Professor Stephen Parker, AO, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra, will be joining The Conversation as Director of Strategy, Development and Global, commencing in August.
Professor Parker will help develop and implement the growth strategy for The Conversation’s expanding global network. The Conversation now operates across five sites (Australia, UK, US, France and Africa) with 100 staff, 33,000 academic contributors, and across 1,500 universities in every part of the world.
Professor Parker, who has led the University of Canberra for over nine years and will step down on 1 July, will also help lead the development of The Conversation and its services across Australia.
Personally, I am thrilled that Stephen will be joining The Conversation. We have worked together over nearly five years. He has provided valuable advice, written 63 articles for The Conversation as well as hosting a very well received weekly politics video podcast with Michelle Grattan.
Robert Johanson, Chair of The Conversation Media Group, said he was delighted that Professor Stephen Parker was joining The Conversation and he would be “integral to the future development of The Conversation in Australia as well as the growth and support for our global network of five The Conversation operations with 100 staff from 1,500 universities together reaching 35 million readers a month.”
Professor Parker said he had been privileged to lead the transformation of the University of Canberra for nearly a decade and was excited to join The Conversation team, particularly at a time of significant expansion.
“I’ve followed closely the development and growth of The Conversation since its inception. It is poised now to become the main global platform whereby the amazing research and expertise at our universities is made available to a thinking public.”
Background Note: Professor Parker led the University of Canberra for over nine years and was previously Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Monash University (2003-2007), Dean of Faculty of Law at Monash (1999-2003), Professor of Law at Griffith University, and Senior Lecturer and Reader in Law at the Australian National University. He is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT, barrister-at-law of the Supreme Court of Queensland and solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. His first academic post was with University College, Cardiff. Professor Parker received the Order of Australia for “distinguished services to tertiary education through administrative, academic and representational roles, and as a leader in the growth and development of the University of Canberra”.