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 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, Manufacture 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 in August.
