Leading social scientist Professor Adam Tickell has been appointed by the University of Birmingham as Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Knowledge Transfer.

Professor Tickell is currently Vice-Principal, Research, Enterprise and Communications, at Royal Holloway, University of London, and will take up his post at Birmingham on February 1, 2011.

He brings a wealth of leadership excellence in Higher Education, particularly in developing and implementing research strategy. He recently led a consultation with the academic community at Royal Holloway to establish their new research strategy and preparation for the Research Excellence Framework (REF).

On his appointment Professor Tickell said: ‘I am honoured and excited to be joining Birmingham at such an important time in its history. Birmingham is one of the world’s great universities and I hope to be able to help it to go from strength to strength.’

Professor Tickell is an economic geographer and is particularly interested in questions of political devolution, regulation, markets and the economy.

He obtained a first-class degree in Geography in 1987 from the University of Manchester in 1987 and went on to complete a PhD ‘The Social Regulation of Banking’. He spent his early career lecturing in Geography at a variety of HE institutions before being offered a chair in the subject at the University of Southampton. In 2000 he moved to the University of Bristol before joining Royal Holloway.

One of the most influential geographers of his generation, today Professor Tickell’s main research interest lies in developing a renewed political economic geography.

At Birmingham, he will join the University’s top decision-making table, University Board, with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Eastwood, who commented: ‘I am delighted to have appointed Adam Tickell to this role. He is a leading, research active social scientist and has extensive experience in working with inter-disciplinary research teams. I look forward to welcoming him to the University in February.’

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For media information contact Jenni Ameghino, University Press Officer, 0121 415 8134.