Lindsay Tanner appointed as the

inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at Victoria University

Tue 24 Aug 2010

Lindsay Tanner, the retiring Minister for Finance in the Federal Labor Government, has been appointed as the inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at Victoria University.

In this role he will contribute to thought leadership in research and knowledge transfer in the area of economic, industry and social analysis, working alongside researchers in relevant faculties, research centres and institutes.

As well as producing papers and delivering public lectures and seminars and occasional guest lectures to VU students, he will also provide advice to the Vice-Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor’s senior executives about engagement with industry and strengthening research of relevance to industry and government in economic, industry and social analysis.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Liz Harman announced this today, issuing a joint statement with Vice-Chancellor elect, Professor Peter Dawkins, who will become Vice-Chancellor in January 2011, following Professor Harman’s retirement in December.

The statement said that Victoria University was “delighted that Lindsay Tanner was joining the University in this part-time role. A major priority for Victoria University was to engage with industry and government and we are confident that Lindsay Tanner has a major contribution to make in academia, in ways that are highly relevant to industry and government”.

As well as Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, a position he will take up in October, Lindsay Tanner has also become an Adjunct Professor of the University.

Lindsay Tanner was widely regarded a one of the Government’s strongest economic thinkers and is widely respected by industry leaders and economic analysts.

As well as having a successful political career since he was elected member for Melbourne in 1993, Lindsay Tanner has written extensively on economic and political issues.

He was the author of a book entitled The Politics of Pollution (with Peter Russ in 1978), and The Last Battle in 1996. In 1999 he produced an influential book called Open Australia, in which he put the case for “sweeping media deregulation and investment in innovation and skills formation to ensure Australia’s prosperous future as a major player in the global information economy.”

Lindsay Tanner also expressed his pleasure at the appointment. “Victoria University is going to play an increasingly important role in our changing higher education landscape. I am delighted to be able to contribute to VU’s development and growth.”

The role of Vice-Chancellor’s fellows will be to contribute to thought leadership in areas of strategic importance for the University. It is expected that a small number of additional appointments as Vice-Chancellor’s Fellows will be made over the next year.