List of University of Kent people

A list of people related to the University of Kent.

Several positions did not technically exist prior to the formal incorporation of the University by approval of its Charter on 4 January 1965. However several were appointed beforehand as nominal "officer designates", performing the same duties. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was not formally installed as Chancellor until 30 March 1966.^[1]

• 1963–1968 Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
• 1970–1990 Jo Grimond (later Baron Grimond) – see University of Kent at Canterbury Chancellor election, 1970
• 1990–1995 Sir Robert Horton
• 1996–2006 Sir Crispin Tickell
• 2006–2014 Sir Robert Worcester
• 2014–2024 Gavin Esler
• 2024–present YolanDa Brown

• 1963–1980 Geoffrey Templeman
• 1980–1994 David J.E. Ingram
• 1994–2001 Robin Sibson
• 2001–2007 Sir David Melville
• 2007–2017 Dame Julia Goodfellow
• 2017–2024 Karen Cox

• 1960–1971 Wykeham Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis
• 1971–1977 Sir Paul Chambers
• 1977–1984 Robin Leigh-Pemberton
• 1984–1993 Reverend David Say
• 1993–1999 John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne
• 1999–2005 Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield

Title changed to:

• 2005–2011 Valerie Marshall
• 2011–2014 John Simmonds
• 2014–present Sir David Warren

The Visitor of the university is the Archbishop of Canterbury ex officio. The following Archbishops have served:

• 1965–1974 Michael Ramsey (appointed Archbishop 1961)
• 1974–1980 Donald Coggan
• 1980–1991 Robert Runcie
• 1991–2002 George Carey
• 2002–2012 Rowan Williams
• 2013–2025 Justin Welby

• Dominic Abrams – Professor of Social Psychology & Vice President of the British Academy
• Andy Alaszewski – Emeritus Professor of Health Studies^[2]
• Harry Bloom – South African former political activist, author (deceased)
• Upamanyu Chatterjee – author
• David Corfield – philosopher
• Elizabeth Cowie – professor of film studies at the University of Kent^[3]
• Frank Furedi – founder and chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP), Professor of Sociology
• Robin Gill – Anglican priest and theologian
• Roy Goodman – freelance conductor, violinist and organist
• Matthew Goodwin – professor and researcher of British politics
• Abdulrazak Gurnah – writer
• Rosalyn Higgins – President of the International Court of Justice
• Rosemary Hunter – Legal scholar and researcher Professor of Law
• Michael J. L. Kirby – former Canadian Senator
• Elena Korosteleva – Professor and Director of the Institute for Global Sustainable Development University of Warwick
• Bill MacMillan – Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia
• Molly Mahood – literary scholar
• David McLellan (political scientist)
• Murray Smith – philosopher and film theorist; Professor of Film at the University of Kent
• Hamish Swanston, the first Catholic to head a Department of Theology at a British university since the Reformation
• David Turner – computer scientist, designer of the Miranda programming language
• Sarah Turner – filmmaker, and Director of Research, School of Music and Fine Art^[4]
• Glenn White – astronomer
• John Zarnecki – space scientist and principal on the Huygens probe

All bachelor's degrees unless stated otherwise

• Anuwar Ali – (PhD) – economist, exponent of higher education, second Vice-Chancellor and President of Open University Malaysia
• Jo Fox – Director Institute of Historical Research University of London
• Adrian Franklin – Professor of Sociology at the University of Tasmania
• Colin Hughes – Emeritus Professor of Microbiology University of Cambridge, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge
• Belinda Jack – Fellow and Tutor in French at Christ Church, Oxford at the University of Oxford
• Homa Katouzian – (PhD) – Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Oxford
• Robert Lethbridge – Former Master of Fitzwilliam College at the University of Cambridge
• Lisa Roberts – (PhD) – Vice Chancellor University of Exeter
• Ralph Townsend (MA) – former Headmaster of Winchester College
• Patrick Collinson – Notable Elizabethan historian; (PhD) – former Regius Professor of Modern History, University of Cambridge
• Michael North - Economics Teacher at Westcliff High School for Boys
• Rupert Wegerif – Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge Fellow of Hughes Hall
• Lorraine Whitmarsh – environmental psychologist, Professor at the University of Bath

