Achim Brucker

As member of the senate, I will use my voice to ensure that our strategy supports a good balance between interdisciplinary teaching and research as well as discipline specific teaching and research. I strongly believe that world-leading interdisciplinary work requires a solid grounding in at least one of the involved foundational sciences.

I also want to contribute to ensuring that our (research-led!) teaching (of PGT and PGR students) is world-leading not only measured by league tables and rankings: we need to ensure that our education enables our graduates to have a live-long successful career in industry, academia, or the public sector or charities – not only in the UK, but world-wide. I have the same ambitions to contribute to a work environment and mentoring programs to ensure that our early career academics have world leading opportunities.

Having worked in industry I know how hard collaborations between industry and academia can be from both sides. I want to drive change to make collaborations easier and ensure that the university is also ready for short-term projects, supporting our academics in bringing their ideas into industry - without the need to stop doing more long-term research.

Edvard Glucksman

I am excited to run for a position on the University Senate.

In my roles as ESE faculty director for sustainability education and ESI associate director for student engagement, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future of our community.

This means further empowering students to make informed choices to shape their educational experience at Exeter, ensuring that they are ready to make the most of life’s opportunities after graduation.

For academic colleagues, this means thinking deeply about how we can continue to deliver excellence in research and education whilst responding to concerns around workload, accessibility and culture. It also means providing compelling opportunities for colleagues to engage with exciting and innovative educational initiatives, such as professional education or digital learning technologies.

On Senate, I would ensure:

-         Transparency and accountability in processes relating to forthcoming changes to our education strategy.

-         The promotion of a strategic direction towards a more inclusive community, to ensure that the university reflects the diversity of wider society.

-         Representation of academic colleagues from all campuses and sites, and engagement with the challenges specific to their workplace.

Thank you for your support!

Raphaëlle Haywood

I joined the University 4 years ago as a Lecturer in Astrophysics, contributing to research, education and building a strong university community. I recently designed and taught a new, interdisciplinary undergraduate module on climate change. As Assistant Director of the Global Systems Institute, I organised Streatham's first assembly in March 2024 that brought students and staff together to examine what we, as a university should do about the climate crisis. This assembly is the first of a series whose outcomes will inform my time in Senate, by surfacing what really matters to our community.

We need a strong, bold University whose strategy and decisions are guided by science and democratic dialogue. As a member of Senate, I will ensure that University governance and decisions are informed by our colleagues' research and expertise from all disciplines, especially on the climate and ecological crisis. I will push for all our students to be taught the skills and knowledge they need to tackle the planetary challenges facing them. I will foster a University where all academics have space and time to meet, exchange ideas freely, and innovate across disciplines. I will champion a culture that empowers us all as agents of positive change.

Stephen Hickman

As an innovative educator and proven leader, I am compelled to address any injustice detected within our institution. Having championed transformative experiences like the One Planet MBA and BSc Business and Environment, I now seek to extend the compassion I have for disabled students to colleagues, particularly those who are neurodivergent like myself. I will advocate for genuine reasonable work adjustments, drawing from my lived experience.

My involvement with an Exeter Incubator student gendered diversity project and a Community Kitchen initiative with the Penryn Campus students' union has provided insights into tackling EDI issues holistically. I aim to foster an environment where all feel welcomed, heard and supported, regardless of job family, background or circumstances.

As Director of Education, I have nurtured inclusive communities prioritizing student success, reflected in exceptional NSS ratings. On Senate, I will drive initiatives championing responsible leadership, interdisciplinarity and progressive education for a just, sustainable future aligned with Exeter's values.

Through regional engagement and impactful research collaborations, I have raised the University's profile. My vision propels Exeter as a global force celebrating neurodiversity and human potential. May the neurodivergent force be with you.

Muhammad Mustafa Kamal

I write to express my candidacy for the Senate election. With a commitment to academic excellence and a passion for collaborative decision-making, I am excited about the opportunity to serve as a Senate representative. As a dedicated member of the UK academic community (with over 15 years of experience in academia), I believe in the power of inclusivity and diversity to drive positive change. If elected, I will prioritise strengthening the voices of faculty members, ensuring that every perspective is heard, valued, and responded accordingly.

