Bangor University council appoints Professor Medwin Hughes chair 2026

Key Points

• The university’s council members have approved the appointment of Professor Medwin Hughes CBE DL FLSW FRSA as the institution’s new chair of council.
• The appointee will replace Marian Wyn Jones, who announced her intention to step down from the role at the end of November this year back in early 2026.
• The council meeting took place on Monday, 26 October.
• Professor Hughes served as a vice-chancellor of the University of Wales, and then the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He also worked at the headship level for the University of Wales Lampeter and Swansea Metropolitan University.
• In 2023 Professor Hughes received a CBE for his contribution to public life.
• Professor Hughes said she was delighted by the opportunity to contribute her expertise to the life of the University at this exciting time: “It’s a great honour to be invited to act as chair of the university council.”
• “Having spent several years working with Professor Hughes on issues relating to university leadership and public service, I am very pleased that she has agreed to take up this role,” Vice-chancellor Professor Edmund Burke told the Times Higher Education. “She brings considerable experience to this post, which comes at an important moment for both the university and our entire sector.” He added his gratitude for Marian Wyn Jones’ contribution while serving the university through a period of change.
• Speaking at today’s event, Marian Wyn Jones said: ‘I am very pleased that I have been able to serve Bangor University throughout these important years for the university but also my own career. It has been an absolute privilege and I wish you [Professor Hughes] great success as you lead this wonderful organisation through its next chapter.’
• Bangor University was named University of the Year for Sustainability & Welsh University of the Year in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027.

Bangor (Wales Times) November 6, 2026 — uk/local/bangor/">Bangor University has appointed Professor Medwin Hughes CBE DL FLSW FRSA as the new chair of its council, following approval by council members at their meeting on Monday, 26 October. He will succeed Marian Wyn Jones, who is due to step down from the role at the end of November. Wales247 reported the appointment.

Who is Professor Medwin Hughes?

Professor Medwin Hughes brings a long record of leadership in Welsh higher education to the role. According to Bangor University’s announcement, reported by Wales247, he is a graduate of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Jesus College, Oxford.

He previously served as vice-chancellor of both the University of Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. His career has also included leadership positions at the University of Wales Lampeter and Swansea Metropolitan University.

His contribution to public life was recognised with a CBE in 2023. He is also listed as a DL, FLSW and FRSA, reflecting his connections with public service, the Learned Society of Wales and the Royal Society of Arts.

Why has Bangor University made the appointment?

The appointment follows Marian Wyn Jones’s announcement earlier in 2026 that she intended to step down as chair of council at the end of November. Bangor University’s council approved Professor Hughes’s appointment at its meeting on 26 October.

The chair of council is a senior governance role at a university. While the vice-chancellor leads the institution’s executive management, the chair leads the council, which provides oversight and strategic governance. The university did not announce a start date beyond Professor Jones’s planned departure at the end of November.

What did Professor Hughes say?

Professor Hughes described the appointment as a significant honour. As reported by Wales247, he said:

“It is a great honour to be asked to serve as Chair of the University Council.”

He added that he looked forward to working with the vice-chancellor, fellow council members and colleagues across the university to support its ongoing development.

“Wales can be proud of Prifysgol Bangor and of its distinguished academic and research tradition,” Professor Hughes said. “I look forward to serving the University in the years to come.”

How has the vice-chancellor responded?

Bangor University’s vice-chancellor, Professor Edmund Burke, welcomed the appointment and said Professor Hughes’s experience would be valuable to the institution. As reported by Wales247, Professor Burke said: “I am delighted to welcome Professor Medwin Hughes as Chair of Council.”

Professor Burke said Professor Hughes’s “exceptional experience of university leadership, governance and public service” and his understanding of Wales and its higher-education sector would be “a tremendous asset” to Bangor University.

He also said that Professor Hughes’s commitment to education, culture and civic engagement aligned strongly with the university’s values and mission. Professor Burke said he looked forward to working closely with the incoming chair.

What did Marian Wyn Jones say?

Marian Wyn Jones, the outgoing chair, reflected on her time leading the university council. As reported by Wales247, she said: “Universities are special places and ‘the College on the Hill’ is especially so.”

She described Bangor University as a place where “innovation, challenge and opportunity come together”, adding that working with the institution had been “an absolute privilege”.

Professor Jones said she was proud to have played a part in the university’s journey during what she described as a period of “unprecedented challenge and change across the HE sector”.

She also highlighted recent recognition for Bangor University, noting that it had been awarded University of the Year for Sustainability and Welsh University of the Year in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027.

According to the announcement, Professor Jones said the awards reflected the dedication and talent of colleagues across the university, as well as its focus on delivering an excellent student experience, high-quality education and strong graduate outcomes.

“It has been a privilege to serve an institution that makes such a positive difference to so many lives,” she said.

Professor Jones welcomed Professor Hughes’s succession and wished him success as he leads the council through “the next chapter of the University’s history”.

What does the appointment mean for Bangor University?

The appointment places a former university vice-chancellor and experienced public-service figure at the head of Bangor University’s governing council. Professor Hughes’s background in Welsh higher education may be particularly relevant as the university continues to operate in a sector facing sustained financial, policy and demographic pressures.

The university has not published a detailed list of immediate priorities for the incoming chair in the announcement. However, Professor Hughes’s own comments focused on supporting the institution’s ongoing development and working with the vice-chancellor, council members and university colleagues.

Professor Burke’s remarks also pointed to continuity in the university’s stated priorities: education, culture, civic engagement and its mission.

Background of the development

Bangor University, known in Welsh as Prifysgol Bangor, is a university in north Wales with a long academic and research tradition. The institution’s latest announcement presents the change of chair as part of a planned leadership transition rather than an immediate response to a specific crisis.

Marian Wyn Jones announced earlier in 2026 that she would leave the chair’s role at the end of November. Her departure follows a period in which, according to her comments, the university and the wider higher-education sector have faced significant change.

Professor Hughes’s appointment was approved by the university council on 26 October. His previous senior roles include vice-chancellor of the University of Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, as well as leadership positions at the University of Wales Lampeter and Swansea Metropolitan University.

His recognition with a CBE in 2023 reflects his contribution to public life. The appointment also comes shortly after Bangor University’s recognition in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027 as University of the Year for Sustainability and Welsh University of the Year.

Prediction: how the appointment may affect students and staff

For students, the appointment is unlikely to bring an immediate change to day-to-day teaching, accommodation or course arrangements. Council leadership primarily affects governance, oversight and long-term institutional direction, rather than routine academic operations.

However, students may see the effects over time through the university’s strategic decisions on investment, student experience, research priorities and graduate outcomes. Professor Jones specifically linked the university’s recent awards to its focus on student experience, high-quality education and strong graduate outcomes.

For staff, Professor Hughes’s experience as a former vice-chancellor may shape the council’s approach to institutional leadership and governance. His stated intention to work with Professor Burke and council colleagues suggests an emphasis on continuity and collaboration during the transition.

For the wider Bangor community, the appointment may reinforce the university’s focus on its role in Wales. Professor Hughes said Wales could be proud of Prifysgol Bangor and its academic and research tradition, while Professor Burke highlighted his understanding of Wales and its higher-education sector.

The most immediate effect is administrative: Marian Wyn Jones will step down at the end of November, and Professor Medwin Hughes will take on responsibility for leading the university council into its next phase.