Professor Nick Braisby

Profile

Biography

Nick was born in Swansea and, after studying at Olchfa Comprehensive School, he read Natural Sciences including Psychology at the University of Cambridge. He then studies for his PhD in the Centre for Cognitive Science at the University of Edinburgh and, on completion, took up a British Academy Postdoctoral research fellowship at the London School of Economics.

During his early career, Nick published on concepts and word meaning, and the process of word learning in children, receiving funding from the Leverhulme Trust. He has worked at many different universities in London and the South-East – London Guildhall University, The Open University, University of Winchester and the London South Bank University – becoming increasingly interested in leadership and management roles. On leaving South Bank, he joined the University of West London in 2013 as its Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Student Experience), leading its work on education and student satisfaction and, in 2017, was proud to be part of UWL’s award-winning Outstanding Leadership and Management Team. Nick then left to join Buckinghamshire New University as its Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and within 14 months, took on the position of Vice-Chancellor.

At BNU, Nick oversaw significant restructuring of the University, a dramatic increase in student numbers, a move from financial fragility to financial strength, and significant improvements in league table position. Along the way, the University attracted numerous accolades, regularly being shortlisted for Times Higher awards. The University won a Whatuni? award in 2023 for its response to the cost-of-living crisis and, the following year, was named by the Daily Mail as its University of the Year for student support. Nick also oversaw the creation of a significant new campus development which has transformed the student experience at BNU, helping the University reach No 1 in the sector for student satisfaction in 2024. But alongside these achievements, Nick also passionately championed equality, diversity and inclusion. He created the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman and Boater into Higher Education pledge scheme. Since its launch in 2021, these traditionally highly disadvantaged communities have seen a more than trebling in their participation rates in higher education.

Nick has also played a wide role in Buckinghamshire and the region. As Chair of the Board, he helped save the Buckinghamshire UTC from closure and negotiated its successful transition into a multi-academy trust. He created a multi-partner organisation – the Bucks Health and Social Care Academy – which has transformed the health and social care landscape in the county and has served as a model for similar organisations. As Chair of Buckinghamshire’s Skills Strategy Board he led the creation of the county’s first Skills and Employment Strategy.

Nick has served on the boards of many other organisations which support and promote higher education and has been an advisor and mentor within the higher education sector. He has been a long-standing committee member at Universities UK, served on the Executive Board of GuildHE and the Governing Board of the ARC Universities Group. He has served on advisory boards for JISC, Universities UK and AdvanceHE and is a Trustee of the University of the Built Environment and of the National Educational Opportunities Network (NEON). In December 2025, Nick was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of West London.