“Universities must not walk away from discomfort”: Gordon de Brouwer on trust, leadership and the power of knowledge institutions

Few people in Canberra have carried more responsibility than Dr Gordon de Brouwer, the new Chancellor of The Australian National University (ANU).

When he stepped down as Australian Public Service (APS) Commissioner last January, he handed over the stewardship of more than 200,000 public servants.

It marked the end of a 35-year career that placed him at the heart of some of the nation’s biggest public sector reforms.

Under his leadership, the APS recorded progress across several fronts, including higher trust in government services, a doubling of First Nations representation in senior leadership and a reduction in reported bullying and harassment.

For de Brouwer, the key to those achievements was fostering a work culture based on integrity, accountability and trust.

“Giving power to people is important,” he says. “They need agency and confidence to do their job well.”  

Building that cultural change, though, required facing some hurdles along the way.

“I had to deal with outrageous behaviour,” de Brouwer says

“Robodebt in particular was a very difficult thing for me. As a serious failure of public administration, we had to hold people accountable for breaching the code of conduct while also maintaining the individual rights of those under investigation.”

Amid the pressures of the job, finding the right work-life balance was often out of reach. But his Kelpie, Trudi,  helped him keep life in perspective.

“A dog loves you no matter what someone is writing about you in the newspaper,” he says.

“Nature, gardening and doing things with my family also pulled me out of myself. You’ve got to focus on the people and things you love.”

Now, de Brouwer has come full circle, returning to lead the university where he earned his PhD in the 1990s and later taught economics in the 2000s.  

After a career helping shape our country’s public institutions, he will use that experience in chairing the ANU Council and shaping the future direction of ANU.

After all this time, de Brouwer says that the foundational attributes of ANU haven’t changed.

“The University’s love for knowledge and making a contribution is intact. ANU has always been a pathbreaker – and still is leading edge on issues such as economics, science, the Asia -Pacific and national security,” he says.  

Creating lasting change

As a former academic and policy advisor, de Brouwer is looking forward to supporting ANU research find its way into public debate and policy.

“I want to encourage knowledge-transfer and strengthen our role as the national university,” he says.

“I look forward to being part of discussions and conversations around how policy works and how to run institutions.”

At the heart of that ambition is a desire to help shape policies that drive prosperity while strengthening social cohesion and safeguarding Australia’s national security.

“The key is building and maintaining networks with government. It’s incumbent on both sides to continually reach out to the other,” he says.

But for those partnerships to work, de Brouwer says universities must design enduring solutions that anticipate unintended consequences.

“Solutions sometimes may not work for political reasons,” he says.

“Working through different options and alternatives is a really neat way of engaging with people in government, highlighting the pros and cons of a solution.”

He also has advice for researchers hoping to influence change: don’t mistake silence for indifference.

“Policymakers aren’t always going to show you what’s on their minds. But that doesn’t mean they’re not listening or thinking.

“Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an immediate reaction.”

Former colleague, Professor Glyn Davis, who previously worked closely with de Brouwer leading the Australian Public Service, has backed his deep public policy expertise and commitment to universities.

“He is an experienced institutional leader who brings integrity, judgement and a strong sense of public purpose to complex challenges,” says Professor Davis, who is now Interim Vice-Chancellor of The University of Melbourne.

“Dr de Brouwer will make an important contribution to ANU as Chancellor.”

The power of storytelling

One of Australia’s Prime Ministers once offered de Brouwer a piece of advice he has never forgotten.

“When dealing with a problem, 90 per cent of the solution is being able to tell the story,” he was told.

“When that story is grounded in evidence and data, it becomes incredibly powerful.”

For de Brouwer, that lesson has never been more relevant. As trust in institutions erodes and global uncertainty deepens, he says universities must use storytelling to communicate their value in ways that resonate with society.

“A story can shape the lens through which people make sense of the world,” he says.

“When that story is grounded in evidence and data, it becomes incredibly powerful.”

“We must communicate it in ordinary language so that the general public understands it and doesn’t feel patronised.”

That mission also requires courage. Universities, de Brouwer argues, cannot retreat from difficult conversations or contentious issues.

“Universities mut not walk away from discomfort. We must lean on the bits where our society has its frictions,” he says.

In this regard, he believes ANU has a unique responsibility as the only national university.

“ANU has a particular purpose under the law – to serve not the government, but the nation,” he says.

In universities we trust

De Brouwer believes we are living through what he calls the ‘Great Anger’ – a historical moment defined by deepening political polarisation and resentment, where emotions outweigh factual evidence. 

Some describe this as a post-truth era, but he rejects that characterisation.

“I don’t accept we are in a post-truth world. Truth and knowledge still matter,” he says.

“We are so caught up in the rise of populism but there are data that shows the most trusted institutions in Australia are still our scientific, judicial, and regulatory bodies. As a public knowledge institute, ANU should be among the top institutes trusted by Australian people.”

For all the complexity of the challenge, de Brouwer believes the solution to the global crisis of trust starts with a simple but powerful idea: honesty.

“If the public sees you talking honestly and objectively about things, they are more inclined to trust you,” he says.

“Knowledge institutions such as universities must treat and engage with people with respect and decency. That is the antidote to the great anger.”