Lee Elliot Major

Lee Elliot Major is the first Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, a role created to advance global leadership in addressing systemic barriers to social mobility. He holds honorary professorships at UCL Institute of Education and is an Associate Member of Nuffield College (Oxford) and Associate of LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance. His work focuses on dismantling educational and economic barriers faced by disadvantaged youth, advocating for radical reforms to bridge inequality gaps.

Education: PhD in theoretical physics (Imperial College London/Sheffield University), honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield. First in his family to attend university despite early life adversity, including being homeless at 15. Former Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust (2008–2018), a charity focused on social mobility through education.

Research interests include: socio-economic inequality in education, policy interventions for disadvantaged students, and mechanisms to democratize access to elite institutions. Co-authored influential books like Social Mobility and Its Enemies and What Works?, which provide actionable strategies for educators and policymakers.

Awards: OBE (2015), honorary doctorate from Sheffield University (201?), and recognition for services to education. His TEDx talk (How can we level the playing field of life?) critiques systemic inequities in education and proposes solutions like the National Tutoring Service.

Advocacy includes public lectures, media commentary on class divides, and collaborations with schools, universities, and policy makers to translate research into practice. His work emphasizes community-level job creation over individual-focused mobility strategies, arguing for systemic change over elite access.