New Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) urges collegiality amid challenging time for university sector

The incoming Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at The Australian National University (ANU), Professor Joan Leach, says ANU and the higher education sector has a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to come together and reassert our value to society in what is a challenging period for universities amid heightened global political tensions. 

Acknowledging how geopolitical risks are impacting the sector and research in Australia and abroad, Professor Leach said ANU is and always will be a “courageous” institution whose founding mission is to advance education and research to create a better world for us all. 

She says collegiality across the University is more important than ever before during this difficult period for ANU and the sector, because “that’s what’s going to get us through”.  

“The University must have the bravery to allow its students to explore controversial matters, because we’re not afraid of those. We can lean into those and we can provide evidence and expertise to students as they navigate these huge changes that they’re seeing around the world,” Professor Leach said. 

“The higher education sector is changing rapidly, from the policy settings that we see from the Commonwealth Government to pressures we face due to advancements in artificial intelligence, to the global financial system and how it impacts the way students think about the value of education. 

“All of these are huge challenges for the sector and for ANU, but it’s also a time where ANU can shine, because we have expertise to help students make sense of all these changes, and we also have expertise to help policymakers understand the value of higher education.” 

Professor Leach’s multidisciplinary research spans the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Her current research projects focus on fields ranging from how publics and patients can engage and govern frontier sciences like stem cells to guide research and clinical treatments, to investigating how astronomers can work more closely with Indigenous groups around the world to make astronomy a more inclusive science.  

Professor Leach held roles at Imperial College London, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Queensland before coming to ANU in 2016 to become Director of the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science. 

During her time at ANU, she has held multiple senior leadership roles including former Acting Dean of the College of Science (now College of Science and Medicine), and former Chair of the ANU Academic Board. 

ANU Vice-Chancellor and President Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell said she is thrilled Professor Leach has been appointed in the role. 

“Joan is an exceptional leader and I’m delighted she is taking on this role and leadership for education and teaching at ANU,” Distinguished Professor Bell said. 

ANU Provost and Senior Vice-President Professor Rebekah Brown FASSA said Professor Leach demonstrates a “strong drive for innovation” that will help propel the University’s commitment to research-led education with impact. 

“Her work has shaped university-wide governance reform, strengthened student engagement and led initiatives to enhance teaching quality, academic sustainability and our national and global reputation,” Professor Brown said. 

“Guided by a commitment to transparency, equity and student success, Joan will focus on refining the University’s academic mission, embedding our graduate attributes, enhancing the student experience, and ensuring ANU remains agile and competitive in a rapidly evolving higher education landscape.” 

As a researcher whose career is partly grounded in the sciences, Professor Leach knows more than most just how important clear and consistent communication is, particularly in a university setting. 

“I value communication. I think communicating often and openly and transparently with people is extremely important, and it’s also how you collaborate, and those are the kinds of things that will be the hallmark of how I will work,” Professor Leach said. 

Professor Leach will formally commence as the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) on Monday 14 April.