Queen’s University Belfast Appoints First Dean for Upcoming India Campus at GIFT City

In addition to his leadership roles at QUB, Prof. Kumar has held Visiting Professorships at some of India’s leading institutions, including Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi), Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi), and the University of Calcutta (Kolkata)

Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has appointed Professor M. Satish Kumar as the inaugural Dean of its upcoming international branch campus at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India. Professor Kumar will assume his new role in July 2025 and will be based full-time at GIFT City, leading the academic and strategic vision for the new campus ahead of its first student intake in early 2026.

A longstanding academic at Queen’s, Prof. Kumar has been with the university’s School of Natural and Built Environment for over 25 years. He has also served as Director of Queen’s Academy India and Director of Internationalisation, where he played a key role in expanding the university’s footprint across South Asia.

In addition to his leadership roles at QUB, Prof. Kumar has held Visiting Professorships at some of India’s leading institutions, including Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi), Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi), and the University of Calcutta (Kolkata).

Speaking on his appointment, Prof. Kumar said, “I’m honoured to take on this pivotal role as we establish Queen’s University’s new international branch campus at GIFT City. This landmark development represents a significant step in our global engagement strategy—enabling us to extend Queen’s world-class education to new regions while forging deep, long-term partnerships with industry and academic stakeholders in India. Together, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the evolving transnational education and economic landscape of the region.”

Welcoming the appointment, Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Prof. Satish Kumar to lead Queen’s new campus in India. His leadership will strengthen our academic partnerships and foster collaboration with industry and government to deliver an enriching student experience. This marks a major milestone as we become the first UK Russell Group University to establish a presence in GIFT City. I look forward to working with him as we move towards our opening next year and unlock new opportunities for students, staff, and the wider community.”

Professor Margaret Topping, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at QUB, added: “We are delighted to appoint Satish as our first Dean of GIFT City. This is a critical role that will lay strong foundations for our staff, students, and partners in the country. Satish brings with him a wealth of experience in building intersectoral partnerships and creating a vibrant, collaborative learning environment.”

The university has also announced that further appointments will soon be made for academic staff who will deliver the initial suite of programmes. The GIFT City campus will begin by offering five postgraduate programmes designed to address key sectors of the Indian economy.