- Aston University has announced Professor Colin Grant will be its next Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer
- He joins Aston from the University of New South Wales, a world top 20 university and part of the prestigious Australian ‘Group of Eight’ universities
- Professor Grant has led a distinguished global career across research-intensive institutions in the UK and Australia.
Aston University has announced Professor Colin Grant as its next Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer.
Professor Grant has led a distinguished global career across research-intensive institutions in the UK and Australia. He has over 20 years’ experience in university executive leadership, including leading major overseas campus ventures in science, engineering, management, and the humanities.
He joins Aston from the University of New South Wales, a world top 20 university and part of the prestigious Australian ‘Group of Eight’ universities, where he served as deputy vice-chancellor global. Prior to this, he was vice-principal international at Queen Mary University of London. Born in Scotland, Professor Grant has worked as an academic in the UK, Brazil and Australia and studied in Edinburgh, Bath, Berlin, Leipzig and Nantes.
Aston University pro-chancellor and chair of council, Dr Matthew Crummack, said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Colin Grant as Vice-Chancellor and CEO. He brings with him a wealth of experience from some of the most prestigious universities across the world, and he has an outstanding track record on delivering institutional growth, partnerships, research excellence and strong student outcomes. He has a clear vision for Aston, aligning with our institutional values and ambitions, and focusing on our many strengths and our impact, locally, nationally and across the world.”
Professor Colin Grant said: ”I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Aston – it’s an incredible university with an exceptional heritage in knowledge exchange, outstanding student experience and deeply relevant research in Health and Life Sciences, Engineering and Innovation, Business and Social Sciences. The University lies in the heart of a great global city and region that has long valued diversity, community and openness to the world. Aston’s 2030 Strategy sets a course for an equally exceptional and distinctive future through, for example, the Business Innovation Precinct, the Aston Global Hub network, Aston’s breakthrough research and enterprise and a sector-leading approach to student employability.
“I’m incredibly passionate about the transformational power of education, research and innovation for the greater good through partnerships for impact across academia, industry, community and governments. I look forward to working with the amazing staff and students at Aston, and our many partners at home and overseas, to successfully lead the university in its next chapter.”
Aston University is in the top 5% of universities globally (QS 2025), known for its applied research and enterprise, sector-leading employability and excellent student outcomes. It is second in the UK for social mobility (HEPI English Social Mobility Index 2025) has been awarded triple gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, and its graduate salaries are in the UK top 20 (LEO 2025).
Professor Grant is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. He has led a wide range of bilateral and multilateral global research and advanced technology consortia (UK, Brazil, USA, Australia, India, China, Japan), developed accelerator schemes to support global startup mobility and established two global policy institutes in the UK and Australia to create pathways for research translation. He has played a leading role in the UK-Australia Advanced Skills Alliance.
Professor Grant was recruited via a comprehensive assessment process, with a diverse range of students, staff and stakeholders involved. He takes up his role at Aston on 10 August.
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About Aston University
For over 130 years, Aston University has been making our world a better place through education, research and innovation. Our history is intertwined with the remarkable city of Birmingham, once the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and now the thriving base for an innovation ecosystem of global significance, which Aston is co-creating.
Our vision is to be a leading university for science, technology and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses and the communities we serve.
Aston focuses on high-quality, exploitable research that has an impact on society through medical breakthroughs, advancements in engineering, policy and practice in government, and the strategies and performance of business.
The University offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, as well as continuing professional development opportunities.
Thanks to its focus on delivering excellent outcomes for students, Aston University's reputation for employability continues to grow. It is second in England for social mobility (2025 HEPI Social Mobility Index) and is top 20 for graduate salaries (2025 Longitudinal Education Outcomes).
Aston University is now defining its place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Head of Communications Nicola Jones on 07825 342091 or n.jones6@aston.ac.uk