Professor Max Lu will take over as UOW vice-chancellor in May next year. Photo: UOW.
Scientist, chemical engineer and award-winning academic Professor Max Lu has been appointed University of Wollongong’s new vice-chancellor and president.
Prof Lu will return to the university where he was named as an Honorary Doctor of Science in 2018.
He’ll take over the top job in May next year, more than 12 months after the former vice-chancellor Patricia Davidson resigned, three years into the role.
Chancellor Michael Still said Prof Lu’s appointment was an extraordinary outcome for UOW and would ensure experienced leadership at a critical time in the university’s history.
“As we enter our 50th anniversary in 2025 and grapple with unprecedented change in the Australian higher education sector, Professor Lu’s leadership will provide a clear direction for our global university,” Mr Still said.
“In addition to his experience and expertise, it was Professor Lu’s desire to return to Australia and to University of Wollongong that stood out.
“He is a passionate advocate for expanding access to higher education and demonstrated a strong alignment with our values and our mission to deliver for the communities we serve.
“Professor Lu’s expertise in engineering and deep engagement with industry means he is also a great fit for our community in that regard, and we look forward to welcoming him to UOW next year.”
Prof Lu is currently president and vice-chancellor of the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom and was previously provost and senior vice-president at the University of Queensland.
He said UOW was a truly global university that was poised to capitalise on its 50th anniversary and reforms relating to the Australian Universities Accord.
“I have long admired UOW as an institution that has delivered remarkable impact in teaching and research, and it is a great privilege and immense honour to lead the university as its sixth vice-chancellor and president,” Prof Lu said.
“I am passionate about expanding access and attainment among cohorts traditionally underrepresented in higher education and I know this is something engrained in UOW’s ethos.
“We also have an enormous opportunity next year to showcase 50 years of achievements and impact in the Illawarra and across the globe, and I look forward to engaging with staff, students and external stakeholders to celebrate this milestone and pave the way for a bright future.”
When presenting Prof Lu for his admission as Honorary Doctor of Science in 2018, UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Judy Raper spoke of his “tremendous academic and industry contributions to chemical and advanced materials engineering and his ongoing leadership in the global community of higher education”.
“Some people leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of their passion, and this could not be more true of Professor Max Lu,” she said.
“A chemical engineer and nanotechnologist by training, Professor Lu has driven academic and industrial innovation in the adjacent fields of thermodynamics, nanomaterials and nanoparticles.
“So outstanding have Professor Lu’s contributions been that, in 2017, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his distinguished service to education, international research, and to Australia–China relations.
“Max graduated with a Bachelor in Metallurgical Engineering in 1983, and a Masters in Thermal Engineering in 1986, both from Northeastern University, China.
“In 1987 he embarked for Brisbane as an international Doctor of Philosophy student at the University of Queensland. Having exchanged the sum of his funds to Australian currency, Max found that he had only $20 to last him the first week of his studies until his doctoral scholarship came in.”
Prof Raper said Prof Lu had a long association with UOW, including working with herself and former vice-chancellor Paul Wellings as a member of the University Global Partnership Network. He also chaired the review of UOW’s Global Challenges Initiative in 2017.
During his 20-year academic career at the University of Queensland (UQ), Prof Lu served as pro vice-chancellor (research linkages), deputy vice-chancellor (research) and finally provost and senior vice-president, before moving to the UK to become president and vice-chancellor at the University of Surrey.
He founded the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials at UQ and served as its inaugural director for eight years. He was awarded the Australian Research Council Federation Fellowship in 2003 and 2008.
He is a currently a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and was previously on the Australian Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council.
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