AHRC Council member
Professor Steven Spier is a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Council.
Steven is Vice-Chancellor of Kingston University. He is an accomplished academic and leading advocate of the economic benefits of a creative education, higher-level skills, and entrepreneurship.
He originally joined the university in 2012 as Dean of Kingston School of Art and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Culture and Civic Engagement.
His academic career encompasses appointments in:
- Zurich
- Hamburg
- Glasgow
- Belfast
He was founding Vice-Chancellor of the HafenCity University in Hamburg, Germany, a university of the built environment and metropolitan development.
An expert in contemporary European architecture and in ballet choreography as a form of spatial organisation, Steven is widely published.
He is a board member of Creative UK, was a member of the Creative Industries Council 2022 to 2025, and is chair of the board of Russell Maliphant Dance Company. He has been a director on numerous arts boards, including:
- Rose Bruford College of performing arts
- Humanoove
- Cryptic Glasgow
- Scottish Ballet
- Architecture and Design Scotland
He was named honorary fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and of the German Bund Deutscher Architekten in recognition of his services to architecture education.
Last updated: 18 December 2025