It is with great sadness that we announce that Mark Krzanowski has passed away after a short illness, aged 57. Mark was a passionate and talented English language teacher who was much-loved and respected by colleagues across his field.
A traveller at heart, Mark spent his final days in Ghana, a country he adored and travelled to regularly to spend his winter holidays. Enjoying the sunshine, he had recently messaged friends and colleagues expressing how happy he was.
Mark joined Brunel University London as a Senior Lecturer in February 2019 and was instrumental in managing and delivering a new ESAP (English for Specific Academic Purposes) programme for Brunel’s collaboration with Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications in China, where he spent a lot of his time. Described by his friend as “the most selfless and giving person I have ever come across,” Mark was a dedicated and caring professional who would always go the extra mile to ensure all of his students were well taken care of. Known for his sense of humour, beaming smile and trademark colourful bowties, Mark enjoyed talking at conferences and had been a speaker or consultant in various countries, including South Africa, Sudan, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, Cuba, Spain, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, India, Pakistan and China. He was a keen swimmer and loved to shop.
Before joining Brunel, Mark had an extensive career in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) with senior roles at various universities, including UCL, the University of Hertfordshire, Goldsmiths, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of the Arts London, the University of Westminster, and as Director of the Centre for Academic English Studies at the University of Surrey in Dalian, Liaoning, China. Mark was Editor-in-Chief of IATEFL’s (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) journal ‘Professional and Academic English’ and in 2020 had started his PhD in education, specialising in Black South African English.
“Mark was a fantastic colleague with a passion for learning and teaching,” said Sally Trevor, Director of Brunel Language Centre, who described herself as ‘so lucky’ to have landed Mark’s services for Brunel. “Everybody he worked with commented on how supportive, kind and empathetic he was. Mark will be sorely missed by friends and colleagues, far and wide.”
Mark Krzanowski, born July 1963, died in Tema, Ghana on 19 January 2021.
Reported by:
Tim Pilgrim,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268965
tim.pilgrim@brunel.ac.uk