Professor Mark Cleary

Professor Mark Cleary took his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Jesus College, Cambridge, in geography with research specialisms in rural France. From 1980-1989 he was a lecturer at Exeter University before taking up a post at the University of Brunei Darussalam in 1989 where he initiated a research programme on development issues in Borneo with a particular focus on tropical deforestation. After teaching at the University of Waikato, New Zealand (1992-1994), he joined the University of Plymouth in 1994. Here he became Professor of Human Geography in 1999 and Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Business in 2003. He assumed the role of Deputy Vice-chancellor at the University of Plymouth in 2004.

Professor Cleary took up office as Vice-chancellor of the University of Bradford in June 2007, becoming only the sixth person to hold the office since the university was founded in 1966.

His main research interests are in human geography and development studies and he has worked on issues of environmental change and regulation (rainforest management; indigenous land rights; marine management) in South-East Asia generally and in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam in particular. He has published six books and over 100 academic papers.

Professor Cleary serves on the Board of the Bradford Local Strategic Partnership and is a Trustee of the National Media Museum. He is a member of the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission, Universities UK International Committee and chairs the Higher Education Race Forum. He is also a member of the HEFCE Leadership, Governance and Management Committee.

Professor Cleary joined ECU's Board in July 2011.