Queen’s College announced that director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Paul Johnson will be taking over as its provost in August of next year after Dr Claire Craig stepped down earlier this year.
In his appointment announcement, Johnson said he was “delighted to have been appointed” as it is “clearly a very special place”. He continued: “I have spent most of my professional life working with brilliant people in institutions which strive for excellence and to achieve a positive impact in this country. I look forward to doing the same at Queen’s, to becoming part of this community, and to getting to know as many current and former members as possible”.
Johnson has been the director of the IFS since 2011. To IFS, Johnson said that leaving the role was a “bittersweet moment” as IFS had been “an incredibly important part of [his] life”. He is the third successive IFS director to go on to lead an Oxford college, with his immediate predecessors, Sir Andrew Dilnot and Sir Robert Chote going on to Nuffield and Trinity, respectively.
Johnson studied PPE as an undergraduate at Keble, before going on to hold positions at the Cabinet Office, the Financial Services Authority, the Department of Education and the Treasury. He was awarded a CBE in 2018 and is an honorary fellow of Keble.
Johnson is also known for his work as a columnist for The Times, as well as his other work in print media such as his 2023 book Follow the Money. As a columnist, Johnson writes mostly on economic policy. His commentary influenced the latest election greatly, highlighting early the “black hole” in government finances.
Johnson, in his resignation announcement at the IFS said: “After 14 years at the helm, it feels like the right time to move on and start a new chapter in my life. I am incredibly excited to be moving to The Queen’s College, a wonderful institution in one of the world’s very best universities, and look forward to working with a new set of colleagues and brilliant young people”.
On Johnson’s appointment, Craig said: “I am delighted that Paul will be the next Provost of Queen’s and I look forward to working with him to ensure a smooth transition. I know that everyone in the Queen’s community will warmly welcome and support him as he stewards the College over the coming year”.
