Professor Max Lu AO is the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Wollongong. A globally recognised chemical engineer and advanced materials scientist, he has more than 35 years of academic leadership, research excellence and industry collaboration.

Before joining UOW, Professor Lu served as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey in the UK from 2016, following two decades at the University of Queensland, where he held senior roles including Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Linkages), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Provost and Senior Vice-President.

An internationally renowned researcher in nanotechnology and materials science, Professor Lu has published over 600 peer-reviewed journal articles and holds 25 international patents, several of which are licensed or being commercialised for energy and environmental applications. He founded the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials, serving as its inaugural director for eight years, and was awarded two ARC Federation Fellowships (2003, 2008).

In recognition of his distinguished service to education, international research and Australia–China relations, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2017.

Professor Lu holds a Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering and a Master of Thermal Engineering from Northeastern University, China and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Queensland.