Paul Johnston, outgoing British Ambassador to Ireland, is the new Director General of the Irish Universities Association following his appointment by the IUA Council after an open competition. The Irish Universities Association is the representative voice of Ireland’s research intensive, enterprise engaged, public universities and Paul will take up his role at IUA in November.
Commenting on the appointment, Professor Eeva Leinonen, President of Maynooth University and Chair of IUA, said:
“We are deeply honoured to welcome Paul Johnston as the incoming Director General. His distinguished diplomatic career, most recently as British Ambassador to Ireland, has been marked by principled leadership, integrity, and a deep commitment to public service. “
“Over his five years in Ireland, Paul not only played a key role during a time of complex geopolitical change but also formed a deep and lasting connection to the people and communities around him. As Paul takes up this new role, he does so at a time of great strategic importance for our universities. The Programme for Government 2025–2029 sets out an ambitious national agenda across climate, health, housing, digital and AI transformation, an agenda that cannot be delivered without a high-performing, sustainably funded higher education and research system. Now more than ever, Ireland needs a clear and confident voice advocating for our universities, and with Paul’s leadership, the sector is well placed to step forward with unity, purpose, and impact in shaping Ireland’s future.”
Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990 and has had a wide range of diplomatic roles. Paul became Ambassador to Ireland in September 2020. Before that he was UK Ambassador to the EU for Political and Security affairs from 2017 to January 2020 and Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO. From August 2011 to August 2015, he was British Ambassador to Sweden.
Throughout his career, Paul has championed the value of higher education. Commenting on his appointment, Paul Johnston said:
“I’m honoured and delighted in equal measure to have been appointed to lead the IUA. Yeats called education “the lighting of a fire” and I know from my time in this wonderful country how important high-quality education has been to its development and will be to its future. I look forward to playing my part in the exciting and important years ahead.”
Thanking the outgoing Director General, Professor Eeva Leinonen, Chair of IUA said,
“As we welcome Paul Johnston to his new role, it is equally important to pay tribute to Jim Miley, whose tenure as Director General of the Irish Universities Association has been marked by extraordinary leadership, vision, and tireless advocacy on behalf of Ireland’s universities. Since his appointment in 2018, Jim has guided the sector through an era of profound transformation, from navigating the impacts of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic to championing the ‘Funding the Future’ agenda and laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and globally competitive university system. Jim brought to the role not only deep strategic insight and communication expertise, but a steadfast belief in the power of higher education to shape Ireland’s economic, social, and cultural future. His legacy is one of impact, authenticity, and consensus-building — and he leaves the sector stronger, more united, and better positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities of the decades ahead. We thank him sincerely for his outstanding contribution and wish him every success in the future.”
Ends.
For info contact:
Lia O’Sullivan, Head of Communications, IUA, 085 7141414, lia.osullivan@iua.ie
Additional Info:
Paul Johnston Full Bio:
Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially. He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide range of political and security roles in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Paul joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1993 as Desk Officer for Bosnia. As part of this role, he was also Private Secretary to EU negotiator Lord Owen and his representative on Bosnia Contact Group. His first foreign posting was to Paris in 1995-99 as Second Secretary Political. He was Private Secretary to the Ambassador and latterly part of the UK delegation to the Kosovo Rambouillet negotiations. Then he returned to London as Head of the Kosovo Policy Team, leading work on post-conflict policy in the EU, NATO, UN and G8.Before his second overseas posting to New York in 2005, Paul held a variety of other EU policy and security appointments in London, such as Head of European Defence Section between 2000-01 and Head of Security Policy Department between 2002-04. As Head of the Political Section in UKMIS New York, he advised on major policy issues for the UK on the Security Council and the UN World Summit, including the UK EU Presidency in 2005.Paul returned to London in 2008 as Director, International Security for the FCO. He was responsible for policy on UN, NATO, European Security, arms control and disarmament, human rights and good governance. Paul was British Ambassador to Sweden from August 2011 to August 2015 and then was Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO. He was UK Ambassador to the EU for Political and Security affairs from 2017 to January 2020 and became Ambassador to Ireland in September 2020.