Dr Paul Thompson is the Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art, the world’s oldest art school in continuous operation, and the only art and design university in the UK operating exclusively at postgraduate level. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, the RCA was ranked the world’s number one art and design university in the QS World University Rankings.

Prior to 2009, Paul was Director of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York (from 2001-2009), and Director of the Design Museum in London (from 1993-2001). He is an Adjunct Professor at the Innovation in Global Health Institute, Imperial College London, a Trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum and is on the Ashmolean Museum Board of Visitors.