Pro Vice-Chancellor, International & Engagement

Professor Hywel Thomas FREng FRS

Professor Hywel Thomas is Pro Vice-Chancellor, International & Engagement and is responsible for the University’s international activities, partnerships and reputation, and the University’s engagement within Wales. His specific responsibilities include oversight of the development of the University’s internationalisation strategy and its implementation and monitoring; international collaboration in research including transnational research funding opportunities; transnational research programmes; and joint research facilities and institutes involving international collaboration; and the University’s participation in international associations. As Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Thomas is also a member of the University Executive Board.

Professor Thomas is Professor of Civil Engineering and Founder Director of the Geoenvironmental Research Centre (GRC) at the School of Engineering.

A former Director of the School of Engineering from 2002 to 2010, he has also served as Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor, Engagement.

Professor Thomas has been at Cardiff since 1980, following five years work in industry. His research interests range from land regeneration to coupled multiphysics/geochemistry problems in soils, to sustainability issues in general.

During the course of his distinguished academic career at Cardiff, he has been awarded, in conjunction with colleagues, external research income of more than £28M, largely received from the European Commission and the UK Research Councils. He has produced more than 400 technical papers and reports and has lectured extensively both at home and abroad on his research.

Professor Thomas is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a Fellow of the Geological Society of London, a Fellow of the Transport Research Foundation, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. He is also the recipient of a UNESCO Chair in the Development of a Sustainable Geoenvironment, focussing initially on work with India and West Africa. In 2012, Professor Thomas was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his breakthroughs on geo-environmental engineering processes.

Professor Hywel Thomas
Pro Vice-Chancellor, International & Engagement
Telephone: 029 2087 0651
Email: pvcengagement@cardiff.ac.uk