Having actively contributed to various academic initiatives and research endeavours’ (including capacity building of ECRs in UK and abroad), I understand the importance of robust academic governance in fostering innovation and excellence. I am committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and promoting transparency in decision-making processes.

Furthermore, I recognise the significant challenges and opportunities facing our higher education sector in the current landscape. With a forward-thinking approach and a commitment on collaboration, I am confident in our collective ability to navigate these challenges and emerge stronger together. Therefore, I humbly nominate myself for the Senate and support the University in shaping academic and research strategy and responsible for providing assurance to Council on matters of academic governance.

Thank you for considering my candidacy.

Donald Lancaster

As a dedicated management academic and passionate advocate for positive change, I’m committed to serving Exeter’s university community effectively. My approach to the world of HE is essentially pragmatic.  If elected to Senate, I’ll champion the principles of:  academic excellence and integrity; sustainability; collaboration and transparency; and student and staff well-being.

Bringing three decades of multinational practitioner experience (leading advertising agencies around the world) I understand ‘customers’ and employer views across contexts and markets – sharpened by ten academic years working with MBA students. 

Whilst at the University of Bath I was active in many Business School managerial committees, redesigned academic programmes, led the institution-wide adoption of digital exams, participated in the School’s successful rebranding and helped get the £70m new building underway.

In Senate, I will offer balanced views between employer and employed, between faculty and student, between academic and professional staff.  Effective in critically assessing perspectives, I am decisive and realistic, all the while aiming the institution and its ‘product’ towards a greener, fairer and healthier world.

Working together, we can enhance the future of our university.

Luke Lindsay

I joined the University in 2013 as a Lecturer. I work in the Economics department and my research focuses on analysing and designing markets. As well as academic research, I work with industry partners to improve existing markets and design new ones.

Over the last ten years, my experience has been positive, but there have been occasions when I have felt things could be better. This motivated me to stand for Senate. Over the years there has been quite extensive staff turnover, and it has often been disheartening to see valued colleagues leave, particularly early career researchers. As well as this, the case for some of the changes that have been made has not always been persuasive. And it has sometimes appeared that more effective consultation would have led to better decisions.

If elected, my priorities would be as follows.

1. Improving the experience of early career researchers, particularly in relation to probation and promotion.
2. Encouraging more internal promotions.
3. Ensuring new initiatives draw on the knowledge and experience of a wide range of people, and the initiatives are carefully scrutinised and explained before being implemented.

Trying to ensure all views are heard and no one feels sidelined.

Jude Meakin

I am an Associate Professor in the Biophysics group of the Physics and Astronomy Department, and I believe that my knowledge and experience will enable me to contribute effectively as an elected member of the Senate. Since joining Exeter University in 2010, my role has involved a balance of multi-disciplinary research, teaching, and administration, which has given me a comprehensive understanding of university structure and process and the broader context in which academia operates. I have also developed skills in analysing and questioning plans and policies through serving on committees, steering groups, and professional society boards. I intend to use this breadth of knowledge and experience to help me consider university strategy and plans from a balanced but critical perspective, supporting or challenging ideas as appropriate. Furthermore, during my time at Exeter, I have fostered strong connections with academics across the faculty, which, combined with my long-standing activity in equality, diversity, and inclusivity, motivates me to represent the academic community in a way that recognises the unique strengths of individual people and departments working together to achieve shared strategic goals.

Mohamed Saidi

I am a professor of pure mathematics with over two decades of experience delivering excellence in teaching and research in various academic environments, with strong research links with some of the very prestigious Mathematical Research Institutes worldwide. I have an experienced knowledge of the main strategic and practical  issues related to Education and Research in academia, as well as the future challenges and opportunities in the HE sector.

