London’s Royal College of Art names new Chancellor

The Royal College of Art in London has named Sir Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer, as its new Chancellor. The university confirmed that Ive will take up the role in July and it will be a five-year term.

Ive succeeds Sir James Dyson, the British inventor, who served as the Provost of the College from 2011 until this year. The new honorary role has been renamed to Chancellor and as head of the college, Ive will presiding over meetings of the Court, a member of its governing body, Council, and conferring degrees at Convocation.

In addition, Ive will also advise the College during its period of expansion, with the construction of a new building at Battersea, scheduled to open in 2020, as well as advise the school on digital initiatives pertaining to computer science, the effects of the digital economy and advance manufacturing.

“As chancellor, Jony embodies the RCA’s ideals of technology and design excellence, inspiring students and staff, and enabling us to educate the next generation of world-leading artists and designers,” said Paul Thompson, rector of the Royal College of Art.

At Apple, Ive oversees the look and feel of all Apple products, from hardware and packaging to the user interface, as well as major architectural projects including the company’s new campus in California, known as Apple Park. He also owns more than 5,000 patents and received an honorary doctorate from RCA in 2009. Among his list of accolades includes a CBE in 2006 and a KBE in the 2012 New Year’s Honours list. He also holds honorary doctorates from both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Baroness Gail Rebuck remains Chair of Council and becomes Pro-Chancellor of the university. The posts of Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor are both non-salaried.

Fashion and textile alumni from the university includes Christopher Bailey, Ossie Clark, Katie Eary, Erdem, Holly Fulton, Julien Macdonald, Sibling, Aitor Throup, Philip Treacy, Orla Kiely, Zandra Rhodes, Alice Temperley, and Sophia Webster.