Robert Balchin, The Lord Lingfield, is Pro-Chancellor of Brunel University. He is the Knight Principal of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor (Chairman of the Knights' Council). He was knighted for services to education in January 1993.

Sir Robert was Director General of St John Ambulance for five years in the 1980s and was the senior education policy adviser to the Government throughout the early '90s. He devised and ran the programme for autonomy in state schools and was Chairman of the Grant-Maintained School Foundation from 1989-98. He currently Chairs the Commission on Special Needs in Education.

He has been a teacher, lecturer and company director and is the Founder Chairman of The English Schools Orchestra and of the League of Mercy, a charity which encourages and recognises voluntary work in caring for the sick. He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London and his appointment as Knight Principal was approved by The Queen in 2006. Robert Balchin was created a life peer on 17 December 2010 as Baron Lingfield.

He was awarded the Order of St John in 1984 and has several honorary degrees and fellowships.