As an elected member of Senate I will constructively challenge and help develop the Education and Research strategies  of the university, taking into account the interests of the academic and student communities, as well as the fast developing exterior challenges facing the university and the academic sector. I will scrutinise the academic performance and contribute maintaining the highest quality and standards of performance across the university.

I will contribute upholding the highest academic, universal human values, and ethics standards. I will also; via appropriate channels, maintain communication to and from academic colleagues within faculties  on the major issues and proposals put forward to Senate, make sure the voice of colleagues on these issues and proposals is heard, and raise the awareness and the importance of the work of Senate within academics and departments.    

Asif Tahir

Being born and brought up in developing countries and worked with many international Universities and stakeholders, l recognise the significant challenges that we face, internally and externally. This is a time for change, and I want the University to focus on making a real difference rather than being on policies that sound good but never happen.  With your vote, I will help guide the University to become more sustainable, improve education & research, better wellbeing support, public engagement, and EDI.

I am great supporter of University’s 2030 Net Zero Target, and I will bring new ideas, broad experience, and support policy to ensure sustainably achieving net zero target by 2030.

In society students are facing several important social and environmental issues and through research led teaching and particle experience they can feel more confident in being part of the society. I will promote educational policies around partnership, integrity, capacity building and inclusivity to train next generation for society.

I will promote sustainable research model based on productive and sustainable partnerships with government, industry, and communities to support our researchers and makes our research more accessible and relevant to society.

I am committed to create supportive and constructive work environment for the betterment of our students and staff. I will ensure university promotes dignity and respect in workplace and celebrates openness, fairness, diversity, inclusivity, and equality.

I am asking for your support in this election because I believe that by working together as a community, we can shape the future and build a society for all.

Alison Truelove

At a time when universities are subject to a multitude of external factors that are fundamentally challenging our purpose and provision, I would be honoured to serve as a member of Senate and to have the opportunity to join discussions that shape Exeter’s education, research and external engagement strategies.

In addition to my experience as an education-focused academic (leading work on developing colleagues’ teaching practice and building institution-level frameworks for student success), I lead a multidisciplinary, large-scale national project to develop researchers’ business awareness and extend the impact of their work beyond academia. Through regular engagement with academics, industry partners, policy makers and representative bodies across the UK, I therefore have a good understanding of the opportunities colleagues here at Exeter can harness to thrive in their own careers, and to contribute to the success of the university as a whole.

Internally, the networks I have established through my broad portfolio – across many academic and professional teams, as well as our various campuses – have allowed me to understand contexts and needs beyond my own disciplinary work. As such, I hope to contribute to Senate from an evidence-led perspective that is mindful of the diverse needs of our staff and students.

Declan Vogt

I joined Exeter in 2017 after having worked for 24 years at the CSIR, a national research laboratory in South Africa, where I led a unit that consistently scored in the top 10% for employee satisfaction by balancing the pressures of workload, research excellence and administration.

I’m passionate about people. At a time of significant change in the University, I will ensure that the interests of people, both staff and students, remain a key component in Senate decision making. Our university is people. Happy people are more productive researchers, teachers and professional services staff.

I have always worked across disciplines, and I appreciate the value of the rich variety skills available at the University and the diversity that we can bring to bear to solve the key problems of society such as the climate emergency.

Ben Zissimos

I joined the University of Exeter in 2012 and am now in my twelfth year here.  I have served one four-year term as an elected senator and am now proposing to serve for a second term.  I was first elected as a representative of the Business School, and together with the other elected senators and Dean Alex Gerbasi, we established the new practice of holding regular meetings to relay colleagues’ concerns directly to the Dean.  We then brought these concerns to Senate when appropriate, establishing a new channel to represent colleagues’ views on Senate.  One of the main issues I advocated for was ensuring that colleagues have their own offices, as there is widespread agreement that this is essential for us to perform effectively as instructors, researchers, and administrators.  If elected for a second term, I will work to ensure that you gain representation on Senate at the new Faculty level.  I will work to set up elected senators’ meetings at the Faculty level, collaborating with other elected senators and the Dean of Faculty to relay your views and concerns at that higher level.