Professor David Sadler was appointed vice president (academic affairs) at XJTLU in May 2010. Before he took office, he was acting executive pro vice-chancellor for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, dean of the Faculty of Social and Environmental Studies, and head of the Department of Geography at the University of Liverpool. Professor Sadler studied geography at the University of Durham and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1986. Following his degree studies he became a lecturer and a reader in geography at the University of Durham. In 2002, he was appointed professor of economic geography at the University of Liverpool. He is now a member of the University of Liverpool Management School. Professor Sadler was editor of European Urban and Regional Studies from 1994 to 2008 and has published six books and more than 100 reports and papers in major journals. His management expertise covers university governance and strategic planning. He was a member of the University Strategic Management Team and chair of the Faculty Management Group at the University of Liverpool.