Association of Commonwealth Universities, UK. Colin Riordan has been appointed as the ACU’s interim secretary general and chief executive. He has previously been Cardiff University’s president and vice-chancellor, and before joining Cardiff University, Colin worked as vice-chancellor of the University of Essex UK, having been appointed in 2007. Prior to this, he was Pro Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle University in the UK since 2005. He has published widely on post-war German literature and culture, including writing and editing books on the writers Jurek Becker, Uwe Johnson and Peter Schneider. Other research interests include the history of environmental ideas in German culture. Colin commented on his new role: “Having served as a member and vice-chair of the ACU’s Council I have seen first-hand how the work of the ACU and its members lifts lives across the Commonwealth and beyond. I am therefore delighted to be taking up the role of Interim Secretary General and Chief Executive and look forward to working closely with the ACU community to help realise its strategy and shared mission to build a better world through higher education.”