Vaclav Smil is a Czech-Canadian scientist and policy analyst renowned for his interdisciplinary research. He holds the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. His extensive work explores various domains, including energy, the environment, food, population, economic, historical, and public policy studies. Smil has a particular interest in China, applying his analytical skills to the nation's energy, food, and environmental sectors.

Smil earned his Ph.D. in Geography from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences of Pennsylvania State University in 1971, preceded by an RNDr. from Charles University in Prague in 1965. Acknowledged for his significant contributions, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In 2010, he gained further recognition when Foreign Policy magazine listed him as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers.