Vice-Chancellor

The Ihorangi, Vice-Chancellor is head of the University and oversees administration, academic affairs and strategic planning to advance the University’s mission.

As the University’s chief academic and administrative officer, the Vice-Chancellor is responsible for providing academic leadership along with effective management and for leading strategic planning and resource allocation.

Professor Nic Smith became the University’s Vice-Chancellor in August 2026, bringing extensive higher education leadership experience from New Zealand and overseas. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington and Provost at Queensland University of Technology. A highly respected academic leader and researcher, he has also held senior academic roles including Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland, Head of Biomedical Engineering at King's College London, and Professor of Computational Physiology at the University of Oxford.

Professor Smith is a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and of Engineering New Zealand, and an internationally recognised researcher in biomedical engineering. His work brings together engineering, science and medicine to develop sophisticated computer models of coronary blood flow and the human heart, helping to improve understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease. He has led major international research collaborations, published widely in leading journals, and holds a number of international patents. His research has also supported clinical innovation and the development of new healthcare technologies.

Throughout his career, he has sought to promote discussion and facilitate understanding relevant to a wide range of public issues. Most recently, this has included the role of universities in their communities, the importance of evolving the student experience and how we foster informed and respectful debate across our society.

Raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Professor Smith traces his academic journey back to an early encounter with his PhD supervisor, Distinguished Professor Sir Peter Hunter of the Auckland Bioengineering Institute. He first met Sir Peter when he visited Nic’s primary school, an experience that sparked an interest which would later shape his career and lead to his specialist research in computational modelling of the heart.

Executive Assistant

Julie Tomov
Email: j.tomov@auckland.ac.nz