Sir Jim McDonald | |
|---|---|
 McDonald in 2020 | |
| Principal and Vice Chancellor of theUniversity of Strathclyde | |
| In office March 2009 – August 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Hamnett |
| Succeeded by | Stephen McArthur (engineer) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Rufus McDonald |
| Education | University of Strathclyde (BSc,MSc,PhD) |
Sir James Rufus McDonald is a British engineer and educator, who served asprincipal andvice-chancellor of theUniversity of Strathclyde from 2009 to 2025.[1] He served as the president of theRoyal Academy of Engineering between 2019 and 2024,[2] and is also a visiting professor atNYU Tandon School of Engineering.[3]
After seven years of work within the UK electricity supply industry, McDonald joined Strathclyde University in 1984 and became professor of electrical power systems in 1993. In 2006, he was appointed deputy principal responsible for research and was appointed as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of theUniversity of Strathclyde in March 2009. He has co-authored over 600 papers and three books.[4]
On 15 February 2019, the Royal Academy of Engineering announced that its Trustee Board had nominated McDonald as its presidential candidate for election by Fellows at the September 2019 AGM.[5] McDonald served a full five-year term, stepping down in 2024.
In October 2024, McDonald announced that he would retire from his role at Strathclyde in August 2025 after 16 years.[6] He was succeeded by ProfessorStephen McArthur.
In December 2024, theScottish Government appointed McDonald as Chair ofScottish Enterprise[7] for a period of 3 years.
In 2001 he was invited to deliver the MacMillan Memorial Lecture to theInstitution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland. He chose the subject "Electric Propulsion in Marine Applications: An Electrical Engineer's Viewpoint".[8]
McDonald delivered an TEDx talk at the 2021 Annual Ideas Conference organised by TEDxUniversity of Strathclyde under the theme "Resilience Reignited". During his TED talk, McDonald discussed a systems engineering approach to achieving net zero by 2050 which includes the use ofsteam reforming. "Net Zero" means not adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere - achieving this means reducing emissions as much as possible as well as balancing out those that remain by an equivalent amount[9]
He highlighted the factors in energy which need to be taken in consideration if we are to achieve a decarbonised future - factors such as affordability, reliability, economic opportunity and public engagement. He spoke about the importance of leadership, policy making and resilient infrastructure in the goal towards creating a sustainable future.[10]
He wasknighted in the2012 Birthday Honours for services to education, engineering and the economy.[11][12] He was appointedKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the2024 New Year Honours for services to engineering, education and energy.[13][14] McDonald is a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Edinburgh,Royal Academy of Engineering,Institution of Engineering and Technology, theInstitute of Physics, theEnergy Institute,[4] and theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.[15]
He has also been honoured by overseas institutions as an Honorary Fellow of theIrish Academy of Engineering,[16] Foreign Fellow of theChinese Society for Electrical Engineering and as International Member of the US-basedNational Academy of Engineering.[17]
He was inducted into theScottish Engineering Hall of Fame in 2024.[18]
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