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Shaun Goldfinch appointed ANZSOG WA Public Administration and Policy Chair at Curtin University

15 July 2019

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ANZSOG has established a presence in Western Australia with the appointment of Professor Shaun Goldfinch as the inaugural ANZSOG WA Government Chair in Public Administration and Policy at Curtin University in Perth.

Professor Goldfinch will join ANZSOG from the New Zealand public service and the School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations at Victoria University Wellington in New Zealand and will be based within the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy (JCIPP) in Perth, Western Australia.

He will work closely with ANZSOG’s other academic and practitioner faculty, senior academics within the Faculty of Business and Law at Curtin University, and the Western Australian Government. ANZSOG Dean and CEO Professor Ken Smith said that the WA Government Chair is an invaluable asset for ANZSOG and the Western Australian government and welcomed Professor Goldfinch to the broader family.

“Western Australia is a dynamic part of Australia, with strong links to Asia, and it is important that ANZSOG has a presence there. I am delighted that we have been able to make such a strong appointment as our inaugural chair,” Professor Smith said.

“Professor Goldfinch has strong experience in teaching, research and working as a consultant to governments globally which will make him ideal for the varied demands of this new role.“The new Chair will be involved in teaching, research, and stakeholder engagement across Western Australia and the Indian Ocean region, and will develop links between governments and universities in Australia and New Zealand.”

Professor Goldfinch has previously held positions at the Universities of Nottingham, Otago and Canterbury, the American University of Sharjah, and the University of the South Pacific; as well as visiting positions in Japan.

He is an established researcher, teacher and consultant in a range of fields including: public management, administration, governance, public policy, development, conflict, fragile states, and criminal justice, and has published five books and more than 50 articles and chapters.

The ANZSOG WA Government Chair in Public Administration and Policy is a five-year appointment with funding provided by ANZSOG, Curtin University and the Western Australian Government.

Public Sector Commissioner Sharyn O’Neill said the appointment of a leading academic would bring a solid evidence base and research focus to inform public policy in the State. “The investment by the Government in this chair reflects the importance of a public sector that is future-focused, agile and able to meet the policy challenges ahead.

“Professor Goldfinch will provide enormous expertise and experience to the Western Australian public sector at a time of significant reform.”

Curtin University Faculty of Business and Law Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel de Bussy said he was delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Goldfinch, who will join Curtin from Victoria University of Wellington and the New Zealand Ministry of Health.

“Professor Goldfinch has extensive teaching and research experience in the areas of public administration and policy around the world making him an ideal candidate for the role. The wealth of knowledge he will bring to the position will be instrumental in creating new opportunities across the Indian Ocean region,” Professor De Bussy said.

“Professor Goldfinch will deliver a range of ANZSOG’s core programs and executive education products, as well as conducting important public policy research that will benefit local, national and international communities.

“This new appointment is testament to Professor Goldfinch’s high-quality research and experience in the sector and I look forward to seeing his significant contributions to the inaugural role.”

ANZSOG has an established Chair at ANU in Canberra (the Sir John Bunting Chair which was established in 2003),and is nearing the end of an appointment process for a Chair at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, the New Zealand Prime Minister’s ANZSOG Chair in Public Service Ethics and Integrity.