Paul Wellings CBE
President Education

Professor Paul Wellings CBE currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor at the University of Wollongong (UOW). His distinguished career in academia and leadership spans several significant roles.

Before assuming his current role, Professor Wellings served as UOW’s Vice-Chancellor from 2012 to 2021. Prior to that, he was the Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University from 2002 to 2011. His leadership extends beyond academia, as evidenced by his roles as Deputy Chief Executive of CSIRO from 1999 to 2002, First Assistant Secretary for Innovation and Science at DISR from 1997 to 1999, and CSIRO Chief of the Division of Entomology from 1995 to 1997.

In addition to his academic contributions, Professor Wellings is actively involved in various boards. He serves on the Boards of the Global Foundation, the General Sir John Monash Foundation, and Regional Development Australia-Illawarra. His extensive board experience includes roles with the Australian Research Council (ARC) Advisory Committee, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Bundanon Trust, and several of the UK’s leading education and research bodies.

Professor Wellings’ dedication and service to higher education were recognised with the appointment as Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. He holds honorary degrees from Lancaster University (2014), the University of Surrey (2019), the University of Wollongong (2021), and the University of East Anglia (2022). His commitment to advancement and philanthropy in the Asia-Pacific region was acknowledged with the CASE 2020 Asia-Pacific Leadership Award.