• Farah Zeynep Abdullah – Turkish actress and singer including film The Butterfly's Dream
• Heather Agyepong – Actor/performer, photographer, visual artist.
• Andrew Burt – actor – the original Jack Sugden in Emmerdale
• Daragh Carville – playwright and screenwriter including The Bay
• Jackie Clune – actor, singer, and comedian
• Alan Davies – comedian, actor, and author: work includes television QI, Bob & Rose and Jonathan Creek and book Just Ignore Him
• Richard Denton – producer and director of television documentaries including Comrades and Kingswood – a Comprehensive
• Lyn Gardner – theatre critic, children's writer and journalist, founding member of City Limits magazine
• Mark Gillis – actor, including for the Royal Shakespeare Company, writer / director including for the indie film Sink
• Stuart Hazeldine – screenwriter and film director including The Shack
• Kim Ismay – actor including Royal Shakespeare Company and singer
• Bruce Langley – actor, known for playing the role of Technical Boy on American Gods
• Rebecca Lenkiewicz – playwright and screenwriter including Ida, Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards 2015 and She Said (film)
• Laura Lexx – comedian and writer
• Matthew Morsia – fitness influencer, team member Gladiators
• Mark Simmons – stand-up comedian
• Megan Swann – magician, President of The Magic Circle
• Paul Telfer – actor, NCIS and Days of Our Lives
• Ramon Tikaram – actor, This Life and EastEnders
• Michelle Tsiakkas – professional dancer including Strictly Come Dancing series 22
• Neal Purvis and Robert Wade – screenwriters of the film Let Him Have It and eight James Bond films including Casino Royale, Skyfall and No Time to Die
• Ariel Vromen – Israeli screenwriter and film director including The Iceman
• Tom Wilkinson – actor, including The Full Monty and Academy Award nominee for In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton.

• Michael Baigent – (MA) – co-author of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail
• Valerie Bloom – poet
• Debjani Chatterjee – poet
• Fred D'Aguiar – novelist, playwright, poet, and academic
• Abdulrazak Gurnah (MA) (PhD) – academic and novelist including Paradise and 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature winner
• Jane Harper – author The Dry
• Sir Kazuo Ishiguro – novelist, Man Booker Prize winner for The Remains of the Day and 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Screenwriter of Living (2022 film)
• E. L. James – author Fifty Shades of Grey and film producer Fifty Shades of Grey
• David Mitchell – novelist Ghostwritten, Cloud Atlas and Utopia Avenue
• Sarah Waters – novelist Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet
• David Wingrove – science fiction writer
• Frederick Kambemba Yamusangie – novelist
• Musaemura Zimunya – Zimbabwean contemporary author
• John Lewis-Stempel – farmer and writer

• Rosie Boycott – journalist, former editor of The Independent and Daily Express
• Janusz Bugajski – host of Bugajski Hour on several Balkan TV channels
• Ian Collins – radio presenter and TalkRADIO host
• Oliver Double – comedian and comedy historian
• Gavin Esler – former BBC Newsnight presenter and BBC North America Editor
• Shiulie Ghosh – former ITV news presenter
• Fi Glover – BBC Radio 4 presenter including The Listening Project
• Charlotte Green – BBC radio presenter
• David Horsey – (MA) – Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist
• Mark Mardell – Presenter The World This Weekend BBC Radio 4, former BBC North America and Europe Editor
• Matt Preston – Australian television presenter and food journalist
• Carolyn Quinn – BBC Radio 4 political presenter
• Paul Ross – journalist and presenter, former editor and presenter The Big Breakfast
• William Sitwell – former editor of Waitrose magazine now Telegraph columnist and Masterchef presenter
• Charlotte Smith – Presenter Countryfile and Farming Today
• Peter White – BBC Radio 4 presenter of You and Yours and BBC Disability Affairs Correspondent
• Patrick Wright – journalist, academic and author
• Sahar Zand – British-Iranian journalist, television presenter and documentary maker

