The University of Aberdeen has announced that Professor Peter Edwards has been appointed as the next principal, effective 1 November 2025.
Professor Edwards is a highly respected academic leader who has been spearheading the university’s innovation and entrepreneurial ambitions and driving forward civic engagement and is the University’s Acting Senior Vice-Principal and Vice-Principal for Regional Engagement.
He will succeed Professor George Boyne, who has served as Principal since 2018 and will retire on 31 October 2025. He had had been due to retire in December but the university said he would now leave the post on 31 October to allow Prof Edwards to begin “as soon as possible”.
Under Professor Boyne’s guidance, the University launched its long-term strategic vision, Aberdeen 2040, which was recognised as University Strategy of the Year by the Higher Education Strategic Planners Association (HESPA) in 2021. He also steered the institution through significant global challenges, including Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the evolving higher education funding landscape.
Professor Boyne has also been a passionate advocate for widening access and community engagement. In a final gesture of generosity, he has requested that his salary for the last two months of his tenure be donated to several local and University-linked charities, including the University Development Trust’s Widening Access Fund, the Denis Law Legacy Trust, CFINE, Befriend a Child, and Abernecessities.
Prof Boyne has been in the role since 2018 and has overseen recent saving plans at the institution. In 2023, the university faced criticism over redundancy plans and for its decision to no longer offer single honours degrees in modern languages.
Prof Edwards takes over the role amid ongoing financial challenges at the university, with further cuts by the University of Aberdeen announced earlier this year.
Prof Edwards will now oversee those cuts as the university looks to plug a £5.5m funding gap.
Earlier this year the university reopened and later extended its voluntary severance scheme. So far it has not given any details about the number of staff who have come forward.
In a note sent to staff, the university’s Senior Governor Julie Ashworth outlined the reasons for Prof Edwards taking over the role earlier than planned.
She said: “This is especially important at a time when we are looking at new structures and ways of working to achieve our ambitions while securing long term financial sustainability.”
The University of Aberdeen has extended its sincere thanks to Professor Boyne for his leadership over the past seven years, and has further stated that it looks forward to working with Professor Edwards as he leads the institution into its next chapter of growth and excellence.
