Professor David Smith is Deputy Head of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) at the University of Edinburgh, where he leads on education strategy, learning, teaching, and student experience initiatives. He has extensive leadership experience, having served as Head of School at both the University of Edinburgh (Moray House School of Education and Sport) and the University of Aberdeen, where he also led major innovation and internationalisation projects.

From 2020 to 2022, he was Chair of the Scottish Council of Deans of Education, representing eleven Higher Education Institutions in Scotland during the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Internationally, he has delivered professional learning programs in China, including teaching at the Chaoyang District Institute of Education in Beijing.

Professor Smith’s career spans over 35 years in education, including work as a secondary school teacher of Religious, Moral, and Philosophical Studies, curriculum developer for local government, and leader in the Third Sector. His research focuses on religion and education, particularly the cultural contexts of religious beliefs and practices.