Wendy Alexander is to leave her senior post as Dundee University’s international vice-principal, The Courier can reveal.
The former Scottish Labour leader is retiring from her lucrative post to take up a senior role with the British Council.
Ms Alexander, 61, was responsible for attracting international students to the institution.
Her decision to depart comes just one week after the university revealed plans for huge job cuts to plug a £30 million black hole.
Bosses said a fall in international students coming from abroad means tough decisions will need to be made.
Ms Alexander was first appointed to her post in 2015.
She helped established new international partnerships for the university in countries including China, Nigeria, and Singapore.
The former Labour politician also helped to quadruple the university’s international income and helped establish its business school.
It’s understood Ms Alexander will formally leave her job at the end of this year.
Financial statements from the last academic year reveal Ms Alexander earned between £190,000 and £199,000.
It means she received a pay rise of at least £20,000 since 2022, when her salary was revealed to be around £170,000.
One student protested the generous pay package by putting up a poster in his window, pointing out some international students were living in hostels.
Two years ago we also revealed Ms Alexander had claimed expenses of more than £12,000 – the most among highest-paid staff.
She had submitted more than 100 expense claims since 2017.
Among those were two taxi trips costing £5, and a £3.58 claim for “subsistance”.
Ms Alexander regularly travelled overseas while in the job, and claimed money for trips to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
An internal email seen by The Courier reads: “I am sure you will join me in wishing her all the best on her move.
“We will share appropriate succession plans in due course and there will be an opportunity in 2025 to thank Wendy for her outstanding contributions to the life and work of the university.”
Ms Alexander served as Scottish Labour leader from 2007 to 2008, but resigned after breaking rules on declaring donations.
Her younger brother – Douglas Alexander – became a Labour MP again in July and is the party’s minister for trade and economic security.
Conversation