Professor John Raftery is Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic and External Affairs) at Oxford Brookes University. He is initiating major change and development within the university, including the master planning of a new £150m+ capital program. Recently his university wide responsibilities have included leading on International strategy, European and regional strategy, alumni relations, widening participation and the Associate College Partnership. He also took the lead for the 2006 QAA Collaborative Provision Audit, in which the University excelled, achieving the best possible outcome in all areas. He currently holds nine external board level appointments nationally and regionally, six as Chair.

Professor Raftery studied at University College Cork and Liverpool Polytechnic, where he gained his PhD in 1984. Following a period as Senior Research Scientist at the Technical Research Centre of Finland in Helsinki he worked at the University of Greenwich and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has written two recent books - The construction sector in the Asian economies (December 2004) and, Risk management for projects (2006). He is currently a member of Kofi Anan’s Global Humanitarian Forum and Chair of the EMS Steering Group responsible for statistics and performance indicators for the UK HE Estate. Professor Raftery was also active in management consultancy, particularly with risks in major public infrastructure projects, cartels and restrictive practices in Hong Kong, Scandinavia and the UK.

Professor John Raftery chaired the 1e - Developing successful international university strategies session.