Professor Charles Egbu is an academician from Anambra State, Nigeria who has just been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the Leeds Trinity University, UK. Thus, becoming the first Nigerian and Black-African to become the Vice Chancellor of a ranked UK University. With more than 25 years’ experience in higher education, he was previously Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Experience at the University of East London. President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his delight on the news of the appointment, charging him to continue to uphold the Nigerian Flag in all his endeavours.
Prof. Egbu was formerly Dean of School of the Built Environment and Architecture at London South Bank University, England, UK. His First Degree was in Quantity Surveying [First Class Honours]. His Doctorate was obtained from the University of Salford, UK, in the area of Construction Project Management. He is Professor of Project Management and Strategic Management in Construction. He has also held academic positions at University of Salford, UK, University College London (UCL) UK, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK, and Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
He is currently President Elect (for 2019/20) of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building (FCIOB), Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), Fellow of the Association for Project Management (FAPM), Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (FRSA), and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). He was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Constructors in May 2017, and received the Freedom of the City of London in 2017.
Prof. Charles Egbu has written 12 books and contributed to more than 350 publications in various international journals and conferences. He boasts of strong links with industry, professional bodies and policy makers worldwide. Furthermore, he has supervised over 25 PhD students and examined over 100 PhD candidates world-wide. Likewise, has acted as an External Examiner to many undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in many universities all over the world. He has contributed over 350 publications in various international journals and conferences and has hosted, chaired and spoken at many conferences in his areas of expertise.
He is also a member of various external bodies, including the Advance HE Pro Vice-Chancellor Network and QAA Panel of Experts.Mr Egbu’s research interests focus on project management, construction management and sustainable development. The Anambra-born Professor is set to take over from Margaret House, who will be stepping down after seven years.