Professor David Smith (SFHEA, FRSA)

Deputy Head of College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS)

  • College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS)
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Address

Street

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
The University of Edinburgh
Room 2.03, 55 George Square
EDINBURGH

City
Post code
EH8 9JU

Availability

Biography

Background

I am Deputy Head of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. I work closely with the Head of College in the development and implementation of College priorities, with responsibility for academic portfolio and education strategy across a large and complex academic grouping, and contribute to planning and resource alignment. I also oversee the work of the College Education Deans and the Deans for International and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

In addition to my College role, I lead the University’s Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression Working Group, shaping its institutional framework and embedding it within University governance. The Group’s work focuses on strengthening academic freedom and freedom of expression at the University of Edinburgh, while supporting the University community in navigating disagreement constructively and sustaining a culture in which robust inquiry and mutual respect can coexist.

I previously served as Head of Moray House School of Education and Sport. Before taking up my role at the University of Edinburgh, I spent ten years at the University of Aberdeen, including five years as Head of the School of Education. During that time I led the restructuring and strategic growth of the School and developed Aberdeen’s Online Access OnDemand provision, extending digital access to new student communities. Earlier in my career I worked within local and national education systems, including holding a lead geographical responsibility within Education Scotland for assessment and moderation. I began my career as a secondary school teacher.

During the Covid-19 period, as elected Chair of the Scottish Council of Deans of Education, I led national coordination across Scotland’s eleven universities, working with Scottish Government, Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland to agree guidance enabling student teachers to complete practicum requirements and progress into the workforce. The agreed arrangements supported the progression of approximately 5,000 student teachers nationally.

My research spans early Christianity and first-century Mediterranean religious culture and extends into contemporary scholarship on religious education, teacher belief and identity.

I was educated at the University of Glasgow, Princeton Theological Seminary, Durham University and the University of Edinburgh.

My work has included a multi-year Erasmus+ collaboration on religious education and diversity across several European countries; sustained intercultural teaching in Beijing; and programme development work in Qatar and Bahrain. I am Convenor of the University’s Gifford Lectureships Committee. I am also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Qualifications

PDGE: Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Distinction), University of Edinburgh, UK 

PhD: Doctor of Philosophy (Religion), University of Durham, UK (Arts Humanities Research Council Competition B Studentship)

ThM: Master of Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, USA (Peter Marshall Scholar)

BD (Hons): Bachelor of Divinity (First Class), University of Glasgow, UK

Responsibilities & affiliations

Convenor: University of Edinburgh Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression Working Group (February 2024-present)

Convenor: University of Edinburgh Gifford Lectureship Committee (February 2024-present)

Honorary Professor of Education: University of Aberdeen (October 2022-September 2025)

Member: Global Deans of Education Forum (October 2022-February 2024)

Member: U21 Deans of Education (October 2022-February 2024)

Emeritus Chair, Scottish Council of Deans of Education (July 2020-July 2022); Member, Scottish Council of Deans of Education (2014-2024)

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