University News Last updated 11 March
Umesh Desai has received an MBE from Princess Anne, HRH The Princess Royal, at Windsor Castle in recognition of his outstanding services to higher education.
Birmingham City University’s Director of Estates and Facilities was presented with the honour on Tuesday.
The award was first announced in the King’s Birthday Honours list and recognises a career spanning more than 35 years in the higher education sector.
Born in Leicester, Umesh joined Birmingham City University (BCU) in May from Nottingham Trent University, where he served as Director of Estates. Prior to that, he spent more than 30 years at De Montfort University.
Reflecting on the moment, Umesh said he felt a “real sense of gratitude” to receive the honour.
“I am truly humbled and honoured to receive this award,” he said.
“I have been working in the higher education sector for over 35 years with some fantastic universities and leading wonderful estates and facilities teams who work tirelessly to improve campuses and the student and staff experience.
“I share this honour with all of them, and I aim to make the same positive contributions at Birmingham City University.”
Umesh (pictured) also paid tribute to the support of his family.
“This recognition means a great deal to all of us,” he said. “I’m incredibly grateful for their encouragement and belief in me over the years.”
BCU Vice-Chancellor Professor David Mba said: “Umesh’s recognition with an MBE is richly deserved and reflects his outstanding contribution to the higher education sector over many years.
“At Birmingham City University, we are already benefiting from his expertise, leadership, and deep commitment to creating environments where students and staff can thrive.
“On behalf of the whole BCU community, I warmly congratulate Umesh on this remarkable achievement.”
A first-generation university graduate, Umesh also served as the first ethnic minority Chair of the Association of
University Directors of Estates (AUDE) from 2022 to 2024 and is currently Chair of ProCon Leicestershire, which promotes the property and construction sector in the region.