The Profile
Global higher education leader departs the University of Auckland
The University of Auckland’s first female Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dawn Freshwater, has stepped down. We look back at her legacy at the institution.
"I am most proud of the changes we have implemented that ensure our students have a truly rewarding university experience."
"I have valued the opportunity to work with committed New Zealand community, business and political leaders to advance the interests of Auckland and the country."
After six years leading the University of Auckland through a period of significant disruption and change, Professor Dawn Freshwater leaves the institution stronger in its international standing and clearer in its strategic direction.
Appointed in March 2020 as the University’s first female Vice-Chancellor, she quickly became a leading voice on the challenges facing universities, particularly as the sector navigates global upheaval, technological change and renewed debate about the role of the humanities and social sciences. Through this, she has helped shape wider conversations about the role and future of universities.
A strategy for the future
Professor Freshwater’s leadership is best reflected in the vision she helped embed across the institution. Developed during the pandemic through a grassroots process, the University’s strategy, Taumata Teitei: Vision 2030 and Strategic Plan 2025, aligned institutional ambition with purpose. It underscores her values-led approach, emphasising sustainability, societal impact and research relevance.
“I am proud of the strategy we, as a university community, developed during the COVID-19 lockdowns. While it has been refreshed, it has set a direction for Auckland that anchors it strongly in the South Pacific with an ambitious global vision founded in the Sustainable Development Goals and underpinned by excellence,” she says.
This strategic thinking helped the University recover from the disruption of the pandemic. It supported growth in postgraduate study, strengthened its research profile and built institutional resilience. Improvements to curricula, systems and facilities also enhanced the student experience. That renewed momentum was reflected this year when the University began Semester One with record enrolments.
“All of these improvements are tremendously satisfying. Yet, I am most proud of the changes we have implemented that ensure our students have a truly rewarding university experience.”
Strengthened global standing
The University’s global standing has also improved during Professor Freshwater’s tenure, attracting students to Auckland from around the world. Under her stewardship, the University climbed to and maintained its 65th position in the QS World University Rankings, remaining the country’s only top-100 university.
“Being ranked 65 in the world makes a global declaration about New Zealand, the quality of the country’s seven other universities and the entire education system. With a population of just 5.3 million, this remote country has a reputation for producing excellent graduates and high-quality research.”
As a practising academic, Professor Freshwater prioritised research quality, cross-disciplinary collaboration and real-world relevance. She established the annual Rise to the Challenge: Researchers with Global Impact awards to celebrate research excellence and highlight the growing number of academics recognised as Highly Cited Researchers and ranked in the world’s top two percent for research impact. Professor Freshwater herself is a member of this prestigious group.
Partnerships and global influence
A strong emphasis on equity, inclusion and cultural engagement has been a defining feature of Professor Freshwater’s leadership, seen in initiatives such as the University’s annual examination of the gender pay gap and policies aimed at closing it.
She also embedded Indigenous partnerships through a memorandum of understanding, or Kōtuitanga, with the local tribe, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. This agreement establishes ongoing collaboration and mutual guidance with the tribe. Partnerships have also been supported with local South Pacific communities and regional universities.
Her commitment to partnership has also strengthened the University’s connections across the Auckland community, including membership of the Auckland Innovation and Technology Alliance, an ongoing arrangement with New Zealand’s national stadium, Eden Park, and collaboration with business organisations. This work saw her join Prime Ministerial and Ministerial trade and study missions to the United States, India and Vietnam.
“I have valued the opportunity to work with committed New Zealand community, business and political leaders to advance the interests of Auckland and the country. Universities are collaborators and team players, and we achieve more for our communities by working together.”
This approach saw Professor Freshwater re-position the University of Auckland as a 4th Generation University, with the ambition to be an anchor for societal, cultural and economic transformation and a key driver for a sustainable and just society.
The University of Auckland’s location in the South Pacific requires considerable effort to ensure it is noticed by global peers. While the institution’s researchers are widely recognised internationally, Professor Freshwater has raised the University’s profile on the global higher education stage.
Professor Freshwater departs as the serving chair of the Asia Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) network and a former chair of the World Universities Network (WUN). She is the current chair of Research Australia and the outgoing chair of Universities New Zealand’s Research Committee. Earlier this year, she was one of six higher-education leaders invited to the World Laureates Summit on disruptive technologies.
She will continue to advise universities across the Asia-Pacific and has recently been appointed Executive Director of the World Universities Network.
Her tenure leaves the University of Auckland better positioned to navigate the changing role of universities, underpinned by a clear sense of purpose and a sustained dedication to excellence.