¡¯s new chancellor, Vassilis L. Syrmos, assumed leadership of UH¡¯s flagship campus on July 1, 2026, bringing more than 35 years of experience as a faculty member, researcher and administrator at UH.
For Syrmos, UH Mānoa is more than a world-class research university—it’s a place deeply rooted in Â鶹´«Ã½, shaped by its responsibility as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, and uniquely positioned to serve the state, the Pacific and the world. Guided by a leadership philosophy grounded in collaboration, accountability and excellence, Syrmos is focused on strengthening student success, supporting faculty and staff, advancing research and innovation, and elevating UH Mānoa‘s standing as a global public flagship university.
Related stories: Meet Vassilis L. Syrmos: A life shaped by innovation, mentors and a passion for UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ and
A new chapter: Defining our future
Syrmos brings decades of executive leadership experience to the role. He most recently served as interim provost at UH Mānoa, where he led efforts to strengthen financial transparency, modernize budgeting practices and advance student success initiatives. Prior to that, he spent more than 12 years as UH vice president for research and innovation, helping to drive record growth in extramural funding and establishing the Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation. Before serving as vice president for research and innovation, Syrmos spent eight years as UH Mānoa‘s associate vice chancellor for research, helping expand the university’s research capacity and develop major research facilities.
In the second installment of a two-part interview with UH News (read the first installment), Syrmos discusses his vision for UH Mānoa, his priorities as chancellor and how he plans to build on the university¡¯s strengths while preparing it for the future.
What do you hope to accomplish in your first 100 days?
I will spend my first 100 days visiting every unit, college and school, student housing when our students are back, faculty housing, and facilities shops to ask questions, listen and learn directly from those serving on the frontlines. I see myself as a learning chancellor who knows where and how to optimize systems. I plan to have an interim provost in place so that I can turn my attention to addressing UH Mānoa¡¯s most pressing needs.
How do you plan to meet UH Mānoa¡¯s kuleana (responsibility) to Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiian knowledge?
Being a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning is not just a title, it reflects our responsibility to properly m¨¡lama (steward) our state, our academy, our scholarship, our land-grant mission and our community relationships. We will do so by aligning UH Mānoa¡¯s research with our local values to find grounded, place-based solutions that can only be found in Â鶹´«Ã½.
You state that you want to establish UH Mānoa as a global public flagship. What does that mean and how do we get there?
A global public flagship is a destination of choice university that is firmly rooted in student success, academic excellence and world-class research. To do so, we must treat our faculty, students and staff as our most precious resource and provide them with an environment of excellence.
It starts with recruiting the best talent and, more importantly, retaining the talent that we already have. It means fostering a culture of intentional scholarly vitality—where faculty have the time, the freedom and the administrative support to create academic excellence that leads to student success. It also means creating a place where faculty take high-reward intellectual leaps to create and disseminate new knowledge.
We must also look at redesigning and reimagining key programs, structures, functions and knowledge to ensure that UH Mānoa has the specialized ‘engine’ required of a premier flagship institution that provides the knowledge-based workforce needed today and tomorrow.
Finally, we need to take a deeper dive into further operationalizing our mission as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning. The Indigenous knowledge of our host culture is our distinct competitive advantage in concepts of circular economy, land and ocean conservation, natural resource management, Indigenous health innovation, climate variability, aquaculture and so much more.
What is the role of the UH Mānoa Chancellor?
The chancellor is the CEO of the UH Mānoa campus. The role demands that the leader is capable of navigating the complex political landscapes of both internal and external stakeholders. The chancellor must also be a technically proficient administrator, overseeing a more than $800-million budget and a workforce of 5,000 employees. Beyond management, the chancellor is an entrepreneur who articulates a transformative vision for the campus—one that not only motivates our faculty, staff and students, but also inspires the critical support of private donors and government officials.
How does the Chancellor differ from a Provost?
The provost serves as the Chief Academic Officer. They are responsible for student success, academic excellence and enrollment management. The provost serves as second-in-command to the chancellor and is responsible for the overall academic vision and direction of UH¡¯s flagship research campus, including strategic and academic planning, budgeting, faculty affairs and student success.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I see myself as a fair, open and reasonable leader, but at the same time, I recognize that maintaining very high standards can often be a double-edged sword. While some might perceive me as demanding, I feel that setting high expectations is necessary to secure meaningful outcomes for our institution. Accountability remains a cornerstone of my leadership philosophy, but I also understand that professional setbacks often serve as the most profound catalysts for our growth.
How do people see you, and how does it compare to how you see yourself?
I believe my colleagues, associates and friends will say that one of my greatest strengths as a leader is my effectiveness to get things done by carefully analyzing the situation and identifying potential solutions, working with my team and constituents to develop an appropriate plan of action and then putting the plan into action. I feel they would say that I have high expectations of my staff, office, fellow administrators, our students and faculty. At the same time, I place those same expectations on myself.
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