Professor Wendy Alexander named a Labour peer of House of Lords

Professor Alexander is one of 30 new Labour peers appointed by the UK Government today (20 December 2024).

She said, “I am honoured to be appointed to the House of Lords. I have always been a strong believer in making your voice heard wherever it can help build a better and fairer society, and I look forward to doing that within Parliament.”

In November, Professor Alexander announced her retirement after almost ten years at the University, and is currently working out her notice period.

She has recently been appointed as the Vice-Chair of the British Council, a fascinating, yet demanding, non-executive role at national level. 

During her time at the University of Dundee, Professor Alexander has led a quadrupling in the University’s international fee income and established major new international partnerships including those with Northeastern University and Central South University, both in China, and new collaborative programmes in Singapore, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Nigeria.

She also had a major role in the establishment of the University’s School of Business, and pioneered Dundee’s sector-leading Humanitarian Scholarship programme.

In recent years she has also served as the Scottish Government’s Trade and Investment Envoy for Higher Education, helping develop Scotland’s International Education Strategy and destination marketing.