Professor Nicholas Jennings stands as a distinguished leader in higher education and computer science, currently serving as the Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University since October 2021. Prior to this prestigious appointment, he held the position of Vice-Provost for Research and Enterprise at Imperial College London, where he shaped research strategy for one of the world's leading technical universities. His distinguished career includes serving as the UK Government's inaugural Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security from 2010 to 2015, providing critical expertise during a period of evolving security challenges. Earlier, he was appointed the UK's first Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, a position bestowed by the monarch to recognize exceptional research quality. His academic journey began at Queen Mary, University of London, where he completed his PhD in 1992 with a thesis on Joint Intentions as a Model of Multi-Agent Cooperation under the supervision of Professor Abe Mamdani.
Professor Jennings is internationally recognized as an authority in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber-security and agent-based computing, with research focused on developing AI systems for large-scale, open and dynamic environments. His pioneering work explores how to endow individual autonomous agents with the ability to act and interact in flexible ways, effectively engineering systems that integrate both humans and software agents. With remarkable scholarly impact, he has attracted over £33 million in research funding, published more than 700 articles with 500 co-authors, and achieved over 100,000 citations, ranking him among the world's most cited computer scientists. His research has demonstrated significant real-world applications, with systems deployed to save lives in disaster aftermaths, contribute to Olympic medal victories for TeamGB, and monitor climate change impacts on glaciers. His contributions to the field have been recognized with 11 best paper awards at major international conferences including AAMAS, EUMAS, ISWC and IAT.
Beyond his research achievements, Professor Jennings has played a foundational role in establishing key institutions within his field, serving as the founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems and a founding director of the International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems. He maintains significant influence in national science policy as a member of the UK government's AI Council and the governing body of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, while also chairing the Royal Academy of Engineering's Policy Committee. His commitment to translating research into practical applications extends to his involvement with numerous technology startups including Aerogility, Crossword Cybersecurity, Contact Engine, Darktrace, Rebellion Defence and Reliance Cyber Systems. In recognition of his exceptional service to computer science and national security science, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath CB in the Queen's New Year Honours List of 2016. Professor Jennings continues to champion the development of AI systems that address complex societal challenges while advancing the theoretical foundations of autonomous agent technologies.
