UK born Ghanaian, Sam Gyimah, has been made Universities and Science Minister of England replacing Jo Johnson in Theresa May’s government reshuffle.

Mr Sam Gyimah, the former prisons minister, took on the role spanning the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy after Mr Johnson was appointed transport minister and minister for London.

Mr Sam Gyimah, the MP for East Surrey since 2010, is no stranger to the Department for Education, having served as a parliamentary under-secretary of state in the department between 2015 and 2016. He supported Remain in the run-up to the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

A former Goldman Sachs investment banker, Mr Sam Gyimah read politics, philosophy and economics at the University of Oxford, where he was president of the Oxford Union.

Dame Janet Beer, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said that she looked forward to working with Mr Sam Gyimah “to develop policy that supports universities to maximise their positive impact on the economy, society and students”.

“The promised review of tertiary education funding in England and establishing the new regulatory framework and Office for Students will likely be top of the new minister’s in-tray,” Dame Janet said.

“Improving post-study work visas for international students, supporting universities’ role in promoting social mobility and securing our long-term participation in the European programmes Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ should also be priorities.”

Mr. Sam Gyimah, 41, will work alongside the newly-appointed Education Secretary, Damian Hinds.

Source: Times Higher Education