Kenyan Professor Magdalene Odundo Appointed Chancellor of U.K. University

Starting from June next year, Kenyan scholar Professor Magdalene Odundo will be the new Chancellor of the University of Creative Arts (UCA) in Farnham, United Kingdom.

Odundo is a renowned Kenyan-born ceramics expert whose ceramic works have been exhibited in top museums around the world.

Announcing her appointment on Tuesday, UCA’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Bashir Makhoul said Prof. Odundo will serve as an inspiration to students at the university, especially in the school of arts.

“We are delighted that she is stepping into this role and are confident that she will be an excellent ambassador both for UCA and the subjects we teach,” Makhoul was quoted by the Business Daily.

Odundo, who previously served as a Professor of Ceramics at UCA, will be replacing the current Chancellor Dame Zandra Rhodes.

With the new role, Odundo will be in charge of the overall operations of the university, including its campuses in Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham and Rochester, as well as its teaching centers at Hampton Court Palace and Maidstone TV Studios.

She will also be presiding over its graduation ceremonies and issuing degrees to its graduands.

Who Is Professor Odundo?

Professor Magdalene Anyango Namakhiya Odundo was born in 1950 in Nairobi, Kenya, where she grew up and attained her O-Level certificates. In 1971, she moved to England to pursue a career in Graphic Design.

After her diploma in Foundation Art and Graphics at the Cambridge College of Art, Odundo moved back to Africa where she attended pottery training centers in Nigeria and Kenya to study traditional hand-built pottery techniques.

In 1976, she received a Bachelor’s degree in Ceramics from the University of Creative Arts, formerly known as the West Survey College of Art & Design. She then acquired a master’s degree at the Royal College of Art London in 1982.

In 2001, she became the professor of Ceramics at UCA, where she taught until 2016. She is also an appointee of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her great service in the arts industry.