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Professor Kerstin Mey

Over the past 30 years, Kerstin Mey has built a track record of successfully initiating and implementing pioneering academic and research initiatives as well as cultural projects in higher education. As an experienced leader, senior manager, academic and researcher, she led major infrastructure and culture change programmes and set up a range of strategic external partnerships.

Kerstin Mey studied for an MA equivalent in Art, and German language and literature at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, and obtained a PhD in Art Theory and Aesthetics there. She held academic positions in universities in Germany and the UK before she joined University of Limerick (UL) as Vice President Academic Affairs and Student Engagement and Professor of Visual Culture in 2018. She was given responsibility as Interim President of UL in September 2020 and was appointed to the role of President in October 2021.

Prior to her appointment at UL, she served as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of Media, Arts and Design, and Professor of Contemporary Art and Theory at University of Westminster (2013-18). She held the role of Director for Research and Enterprise at the University for the Creative Arts, UK (2009–2013) and led the research strand Art and its Locations in Interface: Centre for Research in Art, Technologies and Design at the University of Ulster (2004–2009) and, in parallel, fulfilled the role of Director of the Research Institute of Art and Design there.

Her research interest focuses on 20th century and contemporary art and theory. It is concerned with art in the public space and public pedagogies, artistic research, the relationship between art practice, its documentation and archives as well as intern- and transdisciplinary. Amongst her numerous publications are the book Art and Obscenity and edited volumes Art in the Making; Sculpsit, and Cross-Wired. She was the Director of ISEA2009, the International Symposium of Electronic Arts, held on the island of Ireland under the theme ‘Engaged Creativity in Mobile Environments’. She also acts as evaluator for international funding agencies, reviewer for publishers, PhD examiner amongst others.

Building on her past experiences as Director of CREST (GuildHE, UK), as a member of the Austrian Science Board (Wissenschaftsrat) and as Deputy Chair of CHEAD (Council for Higher Education in Art and Design, UK) amongst others, Kerstin currently serves on the HEA Student Engagement, Teaching and Learning Committee (Ireland); is a member of the Kuratorium of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service, Germany), and the EUA Panel of the Institutional Evaluation Programme. In 2023 she chaired the Council of the Irish University Association.

In the cultural sector of Ireland, she serves as a Board Member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the EVA International Biennale, the Irish Aerial Creation Centre and the Hunt Museum.

Committee Memberships

  • Governing Authority
  • Governing Authority Sub-Committees
  • University Executive Committee (Chair)
  • University Academic Council (Chair)
  • University Management Council (Chair)
  • University Campus & Infrastructure Committee (Chair)
  • University of Limerick Foundation