Nepali professor appointed Executive Dean at University of Chester
A Nepali-origin professor who has been active in the UK academic sector for a long time, Dr. Padam Simkhada, has been appointed to the post of Executive Dean at University of Chester.
Originally from Dhading, Dr. Simkhada has now become a key member of the senior management team responsible for overseeing the university’s overall academic and administrative responsibilities.
In the course of achieving high academic success while living abroad, he is possibly the first Nepali to receive the responsibility of a senior position such as Executive Dean at a UK university.
New role and scope of responsibilities
Previously, Simkhada served as Dean of the Health Faculty at University of Huddersfield. At the University of Chester, he has been assigned a broader scope of responsibilities.
He will serve in the role of Dean of Global Impact and Research, a cross-university position connected to multiple departments across the institution.
Explaining his new role, Dr. Simkhada said, “How to collaborate with universities around the world, how to improve the quality of research, and how to work on expanding the university’s branches and partnerships in different countries—these are significant responsibilities that have come onto my shoulders.”
He has viewed the opportunity to play a leadership role within the university’s Senior Management Team as a major achievement in his professional development.
In addition, he is also associated with a high-level committee, on behalf of Government of the United Kingdom, that evaluates research conducted at universities in the UK. That committee has the responsibility to examine and analyze various research works and submit its report by 2029.
A challenging journey from a remote village to the UK
Dr. Simkhada’s life story is widely seen as one of struggle and achievement.
Born in the remote Ganga Jamuna Rural Municipality, Dhading, he received his early education at a locally proposed government high school. From the time he began going to school, he faced shortages and hardships, including not having a separate room at home for studying.
However, these limitations did not stop his dream of higher education. Continuous hard work brought him to where he is today.
Carrying a strong desire for higher education, he came to Kathmandu from Dhading and pursued work and study side by side. He completed his studies in Nepal from certificate level through bachelor’s level.
With the aim of expanding his academic scope further, he went to the UK in 1998 for a master’s degree. After completing his master’s in 1999, he completed his PhD at University of Southampton from 1999 to 2002.
Academic leadership and experience
After completing his PhD, Dr. Simkhada gained academic leadership experience by working in various academic institutions as a program coordinator and course coordinator from 2005 to 2010.
While at University of Aberdeen, around 120 students completed a master’s degree in Public Health under his supervision, and some also completed PhD studies.
Toward the end of 2010, he was appointed as a senior professor at University of Sheffield, where he worked for about four years.
In 2014, he became a professor at Liverpool John Moores University and played an important role in teaching and academic leadership for five years.
Recognizing his leadership capacity and sustained academic contribution, the University of Huddersfield assigned him the responsibility of Associate Dean in late 2019.
As a result of decades of experience and strong performance, he has now succeeded in reaching the role of Executive Dean at the University of Chester.
Education News