Dr. Matthias Ruth

Dr. Matthias Ruth joined  AUS as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost as well as Professor in Economics in July 2025. He previously served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of York in the UK, and prior to that, as Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Professor of Economics at the University of Alberta, Canada. He has also held senior roles in the USA at Northeastern University, the University of Maryland and Boston University, leading programs in environmental policy, public policy and engineering.

With a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Heidelberg and a PhD in Geography from the University of Illinois, Dr. Ruth's academic background encompasses  economics, engineering and biology.  He has made numerous contributions to sustainability science and policy, infrastructure planning and adaptive management strategies. His scholarship continues to shape these fields and beyond on an international scale, with a focus on the dynamic modelling of natural resource use, industrial systems and environmental policy. 

He has published more than 20 books and more than 150 academic papers and book chapters, contributing significantly to the fields of environmental economics and sustainable development. He serves on the editorial board of Urban Climate and several other leading archival journals, as well as the boards of numerous scientific organizations.