Regius Professor Philip Withers FRS FREng has taken up a five-year joint appointment between The University of Manchester and Monash University in Australia, strengthening strategic research links between the two institutions and deepening collaboration between the UK and Australia.
The appointment began on 1 January 2026 and follows a year-long sabbatical spent at Monash University in Melbourne and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble. It reflects a shared ambition to expand cooperation in advanced materials research and manufacturing.
As part of the role, Professor Withers will also take on responsibility for identifying and establishing new Strategic Research Partnerships at the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national institute for advanced materials research and innovation.
Professor Withers said his time in Australia highlighted significant opportunities for closer international collaboration.
“During my time in Melbourne, I saw enormous potential for deeper collaboration between UK and Australian universities, particularly in advanced materials manufacturing,” he said. “Working across these two world-class institutions, and more broadly between our two countries, offers major opportunities for innovation and impact.
“This three-way appointment also allows me to build on the strong national platform that the Royce has established over its first decade, by helping to develop and sustain robust international academic and industrial partnerships.”
The University of Manchester is home to more than 700 materials experts whose work is transforming industries through the development of advanced materials that improve performance, efficiency and sustainability. Backed by an £885 million investment in its campus over the past decade, the University’s researchers are delivering solutions across sectors including healthcare, manufacturing and energy.
Over the next five years, the joint appointment will support collaborative research programmes between Manchester and Monash, expand opportunities for researcher and student exchange, and strengthen engagement with industry partners in both countries, particularly in advanced materials manufacturing.
Professor Chris Harcacre, Vice-Dean and Head of the School of Natural Sciences at The University of Manchester, said the appointment would build on existing relationships between the two universities.
“This is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our links with Monash and develop the exciting future that this collaboration promises,” he said. “Phil’s joint appointment will enable us to create multiple strands of activity across a wide range of materials science and engineering and beyond.”
Professor Mahmoud Mostafavi, Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Monash University, said Professor Withers would play a key role in connecting international research communities.
“Regius Professor Withers is a world-renowned materials scientist and engineer and a leading international figure in the field,” he said. “In addition to his outstanding research leadership, he will act as a bridge between materials research in Australia, the UK, Europe and the wider global community, particularly through his affiliation with the Henry Royce Institute.”
Professor Withers is the inaugural Regius Professor of Materials, with research focused on understanding how engineering materials perform in demanding environments and on developing new materials with enhanced durability and performance. He is internationally recognised for pioneering the use of X-ray imaging techniques to create three-dimensional images of materials, revealing microstructures and identifying defects in engineering components.
The Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility, established by Professor Withers, was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2014 and has since grown into one of the world’s most extensive suites of 3D X-ray imaging facilities. It now hosts the National Research Facility for laboratory-based X-ray computed tomography.
A Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and Academia Europaea, Professor Withers is also a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Indian National Science Academy. He previously served as the inaugural Director of the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials and currently acts as Chief Scientist at the Henry Royce Institute, where he leads the development of the Institute’s research strategy.
