Meet our new Head of School, Professor Duncan French

Professor Duncan French joined Cardiff School of Law and Politics as Head of School in June 2026, bringing with him extensive leadership experience from universities across the UK.

Returning to Cardiff University, where he completed his PhD in the 1990s, Professor French has held various senior positions throughout his career.

He served as Deputy Head of Law at the University of Sheffield before becoming Head of Law School at the University of Lincoln. He later held Pro Vice-Chancellor roles in both Social Sciences and Health and Science.

He is also Professor of International Environmental Law, with interests in sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity, and Antarctica.

We spoke to Professor French to learn more...

What excites you the most about your tenure?

It is a challenging time in higher education, and it is easy to get into a negative mindset. But there is so much that remains really positive and exciting about what universities do and what they can offer.

As Head of School, I very much see my role as supporting and facilitating what is already some excellent activity, identifying new opportunities, and progressing overarching themes in the University strategy, whether through the research we do, the student experience, or finding new opportunities for civic engagement.

It is great to meet new colleagues, hear about their ideas, and think about how I can help, at a School level, to bring some of these things together. I also really value the opportunity to work across the University to find interdisciplinary links and open up new possibilities for collaboration. I have arrived at just the right moment to work with a new leadership team in the School, which is really exciting, as running a large School is definitely not a one-person job but something that requires a collective effort.

I am also a huge advocate for student engagement and for finding new and meaningful ways to bring students into how we can be more inclusive and better at what we do.

What brought you back to Cardiff?

Having been a student here in the late 1990s, it is great to come back and see how Cardiff has changed and developed since that time. Since I was a student here, the Senedd is now truly up and running, Cardiff Bay is a real asset to the city, and there is a noticeable confidence in national identity. Cardiff University is a truly civic university, both in terms of its location in the very heart of the city and the role it plays in education, research and broader civic engagement.

What’s special about the School of Law and Politics?

The School's strength lies in the breadth of its research, the innovation I can already see in how we engage and teach, and the sheer variety of its activities, from our pro bono work and research centres, including the Wales Governance Centre, to our international partnerships. This variety means I am constantly discovering new things we are doing and hearing ideas for future projects, while thinking about how I can help support them and bring people together in new and exciting ways.

What advice would you give to current students?

Being a student remains one of the best periods of your life – take every opportunity offered. But it can also be a huge time of transition and change, so don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for help if you need it. We have all been there.