prize	Affiliation	Reference
Francis William Aston	1922	Nobel Prize in Chemistry	BSc in Applied/Pure Science, 1910; DSc in Applied/Pure Science, 1914 (also a lecturer at the university)	^[4] ^[5]
Maurice Wilkins	1962	Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine	PhD in Physics, 1940	^[6]
Sir John Vane	1982	Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine	BSc in Chemistry, 1947	^[7]
Sir Paul Nurse	2001	Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine	BSc in Biology, 1970	^[8]

In addition, soil scientist Peter Bullock (1958 BA Geography) contributed to the reports of the IPCC, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007^{[9] [10]}

Academics

Agriculture

• Chris Pollock, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Welsh Assembly Government 2007-08
• Christopher Wathes, Chairman of the Farm Animal Welfare Council, awarded the Research Medal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England (BSc in Physics, 1974)^[11]

Computer science, mathematics and statistics

• Julian Besag, statistician, recipient of the Guy Medal in Silver (1983) (BSc in 1968)^[12]
• Mike Cowlishaw, computer scientist
• Peter McCullagh, statistician, recipient of the Guy Medal in Bronze (1983) and in Silver (2005), and the inaugural Karl Pearson Prize^[13]
• Mary Lee Woods, mathematician and computer programmer
• Mike Worboys, mathematician and computer scientist

Cultural studies

• Paul Gilroy, sociologist and cultural theorist
• Stuart Hall, cultural theorist
• Lawrence Grossberg, cultural studies theorist
• Paul Willis, sociologist and cultural theorist
• Angela McRobbie, media studies scholar and cultural theorist

Economics

• David Bailey, economist
• Michael Beesley, industrial economist
• David Blanchflower, labour economist
• Julian Cooper, specialist in Russian economic matters (PhD)^[14]
• Milton Ezrati, economist
• Homa Katouzian, economist, historian, political scientist and literary critic, with a special interest in Iranian studies
• Charit Tingsabadh, Thai economist
• Alan Williams, health economist

Education

• John Omoniyi Abiri, Nigerian academic, dean of the Faculty of Education University of Ilorin
• Mel Ainscow, Professor of Education at the University of Manchester
• William Arbuckle Reid, British curriculum theorist
• Leaena Tambyah, social worker and founder of the first school for children with multiple disabilities in Singapore

English

• Polly Ho-Yen, author
• David Lodge, novelist and literary critic (PhD English, 1967; Professor of English)^{[15] [16]}
• Lorna Sage, English academic, author and literary critic
• F. P. Wilson, literary scholar and bibliographer

Geography

• John Brian Harley, geographer and map historian
• Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, geographer
• Terry Slater, Reader in Historical Geography
• Michael John Wise, Emeritus Professor of Geography, University of London

Geology

• Rob Larter, Marine Geolophysicist, British Antarctic Survey, awarded the Polar Medal (PhD Geological Sciences, 1991)^[17]
• Li Siguang, father of geomechanics in China
• Frank H. T. Rhodes, geologist, President of Cornell University from 1977 to 1995^[18]
• Ethel Shakespear, geologist (DSc 1906)
• Gordon Warwick, geomorphologist and speleologist
• Harry B. Whittington, palaeontologist who made a major contribution to the study of fossils of the Burgess Shale and other Cambrian fauna
• Leonard Johnston Wills, British geologist, recipient of the Wollaston Medal of the Geological Society of London in 1954

Humanities, management and social sciences

• Akbar S. Ahmed, anthropologist; Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University, Washington, DC
• Shahram Akbarzadeh, professor of International Relations, East European Studies and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Melbourne
• Paul Crawford, academic, author and broadcaster; professor of Health Humanities at the University of Nottingham
• John Ellis, media academic
• Sir John Hills, professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics; director of the ESRC Research Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion
• Stephen Hinton, Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University
• Alan Kennedy, Professor of Psychology from 1972–2006 at the University of Dundee
• Vincent Watts, management consultant, Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia (1997–2002)
• Ian Wilson, Canadian linguist

Philosophy

• John Lewis, philosopher
• Bernard Mayo, English philosopher
• Constance Naden, philosopher and poet

Political science

• Stephen Gill, political scientist
• Philip Gummett, Chief Executive at the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Director of the PREST institute, and Professor of Government and Technology Policy at Manchester University (BSc Chemistry, 1969)
• Richard Sakwa, Russian and European political scientist

Theology

• Robert Beckford, theologian and film-maker (PhD and later a research fellow)
• William Lane Craig, philosopher and Christian apologist
• Gavin D'Costa, Professor of Theology at the University of Bristol
• Lynn de Silva, Sri Lankan theologian, former director of the Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue, Methodist minister
• James Haire, Director of the Public and Contextual Theology Research Centre at Charles Sturt University in Canberra
• James Holt, Mormon scholar
• John M. Hull, Emeritus Professor of Religious Education at the University of Birmingham
• J. Spencer Trimingham, Islam scholar

