Martin Schröder, the current Vice-President and the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, will step down on 1 June 2025.
The University of Manchester has begun the process of recruitment for his successor.
He has served as a member of the University’s Senior Leadership Team for 10 years, starting his role in 2015.
Trained as a chemist, he is a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow at the Royal Society of Chemistry, and has published over 585 publications.
The University credits him for a variety of achievements during his tenure as a member of the University, including the restructuring of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, the relocation of 8000 staff and students from the North Campus, and the implementation of the Student Experience programme, among others.
In 2021, Schröder was involved in a racism row with a former member of staff, Professor Christopher Jackson. Days after Jackson stated on the BBC that UK research was “definitely institutionally racist“, Schröder sent Jackson an email in the days after, stating that he believed the University was not institutionally racist, citing an opinion article from GB News.
After a complaint was filed, a University investigation recommended Schröder apologise to Jackson. Jackson alleges that Schroder made no apology, although the University strongly denies this.
Jackson ultimately left the University in 2022 to pursue other opportunities, citing the incident as one of his reasons for leaving.
Professor Schröder was also present at the signing ceremony of the landmark ‘strategic framework agreement‘ signed between the University of Manchester and BAE Systems in 2017, a deal which Professor Schröder described as an agreement that would bring “exciting future research and education innovations”.
BAE Systems has a known financial arrangement with the University with £829,000 being received by the University in the 2023-2024 financial period.
Martin Schröder leaves a year after new President and Vice-Chancellor Duncan Ivison assumed his role, taking over from predecessor Professor Nancy Rothwell. Vice-Chancellor Ivison thanked Schröder for his support in a University statement, and praised Schröder for being an “inspirational leader”, and preparing his Faculty for the Manchester 2035 strategy.
