It has been announced that the University of Strathclyde’s Principal, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, will step down from his role in 2025.
Students were sent an email on October 2, officially revealing the principal’s imminent departure from the University after his long tenure.
We take a look back at Sir Jim’s time in office; a period which saw the University thrive on a national and international scale, with progressiveness and innovation at the core of his leadership.
It was back in March 2009 that electrical engineer Sir Jim took on the esteemed role of Principal, amid global economic instability.
The financial crisis and Great Recession were in full swing at the time, with students and graduates alike sharing fears relating to mounting debts and a shaken job market.
Thus, when Sir Jim accepted the role of Principal, he was tasked with the tough job not only of ensuring the steadiness of the University in the short-term, but also of widening Strathclyde’s reputation and cementing the institution as a place of prestige, progress, and innovation.
It’s safe to say that Sir Jim – Strathclyde’s joint longest-serving Principal – was successful with these tasks.
Since 2009, the University has become more widely recognised as a stalwart because of its diverse community, environmental sustainability, world-class teaching, and for being a leading international technological University.
Strathclyde’s accolades and achievements further highlight Sir Jim’s success as Principal. In both 2012 and 2019, Strathclyde was named Times Higher Education University of the Year.
Even more impressively, Sir Jim’s time in office saw Strathclyde be thrice awarded with the Queen’s Anniversary Prize. The University received the award because of its dedication to energy innovation, recognising its approach to environmental sustainability.
Under Sir Jim’s leadership, Strathclyde additionally received its biggest single research contract with the £20 million One Ocean Hub project back in 2019.
The collaborative project sought to research the environmental and socioeconomic benefits that can arise from ocean conservation.
Despite his tenure being so highly regarded as a strong point in Strathclyde’s history, Sir Jim has long faced criticism for his exceptionally high salary, which is among the highest of Scotland’s University chiefs.
Overall, however, it must be said that Sir Jim has dedicated each of his 16 years as Principal to invest in Strathclyde’s future as a leading international institution.
We wish Sir Jim well in his final months as Principal and beyond and thank him for his key role in expanding Strathclyde’s potential.
Since high school, I have been immersed in numerous areas of journalism.
Volunteering and interning at establishments focused on sports journalism, media reporting on underrepresented groups including disabled people, as well as writing monthly articles in my own time, the field of journalism has always captured my attention over the past decade.
I graduated in 2022 in English Literature MA Hons from the University of Edinburgh, and I feel as though those analytical and stylistic teachings have only aided my pursuit for a career in media writing and reporting, especially as I undertake a Masters in Digital Journalism MLitt at Strathclyde University.
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