Professor Johnston joined LSBU in April 2020 as Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic Framework), having previously held the role of Pro-Director for Learning and Teaching at SOAS University of London. She was subsequently promoted to Deputy Vice Chancellor, where she has led a wide range of professional services supporting institutional growth, quality, and strategic development across both the University and LSBU Group – an integrated education group comprising the University, further education colleges and academies.

Simon Yun-Farmbrough, Chair of the Board of Governors at the University of Bedfordshire, said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Deborah Johnston as Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire. Her appointment follows a rigorous and highly competitive selection process, with a strong field of outstanding candidates.

“Deborah demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities throughout the process and brings with her a wealth of experience in driving academic quality, sustainability and inclusive growth. The Board was particularly impressed by her clear values, her commitment to widening participation and student success, and her vision for the role universities play in transforming lives and communities.”

Speaking about her appointment, Professor Johnston said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the University of Bedfordshire as Vice Chancellor. I’m so impressed by the University’s commitment to degrees built around industry needs, its focus on entrepreneurship and its amazing achievements in terms of environmental sustainability, with the support from a community that celebrates diversity and inclusion. I’m looking forward to working and collaborating with students, staff and employers and can’t wait to get started!”

Professor Johnston is a Professor of Development Economics and has published more than 55 journal articles and four books. Her academic work focuses on inequality and poverty. She grew up in Hounslow, Greater London, and was the first in her dual-heritage Irish/Pakistani family to attend university. She completed an undergraduate degree in Economics and an MPhil in the Economics and Politics of Development at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, and a PhD in Economics at SOAS University of London.

Before moving into senior leadership roles in higher education, she worked across academia, charities, government agencies and international organisations. She is a national leader for the Disabled Students Commitment and serves as Universities Disability and Access Ambassador for the Cabinet Office. She also holds a board position with a national stammering charity and, in 2024, was awarded an MBE for her work on stammering recognition in higher education.