• YolanDa Brown – saxophonist, composer, broadcaster, philanthropist; double MOBO "Best Jazz" winner. Chair BPI music.
• Jon DaSilva – DJ and Record Producer – House and Dance music – pioneer at The Haçienda Manchester.
• Ana Free – Portuguese singer songwriter.
• Barbara Gaskin – singer – recorded No 1 hit single "It's My Party" with Dave Stewart
• Ellie Goulding – singer / songwriter (dropped out – did not graduate) albums include Lights
• Steve Hillage – guitarist (dropped out – did not graduate)
• Lami Phillips – Nigerian singer / songwriter and actress
• Tiwa Savage – Nigerian singer / songwriter

• Afsaneh Mashayekhi Beschloss – CEO Rock Creek, Former Chief Investment Officer World Bank, Carnegie Corporation of New York Great Immigrants, Great Americans list 2020
• Ghanim Bin Saad Al Saad - Qatari Businessman and Chairman of GSSG Holding
• James Buckley-Thorp – Founder and Chief Executive Officer Bequest
• Zameer Choudrey, Baron Choudrey – Chief Executive Bestway Group
• Wayne Garvie – President International Production at Sony Pictures Television
• Tristia Harrison – Chief Executive Officer TalkTalk Group
• Max Hole – former Chairman and Chief of Global Operations Universal Music
• Carolyn McCall – Chief Executive Officer ITV
• Charles Wigoder – Executive Chairman Telecom Plus

• Abdullah Md Zin – (PhD) – minister in the Malaysian government
• Abbas Araghchi – (PhD) – Foreign Minister of Iran
• Azizan Abdul Razak – Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of the Malaysian state of Kedah
• Gareth Bacon – Conservative Member of Parliament for Orpington – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
• Steve Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton – (MA) – former Government Whip in the House of Lords
• Judith Blake, Baroness Blake of Leeds – former Labour Leader of Leeds City Council
• Wayne Caines – Minister of National Security Government of Bermuda
• Ronald D. Coleman – (Year abroad) – former United States Representative for Texas
• Baron Collins of Highbury – former Labour Party General Secretary
• Kaya Comer-Schwartz – Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime – former Labour Leader of Islington Council in London
• Chris Davies – (MA) – former Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for North West England
• Mark Drakeford – former First Minister of Wales
• Tamsin Dunwoody – former Labour Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Preseli Pembrokeshire; former minister in the Welsh Assembly Government
• Natalie Elphicke – former Conservative / Labour Member of Parliament for Dover
• Kishwer Falkner, Baroness Falkner of Margravine (MA) – Liberal Democrat peer
• Allison Gardner – Labour Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent South.
• Sheila Gilmore – former Labour Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East
• Stephen Gethins -(MA) – SNP Member of Parliament for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry
• Kostis Hatzidakis – (MA) – Minister for the Environment and Energy in the Greek Government
• Dame Ann Hercus – (MA) – New Zealand politician and diplomat
• Jane Hutt – Minister for Social Justice – Senedd
• Kamarudin Jaffar – Member of Parliament of Malaysia for Bandar Tun Razak constituency and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Jean-Charles Larsonneur – Deputy representing La Republique En Marche! for Finistère in the French National Assembly
• David Lepper – former Labour Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion
• Eunice M. Tembo Luambia Zambian ambassador to the UN in Geneva^[5]
• James MacCleary – Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Lewes
• Mastura Mohd Yazid – Member of Parliament for Kuala Kangsar district and Deputy Minister in the Malaysian Government
• Munira Mirza – (MA) (PhD) – former Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit
• Maria Mezentseva (MA) – Member of the Ukrainian Parliament
• Chris Mole – former Labour Member of Parliament for Ipswich
• Raychelle Omamo – Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs
• Abena Oppong-Asare – Labour Member of Parliament for Erith and Thamesmead – Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.
• Taiwo Owatemi – Labour Member of Parliament for Coventry North West – Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.
• Suren Raghavan (MA) (PhD) – Sri Lankan politician, former Governor of Northern Province, now National List MP for the Parliament of Sri Lanka
• Blake Stephenson – Conservative Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire.
• Dan Tehan – (MA) – Australian politician, former Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment in the Morrison government
• Emily Thornberry – Labour Member of Parliament for Islington South and Finsbury Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
• Robin Tilbrook – leader and founder of the English Democrats
• Tom Vandenkendelaere – (MA) (PhD) – Belgian Member of the European Parliament
• Peter Whittle – former Deputy Leader of the UK Independence Party^[6]
• Alex Yam – Mayor of North West District and Member of the Singapore Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC
• Fu Ying – (MA) – Chinese former Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.

