About Professor Graham Kendall
I am Vice-Chancellor of GlobalNxt University, Malaysia. My career has crossed industry, academia, research and university leadership.
Before entering higher education, I spent 17 years in IT, progressing through technical and managerial/leadership roles. In 1994, I left industry to study Computation at UMIST, graduating with First Class honours before completing a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Nottingham.
Subsequently I built an academic career, becoming a Professor in 2007. I later served as a Vice-Provost for Research and then Provost and CEO of the University of Nottingham Malaysia. I was also a Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the global University. I am now an Emeritus Professor of Nottingham.
I later served at MILA University as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and then as Vice-Chancellor.
My work has always sat at the intersection of ideas and practice, from operational research and artificial intelligence to research leadership, scholarly publishing and higher education strategy.
An unconventional career
My route into academia was not a conventional one.
I began my career in computing in the late 1970s and spent 17 years in the information technology sector. Over that period, I progressed from technical roles into management, eventually leading large teams and major IT operations. By 1994, however, I decided to make a significant change.
I left industry and returned to full-time education, studying Computation at UMIST. I graduated with First Class honours and then moved to the University of Nottingham to undertake a PhD in Computer Science. Two years into my PhD, I was appointed as a Lecturer at Nottingham, beginning an academic career that would eventually take me from research and teaching into senior university leadership.
I became a Professor in 2007, moved to Malaysia in 2011 as Vice-Provost for Research and Knowledge Transfer, and in 2016 became Provost and CEO of the University of Nottingham Malaysia and a Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the global University.
In 2021, I crossed the boundary again, returning to industry in senior executive roles. Three years later I returned to higher education, first at MILA University and subsequently as Vice-Chancellor of GlobalNxt University.
Looking back, the common thread has been a willingness to move between different worlds: technology, research, leadership and industry.
Career timeline
1977
Began career in computing, as a compuer operator on ICL mainframes. Progressed to leading technical support teams.
1994
Left industry to study Computer Science (Computation) at UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology). Graduated in 1997 with a first class degree, with honours.
1997
PhD at the University of Nottingham UK. Research focussed on evolutionary computation drawing on Charles Darwin’s survival of the fittest. Completed research in December 2000, graduating in July 2001.
1999
Started as a member of academic staff at the University of Nottingham, UK.
2007
Promoted to full professor.
2011
Moved to University of Nottingham Malaysia as Vice-Provost (Research and Knowledge Exchange).
2016
Provost and CEO of University of Nottingham Malaysia. Also served as a Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the global University of Nottingham.
2021
Left academia for three years in industy where I was Chief Executive of the Good Capitalism Forum and a Senior Vice-President of the holding group (PETRA). I maintained my research during this time.
2024
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise), MILA University, Malaysia.
2025
Vice-Chancellor, MILA University, Malaysia.
2026
Vice-Chancellor, GlobalNxt University, Malaysia.
Research and Scholarship
My academic career is firmly in computer science, operational research and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on optimisation, scheduling, hyper-heuristics and computational intelligence.
Over time, the focus has broadened. I have published in many areas including games, timetabling, routing, decision support and evolutionary computation, while more recent work has increasingly focused on scholarly publishing, research integrity, open access, research metrics and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in academic publishing.
Across my career, I have authored around 300 refereed papers, supervised over PhD students and secured substantial research funding in both the UK and Malaysia. I have also served in senior editorial roles, including as Editor-in-Chief of an IEEE journal, and have been listed among the Stanford Top 2% of scientists (with all the caveats that this brings).
Research remains an important part of how I think about higher education, leadership and the systems through which academic knowledge is created, evaluated and shared.
Publications
>300 peer reviewed publications
Publications page →
Supervision
>30 PhD students supervised
Supervisions →
Indicators
h-index 80+
Stanford Top 2% listed scientist
Indicators →
Editorial Roles
Former Editor-in-Chief; Associate Editor of 10+ journals
Editorial roles →
University Leadership
My leadership career has developed alongside my academic work, with responsibilities spanning research, enterprise, institutional strategy and the wider leadership and management of universities.
At the University of Nottingham Malaysia, I first served as Vice-Provost for Research and Knowledge Transfer before becoming Provost and CEO in 2016. In that role, I led a campus of around 5,000 students and 650 staff, while also serving as a Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the global University.
After a period back in industry, I returned to higher education in 2024 as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at MILA University, with responsibility for research, enterprise and quality assurance. I subsequently became Vice-Chancellor of MILA University and, in 2026, Vice-Chancellor of GlobalNxt University.
Across these roles, my focus has been on institutional development, academic quality, research culture and creating the conditions in which universities, their staff and their students can succeed.
GlobalNxt University
Vice-Chancellor, 2026–present
MILA University
Vice-Chancellor, 2025–2026
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, 2024–2025
University of Nottingham Malaysia
Provost & CEO, 2016–2021
Vice-Provost (Research & Knowledge Exchange), 2011-2016
University of Nottingham
Pro-Vice-Chancellor, 2016-2021
Leadership page →
Speaking, Media and Visibility
Speaking
I have delivered keynote, plenary and invited talks at universities, conferences and professional events around the world. My speaking has covered areas including artificial intelligence, operational research, research leadership, scholarly publishing, research integrity and higher education.
Speaking page →
Media
I have written extensively for audiences beyond academic journals, including regular articles for The Conversation and a series of Vice-Chancellor columns for The Star. My work has also been featured in the media, particularly where research intersects with public policy, higher education and scholarly publishing.
Media page →
Visibility
I use LinkedIn, newsletters and other digital channels to engage with researchers, university leaders and wider professional communities. Much of this work focuses on making complex issues in higher education, research and publishing accessible, while also exploring how individuals and institutions can build meaningful professional visibility.
Visibility page →
What I focus on today
My current focus brings together the different strands of my career: university leadership, research, technology, publishing and public engagement. I remain particularly interested in how universities can respond intelligently to rapid change, especially around artificial intelligence, research culture, scholarly communication and institutional strategy.
I continue to write, speak and contribute to debates about higher education and research. I am also increasingly interested in working with universities, leaders and organisations through consulting, speaking and advisory activity, particularly where academic leadership, research, publishing and professional visibility intersect.
What connects these areas is a continuing interest in how ideas move into practice, how institutions make better decisions, and how individuals and organisations can communicate their work more effectively.
University Leadership
Strategy, governance and institutional development
Leadership page →
Research & AI
Research culture, artificial intelligence and responsible use
Research page →
Publishing
Research integrity, peer review, open access and publishing practice
Publishing page →
Speaking
Keynotes, invited talks and professional events
Speaking page →
Consulting
Advice to universities, leaders, researchers and organisations
Consulting page →
Visibility
Professional presence, social media and digital engagement
Visibility page →
Interested in working together, inviting me to speak, or discussing an idea?
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