# Glyn Davis

Glyn Conrad Davis AC FASSA is an Australian academic and public servant. He was appointed the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on 6 June 2022, and as of December 2024 serves in the role. From January 2005 until September 2018, he served as vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne. He was previously a Distinguished Professor at the Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy.

## Early life and education

Glyn Conrad Davis was educated at Marist Brothers College, Kogarah.
He later studied political science at the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University, where he completed a doctoral thesis on the political independence of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, before undertaking post-doctoral appointments as a Harkness Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

## Career

For nearly 14 years Davis served as vice-chancellor and Principal of the University of Melbourne and as Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Arts. He publishes on public policy.
Davis began his academic career at Griffith University. He commenced as a lecturer in public policy in 1985 and was appointed as a professor in 1998.

### Political appointments

Davis served simultaneously as an academic while appointed to various roles in government. He served as Commissioner for Public Sector Equity with the Public Sector Management Commission from 1990 to 1993, and as Director-General of the Office of the Cabinet from 1995 to 1996 under Queensland Premier Wayne Goss. He also served as Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to Peter Beattie, from 1998 to 2002.

### Vice-chancellorships

Davis became vice-chancellor and president of Griffith University in 2002.
In January 2005 he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne and led the introduction of the university's "Melbourne Curriculum" academic structure. While at the University of Melbourne he was paid a salary of $1.6m AUD annually.

### Secretary of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

In June 2022, Davis became the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He was appointed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on 30 May 2022, and commenced on 6 June 2022.

## Other activities and roles

In 2008, Davis co-chaired the Australia 2020 Summit and, in the same year, served as a member of the Innovation Taskforce, an expert group commissioned to review Australia's research and innovation systems.
In 2010 Davis presented the ABC's 51st Boyer Lectures series, speaking on higher education in Australia.
In December 2018, Davis became the CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
On 18 February 2021, he delivered the inaugural Hugh Stretton Oration at the University of Adelaide.

### Academia

In October 2018, Davis joined the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University as a distinguished professor.
He is also a visiting professor at the Policy Institute at King's College London, visiting professor in the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford, and in 2018 was elected a visiting fellow at Exeter College, Oxford.
Davis is also an honorary professor of public policy at Manchester University. His career memberships include: the chair of Universitas 21, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities steering committee, the Hong Kong Grants Commission, and a director of the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at King's College London.

### Other roles

He is a patron of Australia 21, former president of the Group of Eight, and founding chairman of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.

## Honours

Davis is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
He received the Centenary Medal "in recognition of contribution to public service".
On 26 January 2002, Davis was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for his "service to public administration, particularly as an advocate for good governance, constitutional reform and the creation of infrastructure to enable the development of a "knowledge-based" nation, to tertiary education in the field of political science, and to the community."
He holds honorary doctorates from Griffith University and the University of New South Wales. There are buildings named after him on the campus of Griffith University at Nathan, and the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne Parkville.

## Personal life

As of 2005 Davis is married to Margaret Gardner, the 30th Governor of Victoria and former Vice-Chancellor of Monash University and RMIT. When Davis was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, he and his spouse were described by The Guardian as "Melbourne's top academic couple".

## Publications

Davis has written widely on policy and governance. His most recent publications are:
* On Life's Lottery, Hachette, 2021.
* The Australian Idea of a University, Melbourne University Publishing, 2017.
* The Australian Policy Handbook (6th edition with Peter Bridgman and Catherine Althaus), Routledge, 2017.
* The Future of Australian Governance (co-editor with Michael Keating), St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 2000.
* Are You Being Served? State, Citizens and Governance (co-editor with Patrick Weller), Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 2001.
* The Republic of Learning: higher education transforms Australia, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Boyer Lectures), 2010.
* 'Universities in the Service of the Nation' in Melbourne University Law Review (2015) Volume 38(3) special issue in memory of Sir Zelman Cowen

## Footnotes

* ↑ A non-profit organisation developing research networks on key issues affecting Australia's future.