The University of Birmingham unveiled a portrait commemorating Lord Karan Bilimoria’s illustrious ten-year tenure as Chancellor, on 18^th July, 2024. Lord Bilimoria, the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in Great Britain, stepped down, leaving behind a legacy of transformative leadership.

The portrait was crafted by renowned portrait artist, Benjamin Sullivan, who has made portraits of notable figures including HM Queen Elizabeth II. Clare Mullett, Head of Research and Cultural Collections at the University of Birmingham shared her delight on the portrait of Lord Bilimoria being a great addition to the Campus Art Collection.

Lord Bilimoria, the seventh Chancellor in the University’s 124-year history, played a key role in its evolution into a cutting-edge institution. His vision led to the establishment of the state-of-the-art Dubai campus, which now hosts nearly 2,000 students from around 100 countries, offering a diverse range of courses. Under his leadership, there was a substantial increase in the number of students as well as staff; the University’s research income nearly doubled, and its ranking moved up to the 8^th place from the 12^th in the UK for research funding.

Other significant milestones during Lord Bilimoria’s chancellorship include the launch of the India Institute (2017-18); introducing the first-ever joint Master’s degree in AI and Data Science with IIT Madras (2023) and in Sustainable Energy Systems (2024); initiating a unique collaboration between the Royal Collection and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, allowing students to curate and exhibit items from the Royal Collection. The University received several prestigious accolades during his tenure – being named Times and Sunday Times ‘University of the Year for Graduate Employability’ (2016) and was awarded two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes.

In his final speech as Chancellor of the university Lord Bilimoria said, “I have been privileged and honored to be Chancellor over the last 10 years, I am so proud of our outstanding institution, recognized as a top 100 university in the world. This past decade has been the proudest in my career. I am confident that the university is going to continue to go from strength to strength. I look forward to being a lifelong member of the University of Birmingham.”

Lord Bilimoria oversaw the opening of the award-winning University of Birmingham School, its state-of-the-art library and the Sports and Fitness Centre. Beyond academia, Lord Bilimoria’s tenure was marked by significant community engagement and international presence. He played a key role in launching the Birmingham in Action fundraising programme in 2019, and also served as President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) for two years.

Lauding Lord Billimoria’s achievements and efforts, the Vice Chancellor said that Lord Bilimoria played a crucial role as a powerful advocate and ambassador for the University across the world. “He has served our community with remarkable distinction for the past decade and will be greatly missed by all who have met him and worked with him. He is passionate about higher education and unwavering in his commitment to the importance of education and research… He has inspired thousands of students… and leaves behind an enduring legacy. We want to thank him for his invaluable contribution and hope that he looks back with pride on the significant part he has played in the rich story of the University of Birmingham over the last 10 years.”