The University of Birmingham is delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Baker as Honorary Professor within the College of Life & Environmental Sciences.
Professor Ian Baker
Professor Baker’s three-year honorary title recognises his outstanding contributions to environmental policy, research leadership, and rural development.
Professor Baker brings a wealth of expertise to the College, and particularly to the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR), where he will play a key strategic and advisory role. Over a distinguished career, he has held senior leadership positions including Defra Head of Rural Economy policy & research and Chief Executive of the Small Woods Association. He also runs Catalys, an Environmental and Rural Development consultancy and serves as Evaluation Advisor to Slow Food International, advising on sustainable food systems and community development globally.
His appointment will strengthen BIFoR’s work at the intersection of forest research, rural policy, and environmental strategy, supporting the University’s mission to address some of the most pressing ecological challenges of our time.
Ian brings a rare combination of strategic vision, deep expertise in forestry and environmental policy, and decades of experience working across government, civil society, private sector and research. Academic research benefits greatly when coupled with wisdom and perspective from outside the academy. Ian brings this wisdom to help BIFoR shape the national conversation on land use and rural development, and I’m delighted to welcome him to our community.
I’m honoured to join the University of Birmingham and BIFoR as an Honorary Professor. BIFoR’s mission to understand and respond to the environmental and social challenges facing our forests and rural landscapes resonates strongly with my interests and expertise. I look forward to contributing to research, policy development, and teaching that will have real-world impact.
Professor Baker’s appointment further strengthens the University’s commitment to world-leading research and education in sustainability, environmental change, and rural development, reinforcing BIFoR’s role as a hub for innovative, policy-relevant forest science.
Find out more about the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research
Director, Birmingham Institute of Forest Research
Professor Rob MacKenzie, is an atmospheric scientist with a particular interest in how plants affect air composition.
