New UHI Principal and vice-chancellor visits Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI

Professor Clive Mulholland met with SMO staff on Monday just 4 weeks after taking up his post as the second principal and vice-chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Professor Mulholland joins the university from the University of South Wales where he was deputy vice-chancellor (research & student experience).

A biomedical scientist, with expertise in clinical biochemistry and online learning, he has held positions in the scientific civil service and in the NHS, as well as the universities sector.  

Professor Mulholland said: “I am delighted to be joining the University of the Highlands and Islands at an exciting time of its development. I want to build strong relationships with our partnership, that’s why I’m visiting all 13 colleges and research institutions this month. We must be a university for all of our region. And, as a partnership delivering both college and university level education, I hope I can bring my experience of further and higher education, technology enhanced learning, research and the enhancement of the student experience to support the strategic goals of our unique partnership.

“I am looking forward to working with our partners to deliver an exemplar distributed institution for 21st century learners across our region and beyond.”

SMO Principal welcomed his arrival, saying “The visit afforded the new Principal an opportunity to become acquainted with Sabhal Mòr and the many different aspects of provision at this National Centre of Excellence.  We had a series of very constructive and encouraging engagements with him in which he set out his vision for the future development of the university. Professor Mulholland hails from Northen Ireland and has worked at a senior level in universities in Ulster and Wales and the experince he has gained of other Celtic countries and cultures gives him a solid foundation on which to draw in leading the University of the Highlands and Islands and building on the partnership with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in the delivery of Gaelic-medium education.”

Professor Mulholland is a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and he is a Chartered Scientist. He has previously held appointments at The University of Ulster, Queens University Belfast, Swansea University, the NHS, and the Department of Agriculture Northern Ireland.

Professor Mulholland, who is a native of Bangor, Northern Ireland, replaces James Fraser who retired at the end of December 2013.