• Sir David Akers-Jones – (MA) former acting Governor of Hong Kong, 1986/87
• Ursula Brennan – Order of the Bath – former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice
• Jonathan Cohen – High Court Judge, Family Division.
• Ivo Daalder – President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, former United States Permanent Representative to NATO
• Luke de Pulford – Human Rights Campaigner – recipient of the Benemerenti Medal
• Sir Chris Ham – former Chief Executive King's Fund.
• Irwan Hambali – (MSc) Police commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force^[7]
• Sarah Harrison (civil servant) – Chief Operating Officer for the Cabinet Office.
• Alastair John Naisbitt King – Chairman Naisbitt King Asset Management – Lord Mayor of London 2024 – 2025
• Mark Lucraft – former Chief Coroner, now Recorder of London, Lead Judge at the Old Bailey.
• Pippa Mills – formerly Chief Constable West Mercia Police now Assistant Commissioner Metropolitan Police
• Shan Morgan – Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government
• Damilola Odufuwa – Founder of Nigerian Feminist Coalition and Microfinance specialist. One of Vogue's 12 Women leaders who changed the World in 2020.
• Sir Hugh Orde – former Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
• Joanna Roper – British Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Lucy Scott-Moncrieff – Human Rights and Mental Health lawyer – Past President Law Society of England and Wales
• Dame Glenys Stacey – Chair Office for Environmental Protection – formerly Chief Executive Ofqual

• Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma – a peer and second cousin of King Charles III, son of John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne
• Lady Amanda Patricia Victoria Knatchbull – daughter of John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne and cousin to Charles III
• Sir Jonathan Cohen – grandson of Lionel Cohen, Baron Cohen, great-great-grandson of financier Lionel Louis Cohen
• Joshua Leakey – recipient of the Victoria Cross, member of the Leakey family, relative of Lieutenant General Arundell David Leakey

• Paul Ackford – former England Rugby and British and Irish Lions rugby player, The Sunday Telegraph sports journalist
• Adam Ball – former England Under 19 Cricket Captain who played for Kent County Cricket Club
• Natasha Brennan – Women's Rugby Union player – Won the gold medal with the 2014 Women's World Cup England Rugby team.
• David Fulton – cricketer, former captain of Kent County Cricket Club
• Adebola Oluwo - Professional footballer. Central defender for Salford City FC EFL League division 2.
• Wayne Otto – British Karate Champion – Winner of multiple gold medals at Karate World Championships
• Jamie Reeves – (MA) – semi-professional footballer who won the FA Vase twice; pundit on the ESPN Star Sports coverage of the Premier League
• Susannah Townsend – Great Britain, England and Canterbury field hockey player, Gold medal winner 2016 Summer Olympics, Bronze medal winner 2020 Summer Olympics

• Joshua Leakey – known for courageous actions in the Afghanistan campaign in 2015; recipient of the Victoria Cross (did not graduate – left in the first year to join the British Army)

• Madeline Argy – Podcaster, Influencer
• Chris Broad – YouTuber
• Tom Frame – (MA)- Australian Christian minister of religion, historian, author, and social commentator
• Akaliza Keza Gara – Rwandan IT activist
• Rachael House – artist
• Philip Howard – Michelin starred chef – The Square and then Elystan Street
• Leon McCarron – Northern Irish adventurer, author, filmmaker, broadcaster. Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Yale World Fellow 2024.
• Duro Olowu – Fashion Designer
• Martin Poll – Canon Chaplain of St George's Chapel Windsor Castle
• Stephen Shaw -(MA) – Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales
• Johnny Yeo – artist and portraitist – his paintings are included in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London

• Andrea Arnold, film director, doctorate of arts^[8]
• Giles Clark, conservationist (Big Cat Sanctuary), doctorate of science^[8]
• Iain Dale, radio broadcaster (LBC) and political commentator, doctor of the university^[8]
• Michael Morpurgo, author and playwright, doctorate of letters^[8]
• PinkPantheress, singer and producer, doctorate of music^[8]