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Research Committee

This Committee is responsible for monitoring the University's performance against the Research Strategy and ensuring that high levels of research standards are achieved and maintained.

The subsidiary companies within the Research Committee’s purview are determined by the University’s Board of Governors, which currently includes: Coventry University London Campus Limited, Coventry University College Limited, Coventry University Online Limited and CU Recruitment and Admissions Limited.

 Research Committee - Constitution and Terms of Reference (CTRs)

Vacancy

We are currently inviting expressions of interest for governor vacancies across the Board of Governors and its Committees. This committee currently has a vacancy for the role of Governor, and we are particularly keen to hear from individuals with expertise in Research.

You can view further information including a role description and details of how to enquire.

Attila Emecz

Attila Emecz

Chair of the Research Committee and Independent member of the Board of Governors

Attila (Atti) is Senior Director, Custom Solutions at Elsevier where he works particularly, although not exclusively, with governments and research funders in developing analytical solutions to help in research strategy, research delivery and national assessments.

Prior to joining Elsevier, Atti worked at the University of Surrey from 2014 to 2019 in various roles including as Vice-Provost, Research and Innovation and as Director of Research Strategy. He introduced the first formal Research and Impact Strategy at the University.

Atti remains a visiting professor at the University. During his time at Surrey, Atti was also Executive Secretary for the ERA Foundation whose objectives included encouraging young people into engineering careers and on promoting the contribution that engineering and manufacturing make to society.

Between 1990 and 2014, Atti worked for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council the largest funder of UK university research. He was an Executive Director from 2003. On behalf of all UK Research Councils, Atti led the work on improving the efficiency of peer review and on encouraging impact to be delivered from the research and training the Council's support. He was responsible for developing three Corporate Strategies, for the introduction of a number of schemes for accelerating impact and for leading the evaluation team responsible for assessing the effectiveness of EPSRC policies, including for impact.

Attila is also a member of the Board of Governors.


profile photo of Nick Sale

Nick Sale

Chair of the Board of Governors

Appointed as an Independent Governor in September 2018, Nick became Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors and Pro-Chancellor in September 2020, before being appointed as Chair in September 2021. An experienced business leader and company director who worked as a chief operating officer in the automotive industry until early in 2018, Nick has a successful track record working throughout the world in professional services for both IT and Engineering Companies.

More recently Nick has worked as an advisor and Non-Executive Director to both UK and International Technology Companies and is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Nick is also Chair of the Board of Governors and Governance and Nominations Committee and a member of the People Committee | Coventry University,Strategy, Finance and Resources Committee and Remuneration Committee.


David Secher

Dr David Secher

Independent Governor

David Secher is an independent consultant in the areas of research commercialisation, intellectual property and technology transfer, in the UK and internationally. Assignments include work in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South America, Africa, and Europe. He is based in Cambridge University, where he is a Life Fellow of Gonville & Caius College.

In 2002, together with Lita Nelsen of MIT, he founded Praxis (now PraxisAuril), the leading UK knowledge exchange organisation. He served as chairman or as a director until 2014 and is now Patron. For his contributions to “creating environments that favour enterprise, specialising in the practical aspects of commercialising the results of academic research”, he was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2007.

Previous roles include Senior Bursar, Gonville & Caius College; CEO of the N8 Research Partnership; Director of Research Services, Cambridge University; Director of Drug Development, Cancer Research Campaign; Director of Monoclonal Therapeutics, Celltech Ltd.; and Tenured Group Leader, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology. As a consultant, he has advised universities, governments and individuals on commercialisation of intellectual property, as well as acting as a non-executive director of technology and investment companies. He is a director of Crossword Cybersecurity plc.

David graduated from the Cambridge University (Churchill College) with first class honours in biochemistry. His PhD work at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology was with César Milstein (Nobel Prize-­winner for discovery of monoclonal antibodies). Together with Derek Burke, Secher made and patented the first monoclonal antibody to human interferon.

David is also Chair of the Enterprise and Innovation Committee and a member of the Board of Governors and Strategy, Finance and Resources Committee.


Headshot of Mark Richards

Mark Richards

Independent Governor

Mark won an open scholarship to read music at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, going on to secure a First before successfully completing an MMus in Theory and Analysis at King’s College, London and further research in the music of Webern at Cardiff University.

Mark has tutored at several universities, but his main focus has been school teaching and senior leadership; at present he is Senior Deputy Head. Prior to Queen Anne’s, Mark was Director of Studies and Head of Sixth Form at Saint Martin’s School in Solihull (GSA Day School). Mark has been a governor of three schools, is a trustee of the Society for Music Analysis and the Society for Minimalist Music and is a member of the Society for Musicology in Ireland.

Mark also teaches A Level Music at Queen Anne’s, is an experienced school inspector and A Level and IB music examiner; he has also written several books and articles associated with A Level Music.

When away from school leadership and music, Mark enjoys North Devon coastal walks with his wife, Claire, and their four golden retrievers, Bertie, Monty, Rufus and Gideon! He is also a member of the Education Committee.


Hamid Abdalla Hamid profile picture

Hamid Abdalla Hamid

Your SU Sabbatical Officer

Hamid holds a BSc (Hons) degree and attained an MBA from Staffordshire University and then an MSc. in Petroleum Data Management from the University of Aberdeen. He is a Commonwealth scholar and President of Zanzibar scholarship alumni. Hamid has nine years work experience in different firms both local and international, managing businesses with high standards through creativity and innovation. Hamid believes in excellence and has dedicated his talents to ensuring the successful accomplishment of Zanzibar's strategic development goals.

Hamid is entering the second year of his PhD at Coventry University, researching sustainability in Oil and Gas. His goal is to give back to the environment and society at large through his research with particular focus on Tanzania and Zanzibar.


Jay Keyse portrait

Dr Jay Keyse

Independent Governor

Jay Keyse is an experienced enterprise strategist and IT services portfolio executive who has held leadership positions at EDS, HP, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, DXC Technology and ConvergeOne, and currently works for Gartner UK Ltd. as an Executive Partner. During her career, Jay has led global systems integrator strategy and IT portfolio management functions, including being responsible for portfolio and product strategy, strategic partnerships, IT Advisory, M&A strategy, divisional Product Marketing, Learning and Development, Analyst Relations, and International partnerships.

Jay holds an MBA (Technology Management) from the Open University, an MSc. in Business and Management Research from Henley Business School, University of Reading, and is currently finalising a ‘strategy as practice’-focused Doctorate of Business Administration at Henley Business School.

Jay lives on the picturesque North Wales coast.


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