Guyana-Born Valerie Amos Appointed Master Of Oxford College • News784

Current Director of SOAS University of London, former politician and former senior United Nations official Baroness Amos CH PC has been appointed as the new Master of University College Oxford.

She will take up the post on August 1, 2020, following Sir Ivor Crewe’s retirement after 12 years in the role. Baroness Amos will be the first woman Master of University College Oxford and the first black head of an Oxford college.

She has been a Labour Life Peer since 1997, and served in the Cabinet from 2003 to 2007 as Secretary of State for International Development and subsequently as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council.

Before joining the House of Lords she worked in local government and as Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission, and was an adviser to the Mandela Government on leadership and change management issues. She was UK High Commissioner to Australia before joining the UN in 2010.

Baroness Amos was made a Companion of Honour in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2016 for her services to the United Nations and emergency relief in conflict areas.

Baroness Amos said: “I am honoured to have been appointed as Master of University College Oxford. I look forward to taking up my role next year and joining a community which prides itself on providing an outstanding scholarly environment, excellent teaching and world-class research.

Univ has been engaged in opening up access and opportunity through its Opportunity Programme and I also look forward to making a contribution to that work.”