Dr Michael Spence AC has served as UCL's President and Provost since January 2021.

Throughout his career, Dr Spence has championed the transformative role of higher education in advancing knowledge, opportunity and societal progress. He is a prominent advocate for the role of universities in fostering democratic engagement, evidence-led public discourse and constructive debate, and continues to spearhead a programme of activities at UCL exploring approaches to developing the skill of 'disagreeing well'.

Since joining UCL, he has led the development and delivery of the UCL Strategic Plan 2022-27, setting out the university's vision for addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges through research, education, innovation and partnership. He has also overseen the relaunch of UCL's Grand Challenges programme, supporting multidisciplinary collaboration on complex global issues; and the successful establishment and growth of UCL East, UCL's major new campus in East London, strengthening partnerships with local government, businesses and community organisations while expanding opportunities for research, innovation and public engagement.

Through his engagement with UCL's philanthropic community, he has helped strengthen the university's fundraising performance, supporting major investments in research, scholarships and educational innovation.

During his tenure, UCL has continued to strengthen its position as one of the world's leading universities, maintaining strong performance in global rankings, research excellence and student outcomes. He has also led the university through a challenging period for the higher education sector, prioritising financial sustainability while continuing to invest in academic excellence and institutional growth.

Prior to joining UCL, Dr Spence served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney from 2008 to 2020. During his tenure, the university rose to first in Australia and fourth globally for graduate employability. He was also responsible for raising a record A$1 billion through the INSPIRED philanthropic campaign, which transformed the university's campus through major investments in research, education and student support, including more than 2,000 scholarships and educational initiatives.

Dr Spence is recognised internationally as a leader in the field of intellectual property theory and holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford, where he served as Head of the Law Faculty and Head of the Social Sciences Division.

An alumnus of the University of Sydney, Dr Spence holds a BA with first-class honours in English, Italian and Law. He also speaks Chinese and Korean.

In 2017, Dr Spence was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in recognition of his service to higher education. In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales.