Professor Silvester Czanner
Head of School
As a Head of the School of Computer and Engineering Sciences, I see the opportunity to influence the direction and quality of research and education in the fields using my experience from academia and industry.
Using my passion for academic leadership, deep commitment to the fields of mathematics and computer science and a clear vision for the School, I want to build a strong, inclusive, and collaborative community within the University of Chester, fostering an environment where diversity of thought and background is valued, and students and school can learn from each other.
- Head of School
Professor Silvester Czanner got his PhD in Mathematics from Comenius University in 1998. He habilitated and got his Docent (Reader) in Applied Informatics from Slovak University of Technology in 2024. He has travelled worldwide, teaching on three continents and working in academia and industry. He was part of world-leading research teams at some of the best HE institutions in the world (Harvard/MIT, Carnegie Mellon University).
He has successful work experience in higher education: developing and delivering teaching, mentoring the young generation, and setting up and leading national and international teaching and learning programmes. During the last few years, he has focused more on higher management and administrative work in academia but still supervising research students and teaching regularly.
He got his first external funding in 2000 while working at the University of Aizu in Japan. His experience securing funding from EU funders started in 2007 when he was awarded the prestigious Research Councils UK Academic Fellowship. Since 2007, as PI or Co-Investigator, has been awarded research grants from the IAS European Frontiers grant, Robert’s Fund, Reinvention Centre Collaboration fund, EPSRC, TLE Fund and H2020.
He also received a travel grant from the Royal Academy of Engineering and training funds from the ERASMUS scheme for international faculty exchange. He successfully evaluated research grants and served on prioritisations panels for funding agencies, dealing with complex decision-making as an external reviewer/evaluator and panel member for international project reviews.
Since 2013, he has been regularly appointed as an independent expert for the European Commission and project proposals evaluator for the Irish and Polish Governments.
Currently, Silvester is the Head of the School of Computer and Engineering Sciences at the University of Chester. He provides leadership and line management to academic staff within a subject area (Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics) with respect to all academic activities, including teaching, enterprise, and research. He is also holding several advisory appointments.
He is the Chair of the University Internal Quality System Assessment Board at Pan-European University, Slovakia. He co-led the university accreditation process (Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP)), which was conducted by the European University Association (EUA). He is also a member of the International Scientific-Technical Cooperation Council (ISTCC), the Slovak Research and Development Agency, the Ministry of Education, Slovakia and a member of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education, an advisory body of the Government of the Slovak Republic. Silvester is a senior member of ACM, a senior fellow of HEA and a former director and executive member of Eurographics UK.
- Committee member, Council of Professors and Heads of Computing
1 Jan 2019
- Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy
- Member, Eurographics