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Vice Chancellor, Victoria University

Peter Dawkins became the third Vice-Chancellor and President of Victoria University on 19 January 2011.

This followed six years in high level leadership roles for the Victorian Government, and twenty eight years in the university sector.

He was Deputy Secretary of the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance (2005-2006) and Secretary of the Victorian Department Education and Early Childhood Development (2006-2010).

He has held academic appointments in the UK and, since arriving in Australia in 1984, in a number of Australian universities. He holds a Ph.D. from Loughborough University in the UK, where he commenced his university teaching career.

At the age of 35, he became a Professor of Economics at Curtin University in Western Australia in 1990. In 1996 he moved to the University of Melbourne where he was the Ronald Henderson Professor, and Director of the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research until 2005.

His research and writing has covered such issues as education, human capital, labor markets, unemployment, tax and welfare, innovation and productivity. He is currently active in writing about federalism and education policy.

As Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, as well as representing the University on the sector’s peak body (Universities Australia) he is a member of the boards of
• Business Higher Education Round Table (BHERT)
• World Association of Cooperative Education (WACE)

Experience

  • 2006–2010
    Secretary, Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

Education

  • 1986 
    Loughborough University, Ph.D.