Last updated: 15 Aug 2008

Professor of Higher Education Management, Institute of Education

Professor Sir David Watson is an historian, and Professor of Higher Education Management at the Institute of Education, University of London. Between 1990 and 2005 he was Vice Chancellor of the University of Brighton.

He has contributed widely to developments in UK higher education, including as a member of Boards and Committees of the Council for National Academic Awards between 1977 and 1993, and of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (the Dearing Committee) in 1997-98.

He chaired the Higher Education Funding Council (England) Quality Assessment Committee until his retirement from the Council in May 1996. He was also a member of its Learning and Teaching Committee between 1998 and 2003.

He is a member of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and a companion of the Institute of Management. He was knighted in 1998 for services to higher education.