 | Prof. Dame Madeleine Atkins Former Chief Executive of Higher Education Funding Council for England, President Emeritus of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, Senior Fellow Hong Kong Institute of Advanced Studies |
Madeleine read Law and History as an undergraduate at Cambridge University, and completed her doctorate and post-doctoral research in education management at the University of Nottingham.
Following various senior positions at Newcastle University, including Pro-Vice-Chancellor, she was Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University between 2004 and 2013 initiating several strategic partnerships with industry and business as well as with overseas universities. Among her national roles at that time was establishing pioneering schemes for student entrepreneurship. Madeleine joined the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) as its Chief Executive in January 2014, retaining that post until March 2018. While there, she was responsible for the evolution of the Research Excellence Framework (the REF), introduced the Teaching Excellence Framework (the TEF), and the Higher Education Innovation Funding scheme (HEIF).
Madeleine became the President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge University, in October 2018, a position she held until September 30th 2025. She was also an elected member of the University’s Council, sat on the REF Board, and served on other institutional-level committees. She remains a Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
Madeleine is a Senior Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Advanced Studies, and holds non-executive positions in several universities in the UK.