Glyn Davis

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Prof. Glyn Conrad Davis AC (born 1959) is an Australian academic who is currently the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. His wife Margaret Gardner is also vice chancellor of another Melbourne university, RMIT University, and the couple have been referred to as "Melbourne's top academic couple".[1]

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[edit] Early life

Born in Sydney, New South Wales,[2] Davis was educated at Marist Brothers College, Kogarah.[3] and the University of New South Wales. He attended the Australian National University and completed a thesis on the political independence of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

[edit] Career

Davis spent nearly twenty years at Griffith University, initially as a lecturer in Public Policy in 1985 and eventually being appointed as a Professor in 1998.

Davis accepted senior government posts with the Queensland Wayne Goss Government as Commissioner for Public Sector Equity with the Public Sector Management Commission from 1990 to 1993, Director-General of the Office of the Cabinet 1995 to 1996 and Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to Premier Peter Beattie 1998-2002.[4]

He became Vice Chancellor and President of Griffith University in 2002, serving in the position until December 2004.[5] He started in January 2005 as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne,[6] and has led the introduction of the university's controversial Melbourne Model degree restructure.[7]

He is the Patron of Australia 21, a non profit organisation developing research networks on key issues affecting Australia's future. He is also the President of the Group of Eight, a group representing a number of Australia’s major research universities. Previously, he was the foundation chairman of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG), which is headquartered at the University of Melbourne.

He had been mentioned as a potential candidate to become the next secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, succeeding Peter Shergold (who will retire in February 2008), the post ultimately going to former Victorian and Queensland bureaucrat Terry Moran.

He worked closely with Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd as they were both senior public servants in Queensland under the Wayne Goss government.[8] He will co-chair, with Rudd, the Australia 2020 public policy summit of over 1000 delegates in April 2008.[9]

[edit] Honours

He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia,[10] received the Centenary Medal "in recognition of contribution to public service"[11] and on 26 January 2002 became a Companion of the Order of Australia for his "service to public administration, particularly as an advocate for good governance, constitutional reform and the creation of infrastructure to enable the development of a "knowledge-based" nation, to tertiary education in the field of political science, and to the community."[12]

[edit] Publications

Professor Davis has written widely on policy and governance.[6] His most recent publications are:

  • The Australian Policy Handbook (third edition) with Peter Bridgman, 2004.[13]
  • The Future of Australian Governance: Policy Choices, co-edited with Michael Keating, 2000[6]
  • Are You Being Served? State, Citizens and Governance, co-edited with Patrick Weller, 2001.[14]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Cohen, David. "The thinking Australian's Posh and Becks", The Guardian, January 10, 2006. 
  2. ^ Ellingsen, Peter. "The getting of Glyn", The Age, 2005-10-09. Retrieved on 2007-06-15. 
  3. ^ Marist College Kogarah- Famous Ex-students (accessed:14-06-2007)
  4. ^ Griffith University- Professor Glyn Davis AC (accessed:14-06-2007)
  5. ^ Green, Shane. "New man on campus sets a very public tone", The Age, 2005-01-15. Retrieved on 2007-06-15. 
  6. ^ a b c University of Melbourne- About the University (accessed:14-06-2007)
  7. ^ "Academics face axe at top faculty" The Age, July 11, 2007
  8. ^ Armitage, Catherine. "Top public servant to take post", The Age, December 10, 2007. 
  9. ^ AAP (2008). PM calls national summit to tackle Australia's problems. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  10. ^ Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia- Professor Glyn DAVIS, AC (accessed:14-06-2007)
  11. ^ Glyn Davis. Australian Honours Database. Retrieved on 2007-06-15.
  12. ^ Glyn Davis AC. Australian Honours Database. Retrieved on 2007-06-15.
  13. ^ Allen & Unwin- The Australian Policy Handbook 3rd Ed (accessed:14-06-2007)
  14. ^ Eidos Institute Breakfast Series with Glyn Davis (accessed:14-06-2007)

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Davis, Glyn Conrad
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Australian academic
DATE OF BIRTH 1959
PLACE OF BIRTH Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH