Professor Maria Fasli

Professor Maria Fasli has been appointed as the University’s new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation). Professor Keith Jones, our current Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) will be taking up the position of Professor of Reproductive Biology in the School of Life Sciences at the end of September after five years as a member of the University’s executive team. Professor Fasli will start her new role on 1 October 2025. 

Professor Fasli is currently Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex, and Director of the Economic and Social Research Council Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, and UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science. She obtained a BSc in Informatics from the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki in 1996 and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Essex in 2000, specialising in Artificial Intelligence. She has held academic and leadership roles at the University of Essex since 2000: prior to her current role she was Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Health, and she was founding Director of the Institute for Analytics and Data Science from 2014-19.

Maria’s research interests lie in AI techniques for complex systems and analysing and modelling structured/unstructured data for a range of applications. Her research has been funded by Research Councils and other organisations (over £10M to date) and she has worked with a range of companies and public sector organisations in data analytics and AI-related projects. In 2016, she was awarded the first UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science to support the development of skills and research capacity in data science, analytics and AI across the world. She is also passionate about higher education and, in 2005, she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy UK for her novel approaches to education and supporting the student experience.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil said: “I am very pleased to welcome Professor Fasli to the University’s leadership team. Maria will play a critical role in maintaining and increasing our research grant, contract research and innovation-related income, with exactly the right experience to fulfil that objective. Maria also brings exceptional partnership building and collaboration skills, which will be crucial at this pivotal moment in our history, and as we prepare to launch our new strategy, Sussex 2035. I would like to pay tribute to Keith’s excellent leadership of our research and innovation portfolio over the last five years and wish him the very best in his new role in Life Sciences, where his world-leading research track record will facilitate new developments for the School.”

Maria said: “I am truly excited to be joining the University of Sussex, a research-intensive institution renowned for its excellence and real-world impact. The University’s strong interdisciplinary research culture offers a powerful foundation for addressing today’s most pressing global challenges. I look forward to working with colleagues to strengthen and expand our partnerships across industry, the public sector, and the third sector, enhancing our capacity for collaborative research, innovation, and knowledge exchange nationally and globally while also raising the international profile and reputation of the University as a leader in impactful, world-class research.”