press release
Published: 20 March 2024

University of Surrey appoints games technology expert as new Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Education

By Robert Blevin

We are delighted to announce that Professor Minhua Eunice Ma has been appointed as the University of Surrey’s new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) Education, following an extensive open search process. 

Professor Ma will be starting her role on 18 June 2024, and we are excited to welcome such an accomplished academic leader to our Executive Board. Professor Ma is currently affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at University of Oxford. She has served in senior management roles previously, including as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at Falmouth University, and as Dean at Staffordshire University. Her expertise spans across teaching quality assurance and research both in the UK and internationally. She served as a member of the Office for Students’ (OfS) Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Panel last year. 

Professor Ma's research expertise lies in games technology and digital health research. She has successfully won and conducted significant research projects contributing to improvements in healthcare for stroke rehabilitation, cystic fibrosis, preventing gender-based violence, and adolescent mental health, as well as on surgical simulation for medical and dental education. 

She has shaped education programmes in game development and research directions in serious games both nationally and globally. Her interdisciplinary background and leadership experience align well with the University of Surrey’s strategic directions and future priorities.

Eunice brings her extensive leadership experience and skills in higher education, as well as sector-wide knowledge and experience on education quality assessment and assurance, and I congratulate Eunice on her new role. We look forward to her contributions and leadership in enhancing our educational excellence at Surrey.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Emma Mayhew for her significant contributions as our Interim PVC Education. She will continue in the role until Eunice joins us in June, before returning to her substantive role as Associate Dean Education in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Professor Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor Professor G.Q. Max Lu AO DL FREng FAA FTSE
I am thrilled to join the University of Surrey to lead the education portfolio as Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education. Surrey enjoys a great reputation for the quality of education programmes, teaching and student experience, with talented and dedicated staff across the academic and professional departments. I look forward to applying my experiences and skills to help fulfil Surrey’s strategic vision to be one of the best universities in the UK and a top university in the world, renowned for its excellence and quality of graduates and research, and look forward to joining the Surrey community who I know are dedicated to this mission and vision. Professor Eunice Ma, who joins the University as Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Education, in June 2024

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