Max Lu to swap Surrey for Wollongong as vice-chancellor

University of Surrey vice-chancellor Max Lu is moving to Australia as the sixth vice-chancellor of the University of Wollongong, starting next May.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for the Chinese-born chemical engineer and advanced materials scientist who did his doctoral studies at the University of Queensland and worked there for more than two decades as an academic and executive.

Professor Lu also has a longstanding relationship with Wollongong, which has awarded him an honorary doctorate and provided him with research collaborators.

Wollongong chancellor Michael Still said Professor Lu offered experienced leadership at a “critical time” for the university, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year amid “unprecedented change” in Australian higher education.

“He is a passionate advocate for expanding access to higher education [and] will provide a clear direction for our global university,” Mr Still said. “Professor Lu’s expertise in engineering and deep engagement with industry means he is also a great fit for our community.”

Professor Lu has extended his long list of accolades and advisory roles during his eight years in England. He is a member of the UK prime minister’s Council for Science and Technology and served as a board member with UK Research and Innovation.

He was previously on the Australian prime minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council and has also been elected as a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

His 500-plus publications in high-impact journals have earned him rare recognition as a highly cited researcher in both chemistry and materials science, and he has more than 20 international patents to his name.

Professor Lu has also been a frequent contributor to Times Higher Education, writing about artificial intelligence, remote learning, internationalisation and research commercialisation. He has also helped guide the development of THE’s Impact Rankings.

He said he had “long admired” Wollongong’s efforts in its Illawarra region and more broadly. “We…have an enormous opportunity next year to showcase 50 years of achievements and impact in the Illawarra and across the globe,” he said.

“I look forward to engaging with staff, students and external stakeholders to celebrate this milestone and pave the way for a bright future.”

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com