Professor Dame Joan Kathleen Stringer, DBE, FRSE, FRSA (born 12 May 1948) is a British political scientist and former Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.

[2] In 1996, she was named Principal and Vice-Patron of Queen Margaret University College (QMUC) in Edinburgh.

[6][7] Stringer has held a number of appointments outside of academia, including Chair of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission Working Group from 1998 to 1999, Lay Member of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland from 2002 to 2007, Senior Independent Director of the Institute of Directors, Member of the executive committee for the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Chair of Education UK Scotland, Chair of Community Integrated Care,[8] Convenor of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, and trustee of the David Hume Institute.

[9] She is currently Chair of Capital Theatres in Edinburgh and a board member of Entrepreneurial Scotland.

[13] She is also a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Management and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.