Richard Larkins

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7th Vice-Chancellor and President of Monash University
Richard Larkins AO
Term	September 1, 2003^[1] – Present
Predecessor	Peter Darvall AO
Born	May 17, 1943 (1943-05-17) (age 65)^[2] Melbourne, Australia
Alma mater	University of Melbourne University of London^[3]
Residence	Melbourne, Australia
Profession	Professor
Spouse	Caroline Larkins^[4]
Website: From the Vice-Chancellor

Professor Richard Larkins AO is the current Vice-Chancellor and President of Monash University, having commenced his term in 2003. Prior to this, he had a distinguished career in medicine, scientific research and academic management.

Before joining Monash, he was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne from 1998-2003, and James Stewart Chair of Medicine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital from 1984-1997.^[5] His medical research and clinical work was in diabetes and endocrinology. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to medicine, Professor Larkins received the Eric Susman prize for medical research in 1982, and the Sir William Upjohn Medal and a Centenary of Federation Medal in 2002. In 2002, he was also made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).^[1]

During his career, he also served as a member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council from 1977-2000, chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia from 1997-2000, and President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians from 2000-2002. In 2007, he was appointed as Chair of Universities Australia.

[edit] Views on higher education

While Larkins supported certain measures introduced by John Howard's Government, he was largely critical of its over-regulation of the university sector, and its failure to index university funding to inflation.^[6] In a speech to the Melbourne Press Club in February 2008, Larkins lamented the 30% drop in public university funding from 1996-2004, stressing the central role that universities must play if Australia's economy is to remain competitive in the future.^[7] As the head of Universities Australia, he has emphasised the need for greater public investment in university teaching and research. Additionally, Larkins has argued that a national internships program should be established to create closer links between universities and industry. More controversially, Larkins has expressed his personal view that the student contribution to HECS payments should be deregulated, noting that all evidence suggests that HECS repayment amounts do not act as a disincentive for students to study, and that only this will enable Australia's top universities to continue to compete globally.^[8]