Dr John Wood incoming Chair of Chancellors’ Group

Photo caption: John Wood CNZM QSO, the incoming Chair of the University Chancellors’ Group

Universities New Zealand has announced that Dr John Wood CNZM QSO, Chancellor of the University of Canterbury, is the incoming Chair of the Chancellors’ Group.

The Chancellors of each of the eight universities meet formally on a regular basis and also meet with Vice-Chancellors.

Dr Wood is a former New Zealand diplomat. He was Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs and served two separate terms as New Zealand's Ambassador to the United States in Washington.

Dr Wood says he is looking forward to working with Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors during a dynamic time in the university sector.

“Together with my fellow Chancellors I look forward to consolidating new University Council structures following legislative changes last year.  We want to ensure that new Council constitutions are both agile and strategic to focus on the opportunities and challenges being faced across the university sector,” says Dr Wood.

“We will also be making submissions to the Productivity Commission’s review of the tertiary sector to ensure it is vigorous and future focused.  It is also imperative that the review recognises the quality of our universities – all of which are ranked in the top 3% in the world, and acknowledges the contribution our universities make to the country’s economic growth and social wellbeing.”

Dr Wood replaces Mr John Ward, the Chancellor of the University of Otago.  Both Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors conveyed their gratitude to Mr Ward for his service as Chair of the Chancellors’ Group since 2012.

The full list of Chancellors is:

-       Dr Ian Parton, University of Auckland

-       Mr John Maasland, Auckland University of Technology

-       Rt Hon James Bolger, University of Waikato

-       Mr Chris Kelly, Massey University

-       Sir Neville Jordan, Victoria University of Wellington

-       Dr John Wood, University of Canterbury

-       Mr Tom Lambie, Lincoln University

-       Mr John Ward University of Otago.

Background

Under the terms of the Education Act, New Zealand’s universities are each governed by a Council.  Under their Constitutions, each Council comprises a mixture of Ministerial appointees, elected staff, students, graduates and external appointees. The Vice-Chancellor, who is the University's academic and administrative head, is also a member of the Council.  The Councils are chaired by the Chancellor who is an independent member of the Council.

Contact: Hazel Dobbie, Communications Manager, Universities NZ, hazel.dobbie@universitiesnz.ac.nz