Victoria University’s vice-chancellor Nic Smith quits to take role at University of Auckland
Thursday, 26 February 2026
Victoria University vice-chancellor Nic Smith is standing down to take up the vice-chancellor at the University of Auckland.
Professor Smith’s final day at Te Herenga Waka will be Friday June 12.
“Serving Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington has been one of the great privileges of my career,” he said in a statement.
Smith said that enrolments had stabilised in the domestic market and particularly the international market, which was important for the university’s long-term sustainability.
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“Our academics also continue to excel in teaching and research. Our recent rankings for the Law Faculty and AI are but two examples which are testament to this. There are many more.”
University Council Chancellor Alan Judge expressed his gratitude to Smith: “Professor Smith has done an outstanding job of driving our ambitious strategy, engaging with the city and taking the University community forward.”
He takes up his new role as vice-chancellor of University of Auckland on August 3.
An alumnus of the University of Auckland with a doctorate in Engineering, Smith said he was honoured to be returning to lead his alma mater, in a city that has shaped both his life and his career.
“That personal connection shapes how I see the role of vice-chancellor. My responsibility is to provide conditions that enable our students and colleagues to do work that is distinctive, courageous and of lasting value, strengthening Auckland and contributing to the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.”
From 2013 to 2020, he was dean of engineering at the University of Auckland. As dean, he led the faculty’s response to the long-standing grievance relating to the Haka Party practices of the 1950s-70s.
Smith takes over from Professor Dawn Freshwater, who last year announced she was stepping down.