Professor Nishan Canagarajah, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, is to step down as Chair of The Conversation Trust UK’s Board of Trustees at the end of 2025, after four years in the role.

I have had the privilege of working closely with Nishan since he joined our board, and we are enormously grateful for his guidance, support and strategic vision. His understanding of what universities need, his ability to see the bigger picture whilst staying grounded in the practical realities we face, and his genuine passion for our mission have been invaluable.

Nishan’s relationship with The Conversation goes back almost a decade. He first joined our Editorial Board when he was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Bristol, before being appointed as a Trustee in April 2020, shortly after he became Vice-Chancellor at Leicester. When he took over the Chair from Professor Colin Riordan in 2021, he brought both deep sector knowledge and fresh thinking about how we could evolve.

With Nishan as Chair, we have strengthened our position as a critical partner for UK Higher Education, deepening our relationship with UKRI, Research England and Medr in Wales, and launching our commercial subsidiary, Universal Impact. But more than that, he has helped us stay focused on what matters: being responsive to the needs of our member universities and the thousands of academics who write for us each year, particularly at a time when the sector faces unprecedented challenges.

Nishan has been a powerful advocate for universities reclaiming their voice in public debate. As he wrote recently, “Universities do not need to shout louder – they need to be heard more”. This vision sits at the very heart of what The Conversation does. His belief in “the return of the expert” and the need for universities to step forward, shape the debate, and participate in the national conversation echoes our core purpose of bringing academics and researchers together to engage directly with the public.

When The Conversation UK launched in 2013 with Professor Sir Paul Curran as Chair, we were an improbable experiment, encouraging academics to speak directly to the public. Today, thanks to Nishan, Colin and Sir Paul, we’re an essential part of the research communication and UK Higher Education landscape. Our global network reaches more than 40 million readers each month, creating genuine pathways to impact for academics and institutions. As universities navigate the difficult times ahead, The Conversation’s role in demonstrating research impact and engaging new audiences has never been more important.

We congratulate Nishan on his recent appointment as Chair of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), and thank him wholeheartedly for his dedication to The Conversation’s mission. He leaves us in excellent shape, and we’re grateful for everything he’s given us.

Dr David Levy, our Deputy Chair, will chair the Board in the interim whilst we recruit Nishan’s successor. If you’re interested in learning more about the Chair role, you can find details and how to apply here.

The Conversation