Gary Morris

Dr. Gary Morris serves as Director of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise within the School of Education at the University of Southampton, leading collaborations with external organizations across all sectors to enhance the School's teaching and research impact. He co-leads the Leadership, Effective Education and Policy research group and delivers the Leadership in Education module for the MSc programme, lecturing in leadership and management at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. As a member of the Education School Boards and Faculty Knowledge Exchange Board, he co-chairs the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account and has assessed UKRI Proof of Concept funding bids.

His educational background includes a BSc, PGCE, MEd, MBA, and DPhil from the University of Oxford, where he also holds an Honorary Fellowship at the Centre for Skills Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE). Prior to academia, he served as a Brigadier in the British Army, directing educational policy and development across the Army with notable achievements in apprenticeships and workforce training.

Dr. Morris's research examines collaborative learning dynamics between tertiary institutions and business partners, innovation through cross-sector partnerships, and leadership in vocational education. His work extends to skills development frameworks and educational policy implementation, building on doctoral research analyzing Oxford University collaborations with diverse organizations.

His significant honors include:

• Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service (Bosnia, 1998)
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE, 2016 New Year’s Honours)

In knowledge exchange, he directs Southampton Education School's partnership strategy while co-chairing university-wide impact funding panels. His prior military career saw him transform Army training programs, winning the Adult Learners’ Week National Employer of the Year Award and establishing the Army as a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer. He has testified before the House of Commons on adult literacy policy and developed FE college-business pathways with UCL.