Emma Hunt

Summary

Professor Emma Hunt is the Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of Falmouth University which specialises in creative and cultural subjects. She took the position in March 2021 following the announcement that Professor Anne Carlisle OBE would be stepping down.

Profile

Professor Emma Hunt joined Falmouth University as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive in January 2022, and was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) from July 2013.

“I and my Board colleagues are delighted that Emma is joining us at such an exciting time for the institution. Her wealth of experience in the creative HE sector means that she has complete affinity for Falmouth University’s culture and mission, and inherently understands the importance of creativity and the arts as a driver of innovation, social good and economic growth,” said Chris Pomfret OBE, Chair of the Board of Governors. “In her previous roles, Emma has shown fantastic leadership and we are convinced that her breadth of experience across learning and teaching, research and enterprise and external engagement will help us deliver Falmouth’s strategy for our students, staff, local community and the regional economy.”

“As Chair of the Board, I would like to thank Professor Carlisle for her commitment to Falmouth over the last twelve years; her visionary approach and strategic drive have delivered exceptional growth and impact during her tenure,” said Professor Hunt. “I’m looking forward to building on the achievements of Professor Carlisle, and in particular to advance Falmouth’s reputation as a real pioneer in Creative Industries Education, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The University’s role in Cornwall and the region is hugely important, as is its place on the wider national and global stage. I’m excited to be working with the inspirational staff, students and stakeholders of the University, as we develop its future together.”

Prior to this position, she was Dean of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield for seven years, and also held posts at the University of Derby, University of the Arts London, and Winchester School of Art. Emma Hunt has been invited to talk about UK Higher Education Art and Design in the UK, America and China, and has been a Visiting Professor at Yunnan Arts University, China. In all her academic appointments, she is focused on providing a student learning experience that leads to exceptional career opportunities in the creative industries.

Emma was awarded a Chair in Higher Education Art and Design in 2014. She has a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath where her research focused on Design Education and the concept of an Intrapreneurial University. She holds a BA (Hons) in the History of Art and Design, a MA in Design History, and an MBA (Education). She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Throughout her career, Emma has developed research interests in Higher Education Design Practice, Design Policy and the Creative Economy, and has become increasingly involved in the linkages between design, innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2017, she co-curated the acclaimed touring exhibition of the British designer Lucienne Day, and recently co-edited the Sage Handbook on Graduate Employability (Broadley, T., Cai, Y., Firth, M., Hunt, E. and Neugebauer, J., eds. (2023). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.)

Emma Hunt is a member of the Universities UK Specialist Institutions Forum and the Creative UK Creative Skills & Futures Network. She is chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, chair of the Creative Industries Sector Board, and a Board member of the Great South West Pan Regional Partnership all of which support economic growth and partnership-working through the pivotal role that Falmouth University plays within the region. She was previously chair of the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design and a founding member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Design and Innovation.

References

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