Pioneering the Future Through Purpose: LSST Welcomes New Principal, Professor Paul McDermott
By Kunal Chan Mehta | Article Date: 9 July 2026
LSST has entered an ambitious new era. With the appointment of Professor Paul McDermott as its new Principal, the institution signals a profound commitment to academic excellence, social mobility and large-scale transformation. Professor McDermott’s mandate is clear: elevate LSST into one of the UK’s leading independent further and higher education institutions.
Bringing more than four decades of distinguished leadership across leading higher education institutions and corporate academic boards, Professor McDermott joins LSST at a definitive inflection point and has worked for numerous universities in the past, including Leicester, Northampton, Anglia Ruskin, the Open University and London Metropolitan, as well as with HEFCE, the QAA and OfS. More recently, Professor McDermott has worked as the Lead academic and Chief Academic Officer for several Private HE institutions, including NCUK and Study Group, as well as running his own consultancy firm since 2012. His arrival marks a strategic shift toward a future defined by life-changing education and leading academic infrastructure.
Culture Over Infrastructure
While infrastructure is vital, Professor McDermott’s initial focus has been entirely on the human element.
“It is a distinct honour to join LSST,” says Professor McDermott. “Across every campus, there is a rare, palpable commitment to the student experience and their outcomes. You can engineer systems and build facilities, but cultivating the right culture is far more complex and arguably important. That foundational spirit is already thriving here – something we should not lose but build on.”
Mr Ali Jafar Zaidi, LSST’s CEO, said:
“I am delighted to welcome Professor McDermott to the helm. His formidable expertise, combined with an unbounded intellectual curiosity and proven track record in academic governance, will be instrumental as we refine our academic direction. I look forward to partnering with him to advance a future that reflects our highest ambitions for student success.”
Aasfieq Moosa, LSST’s Student Union President, said: “I am pleased to welcome Professor McDermott as Principal. Effective communication with students is key to building a strong and supportive learning community and I welcome his commitment to engaging with students and supporting the important work of LSST’s Student Union.”
National Recognition with Ambition
Though his initial weeks have been dedicated to a listening tour across LSST’s campuses, Professor McDermott’s long-term macro strategy is already locked in. The roadmap includes determined institutional growth, targeting investments in digital learning architecture and campus expansions and redesignation designed to meet the demands of modern learners through DAPs and a revised partnership operating model.
“LSST has achieved remarkable success since its establishment,” he notes. “The next chapter is about redefining that success – building an institution with national recognition, trusted relationships with partners and regulators, delivering a global ambition and an unwavering commitment to social mobility. We will be recognised for transforming lives through outstanding teaching, innovation and opportunity.”
To achieve this, the new Principal filters every strategic decision through a singular question: “Does it directly improve quality and standards to deliver a high-quality student experience that transforms the lives and future careers of our students? If it does, then we’re moving in the right direction.”
The Power of Belonging
A hallmark of Professor McDermott’s leadership style is evolution rather than disruption. He rejects the corporate cliché of restructuring for the sake of optics.
“Sustainable transformation requires alignment, collaboration and not imposition,” he explains. “It’s about understanding what works and what doesn’t, honouring existing strengths whilst creating the precise conditions where our amazing students and academics can thrive.”
Many LSST students balance rigorous degree programmes with professional careers and family commitments. For Professor McDermott, this resilience is precisely what makes the mission so vital and defines LSST’s values.
“We are not simply preparing students for graduation,” he says. “We are equipping them to shape industries, fortify communities and lead in an unpredictable global economy. Inclusion is the baseline; our goal is belonging. When individuals feel genuinely valued and culturally secure, they don’t just participate – they innovate.”
Furthermore, Professor McDermott believes that creating a unified culture will be fundamental to LSST’s continued growth.
“I want to build a true ‘One LSST’ culture – where every campus, every colleague and every student feels part of something bigger than themselves. Our greatest achievements will come when we work together with a shared sense of purpose.”
Towards Degree Awarding Powers
Architecting a unified, highly collaborative “One LSST” ethos across all campuses is central to this new chapter. Professor McDermott’s immediate strategic priorities focus on:
- Reshaping and developing our partnership model.
- Enhancing the digital and physical student experience.
- Tightening academic governance and expanding research scholarship.
- Securing Degree Awarding Powers (DAPs) – a critical milestone signalling institutional maturity.
“Degree Awarding Powers represent academic confidence and institutional prestige,” McDermott emphasises. “It demonstrates we possess the rigorous quality culture our students deserve. But DAPs are not a vanity metric; they are a guarantee that our students are receiving outstanding education.”
Looking to the horizon, the Principal is focused on forging high-impact partnerships with leading universities, global employers and industry leaders to boost graduate employability. Long-term initiatives also include an expansion of alumni networks and building distinct, specialised characteristics for each LSST campus.
“Success won’t be measured merely by square footage or enrolment metrics,” McDermott reflects. “It will be measured by the trajectories of the lives we transform, the communities we elevate and the people we collaborate with. If we look back years from now and see that LSST transformed lives while remaining fiercely true to its core values, that is a legacy worth leaving.”
For additional information or interviews, please direct questions to LSST’s Public Relations Manager via kunal.mehta@lsst.ac.
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