One of Preston’s most senior figures has been given an OBE.
Professor Graham Baldwin is the vice-chancellor of the University of Lancashire.
He is in the King’s Birthday Honours list for his services to higher education.
Prof Baldwin said: “Receiving an OBE is a humbling moment. My whole career in Higher Education has been driven by a desire to remove social and economic barriers, to nurture potential, and to ensure that studying at university is transformational.
“I am deeply grateful to the many colleagues, mentors and my family whose encouragement, collaboration and support throughout my career have made this honour possible, and I accepted this OBE as a reflection of our shared achievements.
“I’m privileged to be in a position where I get to help people better their lives via education and work alongside colleagues who work tirelessly every day to make access and opportunity a reality.”
Before becoming vice-chancellor at Preston’s university he was vice-chancellor at Solent University in Southampton. Before his time on the South Coast he had spent 13 years of his career at UCLan as it was as head of the Lancashire Business School before becoming deputy vice-chancellor academic, a role he held for four years until 2014.
As well as leading the city’s university he is also the chair of the Preston Regeneration Board and chair of the Lancashire Innovation Board. He also holds board positions across Universities UK, the Maritime Skills Commission, MillionPlus and the University Vocational Awards Council.
Prof Baldwin has been vice-chancellor at University of Lancashire since 2019, it was called the University of Central Lancashire when he joined, and his annual salary is £311,000-a-year.
He also holds the ceremonial role of deputy lieutenant of Lancashire.
The 62-year-old said: “The University of Lancashire plays a vital role in the regional economy, contributing over £300 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) to Lancashire annually. It is actively supporting the advancement of Lancashire’s priority growth sectors, including Cyber and Digital Security, Health and Health Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing.
“Lancashire is proud of its heritage of innovation and industry and I’m delighted to accept this honour whilst leading an institution from the county which in 2028 will celebrate 200 years of offering life-changing opportunities to students from all walks of life.”
Pro-chancellor and chair of the university’s board, Jon Baldwin, said: “We are absolutely delighted for Graham. This honour reflects not only his personal dedication to transforming lives through education, but also the values that sit at the heart of our university. His passion for ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all continues to inspire colleagues, students, and partners across Lancashire and beyond.”
