Candidates

Dame Anne Pringle

Anne Pringle is a trailblazing British diplomat whose career has consistently broken new ground and expanded what is possible for those who serve in public life.

• Biography

  Anne Pringle is a trailblazing British diplomat whose career has consistently broken new ground and expanded what is possible for those who serve in public life.

  Born in Glasgow, she became the first woman to serve as the UK’s Ambassador to Russia (2008-2011) and earlier as Ambassador to the Czech Republic (2001-2004). Her diplomatic work centred on the most significant geopolitical issues of her time: European policy, including negotiations on the Maastricht treaty, and the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse. In the 1990s she also contributed to the Middle East peace talks, bringing a steady commitment to dialogue in some of the world’s most complex regions. Her postings twice took her to both Brussels and Moscow.

  After leaving the Foreign Office in 2012, Anne built a second career dedicated to leadership, governance and public service across business, culture and academia. She served on the Foreign Secretary’s Locarno Group (2012-2016), advising on strategic international issues; was a non-executive director of Ashmore Group plc (2012-2021); and a public appointments assessor (2012-2016). She also contributed to the cultural life of the UK as a trustee of Shakespeare’s Globe (2016-2021).

  Anne's longstanding commitment to higher education led her back to the University of St Andrews, where, after four years on Court, she was elected Senior Governor (2016-2020). In this influential role, she oversaw institutional strategy, major capital projects and the effectiveness of the University’s highest governing body. Her leadership helped deliver significant developments across the University estate and strengthened St Andrews’ position as a world-leading institution.

  Anne continues to contribute actively across sectors. She serves on the advisory board of a private asset manager, is a Patron of Kew Gardens and Glyndebourne Opera and a passionate supporter of education and the arts. She personally funds scholarships for undergraduates and researchers at St Andrews, reflecting her belief that opportunity, creativity and learning should be accessible to all.

  Educated at the University of St Andrews (1973-1977), Anne graduated with an MA Hons in French and German. In recognition of her service as Senior Governor, the University conferred an Honorary DLitt on her in 2022.

• Statement

  St Andrews has shaped my life profoundly. When I arrived here as an 18-year-old scholarship student from Glasgow, I discovered a university with a rare capacity to nurture talent, broaden horizons and inspire ambition. That foundation launched a life of public service and is why St Andrews has remained central to my story ever since.

  After graduating, I joined the Foreign Office, rather unusually as my forbears were miners, farmers and shipbuilders. I spent 35 years at the centre of some of the defining geopolitical challenges of our time: European policy and the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse, issues that continue to shape the UK’s security and prosperity today. As Ambassador, I witnessed the euphoria of crowds in Prague when the Czech Republic acceded to the European Union in 2004; and later, in Russia, I saw the corrosive impact of autocratic leadership on the people it claims to serve. These experiences reinforced my belief in the power of open societies, education and robust institutions.

  From 2012, I moved into main Board roles across business (asset management), public appointments, culture (Shakespeare’s Globe) and academia, work that brought me back to St Andrews. After four years on Court, I was elected Senior Governor (2016-2020), overseeing strategy, major capital projects and effective governance. This period saw genuinely transformational developments, including Eden Campus, the Laidlaw music centre, the refurbishment of the Students’ Union and of the marine science facilities that led to the Scottish Oceans Institute and the Gatty Marine laboratories. It also marked the acquisition of the Madras college site for ‘New College’, the centrepiece of the Making Waves fundraising campaign. I am proud to have helped guide St Andrews through the pandemic, strengthen its global standing and secure the funding to do so.

  The decade ahead will bring further significant challenges and opportunities. Competition for students, researchers and funding will only intensify. To retain its global standing, St Andrews must remain agile, ambitious and imaginative, ready to address the great challenges of our age, from fractured politics and global insecurity to climate change and ageing societies.

  Impact will depend on deeper interdisciplinary collaboration; stronger partnerships with industry and technology; and bold ideas to harness the power of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotechnology.

  In an age when higher education institutions are cutting courses, St Andrews should continue to champion a full range of Humanities, which help to equip future young leaders, give meaning to technical knowledge and ensure that innovation serves human needs and values rather than existing in isolation. At the same time St Andrews must continue to attract and inspire the brightest minds and the generous donors who believe in its mission. New College, the first in nearly 300 years, and the Digital Nexus building at the heart of the science and medical campus will be game changers in this next chapter.

  This next chapter calls for a dynamic Chancellor, a champion for St Andrews’ interests, a fundraiser, a connector and a defender of free speech. I bring a track record of past achievements at the University, broad-ranging experience and a wide network of contacts across diplomacy, government, business, culture, philanthropy and academia which I would mobilise fully for the University. I am a committed member of the Chancellor’s Circle, which Ming Campbell led so ably, a contributor to scholarships for students and researchers and an active participant in the alumni community.

  I also served on the panel that appointed our current Principal – an inspired choice – and have worked closely with her. Mentoring future leadership will be a key responsibility of the next Chancellor.

  This is a very significant moment for St Andrews and I would dearly like to be part of it. I wish to thank those who have kindly nominated me, most of whom I have worked with closely in championing St Andrews’ interests. In making your choice you should be aware that I am proud to be a role model for diversity and aspiration, not least as the first woman to serve as UK Ambassador to Russia and to the Czech Republic. My career is testament to the power of education to unlock extraordinary possibilities.

  Being Chancellor would be the honour of my life.

• Nominators

  To be eligible to stand for election, candidates must be nominated by a minimum of 25 members of the General Council.

  Dame Anne Pringle was nominated by the following members:

  • Sir Ewan Brown CBE FRSE
  • Bridget Fraser (née Harris)
  • Professor James Naismith FRS FRSE
  • Charlotte Andrew
  • Professor Paul Hibbert FHEA FCMI FBAM FAcSS
  • Dr Andrew Gailey CVO
  • Professor Sharon Ashbrook FRSE FRSC
  • Professor Sir David Wallace CBE FRS FRSE FREng
  • Professor Lorna Milne FRSE
  • Professor Garry Taylor FRSE
  • Frank MacInnis
  • Catherine Stihler OBE FRSE
  • Professor Stuart K Monro OBE DSc FRSE
  • Professor Philip Roscoe FRSA
  • Lewis Wood
  • Professor Frances Andrews
  • Michael Innes
  • Professor Mark Harris
  • Pat Mathewson
  • Adrian Greer CMG
  • Professor Paul Boyle CBE FRSE FBA FRSGS FLSW
  • Linda Neu (née Ewan)
  • Nigel Morecroft
  • Ken Dalton
  • Elizabeth Reid MacCormick (née Goudie)
  • Susan Anne Paterson
  • Janey Lambie (née Lynch)
  • Tom Wilson
  • Sally Palmer