University of Sussex

The University of Sussex is an English campus university located in the East Sussex village of Falmer, near Brighton & Hove and on the edge of the Sussex Downs. It is the only university in England which is entirely located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and runs entirely on electricity from renewable energy sources. It was founded in August 1961, one of several New Universities to be built in the 1960s.

The university is organized around seven schools following traditional departmental lines:

• Humanities
• Life Sciences
• Social Sciences and Cultural Studies
• Science and Technology
• The Sussex Institute (postgraduate studies in law, education, social work, and other areas)
• SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research
• The Brighton & Sussex Medical School, a joint school with the University of Brighton

This organization was introduced as part of a major restructuring as of August 1, 2003. The university also houses several centres of excellence including the Centre for the Study of Evolution co-founded by John Maynard Smith and the Genome Damage and Stability Centre.

The university is also noted for its work in molecular sciences, with a faculty that includes Sir Harry Kroto. It is also known for its work in computing, particularly Artificial Intelligence and human-computer interaction. The university is home to the Mass-Observation project and archives.

Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors

The present Chancellor of the university is Lord Attenborough, who was elected as the university's fourth Chancellor on March 20 1998.

1. Walter Monckton, 1st Viscount Monckton (1961 - 1965)
2. Harley Shawcross, Lord Shawcross (1965 - 1985)
3. Charles Gordon-Lennox, Duke of Richmond and Gordon (1985 - 1989)
4. Richard Attenborough, Lord Attenborough (1998 - present)

The university has had six Vice-Chancellors:

1. John Fulton (1961 - 1967)
2. Prof. Asa Briggs (1967 - 1976)
3. Prof. Sir Denys Wilkinson (1976 - 1987)
4. Sir Leslie Fielding (1987 - 1992)
5. Prof. Gordon Conway (1992 - 1998)
6. Prof. Alasdair Smith (1998 - present)

Notable Alumni

• Thabo Mbeki President of South Africa
• Ian McEwan Novelist