Professor Emma Flynn

Professor Emma Flynn joined the University of Surrey as Provost in July 2026. She previously held senior leadership roles as Provost at the University of Warwick, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) at Queen’s University Belfast, and Deputy Provost at Durham University. She is also a member of the Irish Government’s Research and Innovation Advisory Forum.

Across her career, Professor Flynn has led major institutional initiatives spanning education, research and innovation. As Provost at Warwick, she led student growth plans, oversaw an integrated change programme, and served as academic lead for a major philanthropic campaign securing significant donor investment. At Queen’s University Belfast, she oversaw a 33 per cent increase in research income and contributed to a rise in global rankings, alongside supporting the University’s recognition as the UK’s most entrepreneurial university for two consecutive years. She also served as academic lead for the £1 billion Belfast Region City Deal, a partnership driving regional growth through innovation, digital infrastructure, tourism and skills development.

Professor Flynn is an active researcher with a background in psychology, specialising in cultural evolution and innovation. Her work examines how information is created, transmitted and adapted across human and non-human groups, drawing on both experimental and real-world contexts.