Zoology

• Minnie Abercrombie, zoologist
• Leslie Brent, immunologist and zoologist
• Desmond Morris, zoologist, author and TV presenter
• Karl Shuker, zoologist and cryptozoologist

Armed forces

• Peter Gray, Air Commodore (ret’d) and military historian
• Alan Hawley, Major General, Director General of the Army Medical Services 2006-09
• Sir Mike Jackson, former Chief of the General Staff, the most senior officer in the British Army
  • Adrian Nance, Commodore of Royal Navy Maritime Warfare School based in HMS Collingwood, commanding officer of HMS Ark Royal David Tinker, Royal Navy supply officer, killed in action, shortly before the end of the Falklands War, when HMS Glamorgan was hit by an Exocet missile

Charities and NGOs

• H. J. Blackham, first president and co-founder of the British Humanist Association^[19]
• Ian Bruce, academic, vice-president of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, founder and president of the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Cass Business School
• Glanis Changachirere, women's rights activist and founder of the Institute for Young Women Development^[20]
• Hany El-Banna, founder of Islamic Relief
• Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of Education for Health (MSc Healthcare Policy and Management, 1997)
• George Hosking, founder of the WAVE Trust
• Jane Slowey, Chief Executive of The Foyer Federation
• Sir Nick Young, Chief Executive of the British Red Cross, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Relief (1995-2001)

Politics and government

Africa

• Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia

The Caribbean

• John Delaney, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs of The Bahamas (LLB Law, 1986)^[21]
• Harold Lovell, Minister of Finance, the Economy and Public Administration Antigua and Barbuda
• Alvina Reynolds, Saint Lucian minister for Health, Wellness, Human Services and Gender Relations

Europe

• Sven Giegold, Green Party MEP
• David Hallam Labour Party MEP

Middle East

• Lucien Dahdah, Lebanese foreign minister, 1975
• Abdul-Aziz Higazy, Egyptian Prime Minister, PhD 1951
• Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja, Information and Culture Minister of Saudi Arabia 2009-14
• Omar Z Malhas, Finance Minister of Jordan, 2015 to 2018. MBA-IBF 1991

Oceania

• Gerry Bates, member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
  • Michael Johnson, member of the Australian House of Representatives ʻAna Taufeʻulungaki, Tongan minister

International organisations and ambassadors

Royalty

• Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, Lesotho High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
• Prince Manucher Mirza Farman Farmaian, sixth son of Prince Abdol Hossein Mirza Farmanfarma and of Batoul Khanoum, Iran

See also

• List of University of Birmingham people
• List of University of Birmingham academics

Notes and References

1. K. Feiling, The Life of Neville Chamberlain (London, 1970), 11
2. K. Feiling, The Life of Neville Chamberlain (London, 1970), 11–12
3. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32347. Chamberlain, (Arthur) Neville (1869–1940), prime minister . 2012-12-14. 10.1093/ref:odnb/32347 . 2004 . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Crozier . Andrew J. . 978-0-19-861412-8 .
4. Web site: University of Birmingham Nobel Prize Winners. bhamalumni.org. 2010-05-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20120303062227/http://bhamalumni.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=610. 2012-03-03. dead.
5. Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society Vol. 5, No. 16 (May, 1948), pp. 634-650. Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society. 5. 16. 635–650. 768761. Hevesy. G.. 1948. 10.1098/rsbm.1948.0002. 191531223.
6. Web site: Maurice Wilkins. University of Birmingham. 2012-12-14.
7. Web site: Sir John Vane. Birmingham University. 2012-12-14.
8. Web site: Sir Paul Nurse - Autobiography. Nobelprize.org. 2012-12-14.
9. News: Obituary:Peter Bullock. The Guardian. 2012-12-14. London. Stephen. Hallett. 1 July 2008.
10. Web site: Professor Peter Bullock. Birmingham University. 6 November 2014. 3 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170703114732/http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/fact/nobelprizewinners/bullock.aspx. dead.
11. Web site: Professor Christopher Wathes. Royal Veterinary College, University of London. 12 January 2015.
12. News: Professor Julian Besag. 3 February 2016. The Telegraph. September 9, 2010.
13. Web site: The inaugural Karl Pearson Prize . The International Statistical Institute . 8 November 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141108080421/http://www.isi-web.org/8736 . 8 November 2014 .
14. Web site: CREES Professor Julian Cooper receives OBE in New Year's Honours list. 15 March 2015. 13 February 2012.
15. Web site: University campus Blue Plaque Trail. Birmingham University. 15 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006065509/http://bhamalumni.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1111&frcrld=1. 6 October 2014. dead.
16. News: David Lodge. The Guardian. 2012-12-14. London. 2008-07-22.
17. http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/alumni/alumninewsletter2010.pdf
18. Web site: Frank H.T. Rhodes. Cornell University. 6 November 2014.
19. News: Smoker. Barbara. Obituary: Harold Blackham: Philosopher, and the first head of the British Humanist Association. 17 November 2014. The Independent. 8 April 2009.
20. Web site: Glanis Changachirere . 2024-06-23 . Forum 2000 . en.
21. Web site: 1980s Class notes. 1 September 2015.