Medwin Hughes is a Welsh academic who was the

vice-chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

of the

University of Wales Trinity Saint David The University of Wales Trinity Saint David () is a public university with three main campuses in South West Wales, in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea, a fourth campus in London, and learning centres in Cardiff, and Birmingham. The university ...

and of the

University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...

from 2011 until August 2023. He was previously principal of Trinity University College, Carmarthen and vice-chancellor of the

University of Wales, Lampeter University of Wales, Lampeter () was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest Academic degree, degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited degree awarding powers sinc ...

Biography

Hughes studied at

University College of Wales, Aberystwyth Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...

and

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...

. He earned his doctorate in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages and Literature in 1987, for his thesis entitled "Studies in Calvinistic Methodist Welsh Literature, 1790-1825". Hughes began his career as a

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

at the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education,

Trinity College, Carmarthen Trinity University College () was a Church University College in Carmarthen, Wales. The institution was founded in 1848 as the South Wales and Monmouthshire Training College, a teacher-training college. It changed its name in 1931 to Trinity ...

, and

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

. In 1994, he returned to Trinity College, Carmarthen to join its leadership team as dean. He then rose through the ranks as assistant principal (1997–1998), deputy principal (1998–2000), and finally served as its

principal Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the head of a school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level in the UK Civil Ser ...

and

from 2000 to 2009. Trinity College, Carmarthen was awarded degree awarding powers in 2008 and was renamed to Trinity University College (Trinity UC) in 2009. From 2009 to 2010, he was vice-chancellor of both Trinity UC and

, during a period of merger between the two universities. He then became vice-chancellor of the newly created

in July 2010. In October 2011, he additionally became vice-chancellor of the

after a scandal regarding the university's overseas validation process. In response to the scandal, it was announced that the University of Wales, then the "second-largest degree awarding body in the United Kingdom with links to more than 130 colleges worldwide, would stop externally validating degrees; it would only award degrees for "courses it designs and fully controls". Having overseen the "effective disbanding of the University of Wales", he retired as vice-chancellor in July 2023. In 2017, he chaired the Independent Review of Support for Publishing and Literature in Wales report to the Senedd. In 2021, he was appointed as chair of the

Representative Body of the Church in Wales The Representative Body of the Church in Wales is a registered charity, regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, responsible for holding property and assets on behalf of the Church in Wales. It was set up in 1917 to oversee th ...

. In 2013, Hughes was elected as a

Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales The Learned Society of Wales () is a national academy, learned society and charity that exists to "celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines", and to serve the Welsh nation. The Learned ...

(FLSW). In the

2023 Birthday Honours The 2023 King's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of King Charles III to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part ...

, he was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) "for services to education and the Welsh language".

Publications

* Medwin Hughes (1987) Ceiriog a'r traddodiad telynegol, ''Taliesin'', 59 (1987), p. 62-69. * Medwin Hughes (1988) Llyfr y Tri Aderyn : agweddau teipolegol, ''Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion'', (1988), p. 47-58. * Medwin Hughes (1989) ''Llwybrau'' (Dinbych : Gwasg Gee) (novel) * Medwin Hughes (1989) Llythyrau William Erbery, ''Cylchgrawn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru'', 1989-07-01, Vol.26 (1), p. 17 * Medwin Hughes (1991) Idiom lwythol y llenor Piwritanaidd, ''Diwinyddiaeth'', Rhif 42 (1991), p. 41-62. * Medwin Hughes (1992) Mythau hanes 'Drych y Prif Oesoedd', ''Traethodydd'' (Denbigh, Wales), Cyf. 147 (1992), p. 89-95. * Medwin Hughes (1993) Cerddi hir Pantycelyn : cerddi diwinyddiaeth hanes, ''Llên Cymru'', Cyf. 17 (1993), t. 239-253. * Medwin Hughes (1996) Citizenship 2000: Promoting the European Dimension, ''Evaluation & Research in Education'', 10:2, 128-146, DOI: 10.1080/09500799608666911 * Glyn E. Jones, Medwin Hughes, Delyth Jones (1996) ''Y lefel drothwy : ar gyfer y Gymraeg'' (Strasbourg : Gwasg Cyngor Ewrop) * Medwin Hughes (ed.) (1992) ''The Challenge of Diversity: Primary case studies'' (CAA Cymru, 1 Jan. 1992) * Medwin Hughes (ed.) (1993) ''Blodeugerdd barddas o gerddi crefyddol'' (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas) * Medwin Hughes (ed.) (1993) ''Saunders Lewis y bardd'' (Gwasg Gee, Dinbych)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Medwin Living people Vice-chancellors of the University of Wales People associated with University of Wales Trinity Saint David Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Alumni of Aberystwyth University Welsh scholars and academics Deputy lieutenants of Dyfed People associated with Trinity University College People associated with the University of Wales, Lampeter British academic administrators Year of birth missing (living people) Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts