Christopher Smith

Christopher John Smith, FRSE, FSA, FRHistS (born 1965 at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire), is a British academic and classicist specialising in early Ancient Rome. Professor of Ancient History at the University of St Andrews, and formerly Director of the British School at Rome, Smith was appointed on 1 September 2020 as Executive Chairman of the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Early life and education Born in 1965 at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Smith attended Aylesbury Grammar School before going up to Keble College, Oxford, to read Literae Humaniores, graduating as Bachelor of Arts in 1988. He then pursued further studies, taking a DPhil from Oxford in 1992. Academic career After joining the University of St Andrews in 1992 as a Lecturer in Ancient History, Smith was appointed to a professorial chair in 2002.