Professor Charlie Jeffery CBE joined the University of Southampton as President and Vice-Chancellor in October 2026, following seven years as Vice-Chancellor of the University of York. A Professor of Politics and highly respected higher education leader, he has served as a member of the Economic and Social Research Council and as Chair of the Political Studies Association of the UK.
Professor Jeffery is a passionate advocate for the role of universities in driving economic growth, widening access to education and delivering positive impact for society. Throughout his career, he has worked to strengthen partnerships between universities, government, industry and communities to support inclusive economic development and opportunity.
At Southampton, he is focused on building on the University's global reputation for excellence in education and research, strengthening its international reach, advancing sustainability and inclusion, and ensuring research and innovation deliver benefits for society, the economy and future generations.
Discover how we are governed
Learn about how the University is structured through key information and polices on how the University is run,
University Executive Board
The role of The University Executive Board is to advise the Vice-Chancellor on day-to-day management and decision making at the University.
Our Chancellor
The Chancellor is the leading ambassador and formal head of the University. The day-to-day running of the University is managed by the Vice-Chancellor and the University Executive.
