Professor Fawad Inam appointed Executive Principal of Oxford Business College

Oxford Business College is poised for a significant transformation under the leadership of its new Executive Principal, Professor Fawad Inam, who takes up the position on the 1st of November. In his role, he will spearhead the college’s evolution into a university within the next decade.

Professor Inam’s career trajectory includes his most recent role as Vice Dean of the University of East London, where he has served since 2018. As he assumes the helm at Oxford Business College, he has a bold vision to reshape the higher education landscape, particularly with an emphasis on increasing access and opportunity for underrepresented groups and underserved communities.

He envisions Oxford Business College obtaining university status as a catalyst for broader sector expansion, drawing parallels to the era when polytechnics ascended to elite university status in the mid-1990s.

The college is poised to diversify its course offerings, expanding beyond its current business and management specialisations to encompass IT-based courses such as fintech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital forensics. This strategic move aims to keep pace with the evolving educational landscape and workforce demands.

Oxford Business College has seen a remarkable surge in enrolment over recent years, with student numbers surging from 3,111 in 2021 to now serving over 7,500 students. This growth reflects the demand for flexible and accessible higher education options that cater to a broad spectrum of students.

In expressing his excitement about his new role, Professor Fawad Inam, Executive Principal of Oxford Business College, stated:

“I’m delighted to be joining Oxford Business College as Executive Principal, and I hope to use my position to make a difference to the whole higher education landscape. My goal is that within ten years, Oxford Business College will achieve university status and act as a beacon for other higher education institutions.”

He further emphasised the importance of widening participation and making higher education more adaptable and inclusive, saying, “Widening participation should be an ambition for us all, and I want to shake up the UK’s higher education to make it more adaptable and inclusive for students of every background.

“One of the key strengths of Oxford Business College, and which attracted me here, is the fact that the majority of the College’s students come from non-traditional backgrounds.

“The UK’s underrepresented communities need more universities to offer the courses and the flexibility they want, delivered in the way they want them.

Oxford Business College’s transformation is poised to be a milestone in the UK’s higher education landscape, with the potential to open doors for a more diverse range of students, ensuring greater accessibility and flexibility in higher education.