Professor Martin Jones has served as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of University of Staffordshire since January 1, 2022. As the University’s principal ambassador, he leads its external engagement strategy while providing internal leadership through the University Executive Board and the Creating Connections community. He continues to champion the University’s civic agenda at local, regional, national, and international levels, ensuring its role as a driver of economic growth, innovation, and social mobility. Professor Jones is currently the Vice-Chair of the MillionPlus mission group, which represents the modern university sector.
Having joined the University as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2017, Professor Jones has led a broad portfolio of strategic initiatives, including academic and institutional planning, civic engagement, multi-academy trust governance, social and economic regeneration, research, enterprise and innovation, and estates, digital, and technical services. His commitment to strengthening the University’s civic role is reflected in initiatives such as the Innovation Enterprise Zone, which fosters industry collaboration and supports business growth through higher-level skills development.
A Staffordshire native, Professor Jones studied at the University of Manchester, earning a BA and PhD in Human Geography. His career as an interdisciplinary researcher and higher education leader spans several prestigious institutions, including the University of Sheffield, where he was Director of the White Rose Social Science Doctoral Training Centre (WRDTC) and architect of the White Rose Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (WRDTP). Prior to that, he spent 15 years at Aberystwyth University in various leadership roles, including Head of Department, Dean, and Pro Vice-Chancellor of all portfolios.
An internationally recognised scholar in economic and political geography, Professor Jones has authored or edited 13 books. He is acknowledged in the 2023 Stanford/Elsevier list of the 2% most cited scientists in the world, which identifies close to 200,000 researchers across all areas of science. He is ranked in the top 50,000 and top 200 specifically for Geography and also Urban and Regional Planning. His latest work, Cities and Regions in Crisis: The Political Economy of Sub-National Economic Development, was awarded the Regional Studies Association Best Book Award in 2021. Professor Jones also delivers public policy impact and has provided expert evidence to UK Government Select Committees on skills, business support, and regional development.
Professor Jones is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and The Royal Society of Arts. He holds an honorary professorship at the University of Oulu, Finland, and was awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize for Geography. He is also the originator and co-editor of Territory, Politics, Governance.
For a full list of Professor Jones’ research and publications, visit his Google Scholar profile.