Nic Smith
New Zealand academic and university administrator
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Nic Smith is a New Zealand academic and university administrator who is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington from 2023 to 2026. Smith has also held senior academic leadership positions at the Queensland University of Technology, University of Auckland, King's College London, and the University of Oxford.
Nic Smith | |
|---|---|
Smith in 2025 | |
| Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland | |
| Assumed office 3 August 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Dawn Freshwater |
| Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington | |
| In office 2023–2026 | |
| Preceded by | Grant Guilford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicholas Smith New Zealand |
| University of Auckland (PhD) | |
| Occupation | Academic administrator |
| Profession | Biomedical engineer |
Known for | University leadership and biomedical engineering |
Early life and education
Smith completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Auckland between 1996 and 1999.[1]
Academic career
Smith began his academic career in biomedical engineering and computational physiology. In 2008, he was appointed Professor of Computational Physiology at the University of Oxford.[2]
From 2011 to 2013, he served as Head and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at King's College London, where he led the establishment of a new biomedical engineering department and oversaw the development of its teaching and research programmes.[2]
In 2013, Smith returned to New Zealand to become Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland. He held the position until 2020 and was responsible for the academic, financial, and operational leadership of the faculty.[2]
He later moved to Australia to serve as Provost of the Queensland University of Technology from 2020 to 2022. As Provost, Smith was the university's chief academic officer and oversaw the institution's education and research portfolios.[2]
Smith is a fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and Engineering New Zealand.[3]
Vice-chancellor roles
Victoria University of Wellington
In 2022, Smith was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington, succeeding Grant Guilford.[4][5]
He formally commenced the role in January 2023.[6]
During his tenure, Smith advocated for changes in higher education leadership and institutional culture, including public commentary on leadership and university reform.[7]
University of Auckland
In February 2026, the University of Auckland announced Smith as its next Vice-Chancellor, succeeding Dawn Freshwater.[2][8][9]