Birkbeck academic appointed Commissioner of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
Professor Kevin Ibeh’s new role will support innovators and leaders of the future from across the Commonwealth and attract outstanding talent to UK universities.
Professor Kevin Ibeh, Professor of Marketing and International Business and Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) at Birkbeck, has been appointed a Commissioner of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
With this appointment, Professor Ibeh, joins 14 other CSC commissioners and a Chair, charged by the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs with managing and governing the UK’s contribution to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP).
Through overseeing the yearly award of around 750 postgraduate scholarships and professional development fellowships to Commonwealth citizens, the CSC sustains the values and mission of the Commonwealth, facilitates UK’s international development objectives and wider interests, and fosters excellence in UK higher education (HE).
A former Commonwealth Scholar, Professor Ibeh brings to the CSC Commissioner role a substantial wealth of knowledge at the nexus of international HE, international enterprise and international development, including a longstanding commitment to pertinent themes such as sustainable development, digital access and inclusion and capacity development.
Professor Ibeh said: “I am delighted at this opportunity to contribute to sustaining the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s work of extending transformative platforms to cohorts of Commonwealth citizens annually, particularly strengthening their capacities to drive positive change in their respective home countries. The Commission is, by most accounts, one of the UK’s and Commonwealth’s best social innovations and l am honoured to be appointed to the Commissioner role. I do very much look forward to joining and serving with the team.”
In addition to current and previous senior leadership positions in UK HE, including chairing one of the Universities UK regional policy networks, Professor Ibeh has undertaken consulting and advisory tasks for the UNCTAD, OECD, and World Bank among others. His lived experience of both the Global South and Global North contexts, vast experience of assessing scholarship, funding and award applications, and extensive association with HE systems in dozens of countries around the world, through teaching and research visits, invited keynotes, membership of review panels, external examining and assessment tasks, further reinforce Professor Ibeh’s fit with, and unique mix of attributes for, the CSC Commissioner role.
The appointment, made in line with the Commissioner of Public Appointments’ code of practice, is for a term of three years, subject to renewal for a further term.