Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has announced the appointment of Prof. M. Satish Kumar, as first Dean of its new campus in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India. Prof Kumar will take up the role in July 2025 and will be based in GIFT City, providing academic leadership across the faculties for the new campus, which will welcome its first cohort of students in early 2026.
Prior to this appointment, Prof. Kumar was based in the School of Natural and Built Environment at QUB for over 25 years. He previously held role as Director of Queen’s Academy India and of Internationalisation, playing a pivotal role in enhancing the University’s global presence in South Asia.
In addition to his role at Queen’s, Prof. Kumar has also held several Visiting Professorships at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and the University of Calcutta, Kolkata.
Prof Kumar comments on his appointment: “I’m honoured to take on this pivotal role as we establish Queen’s University’s new international branch campus at GIFT City. This landmark development represents a significant step in our global engagement strategy – enabling us to extend Queen’s world-class education to new regions while forging deep, long-term partnerships with industry and academic stakeholders in India. Together, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the evolving transnational education and economic landscape of the region”.
Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor QUB, says: “I’m delighted to welcome Prof. Satish Kumar to lead Queen’s new campus in India. His leadership will strengthen our academic partnerships and foster collaboration with industry and government to deliver an enriching student experience. This marks a major milestone as we become the first UK Russell Group University in GIFT City. I look forward to working with him as we move towards our opening next year and unlock new opportunities for students, staff, and the wider community.”
Professor Margaret Topping, Pro-Vice Chancellor Global Engagement QUB, said: “We are delighted to appoint Satish as our first Dean of Gift City. This is a critical role which will set firm foundations for our staff, students and partners in the country. Satish brings with him a wealth of experience in developing intersectoral partnerships and a thriving collaborative learning environment.”
In addition to Prof. Kumar, we will soon be announcing the appointment of the academic staff who will lead on programme delivery on the campus. We will offer a portfolio of five postgraduate programmes initially, tailored to the specific needs of the Indian economy. Further information about our courses and programmes can be found at www.qub.ac.uk/india
