Higher education top 50 most influential people 2014

THE most influential people of 2014.

Question Time

THE fact there are 27 new names in the 2014 list compared to 2013 is a clear illustration of what a big year in higher education it has been. A swathe of now-retired Labor politicians have disappeared, replaced by politicians of every colour and persuasion and a host of lobbyists — both pro and anti-deregulation.

Because that is what 2014 has been about. Deregulation — of fees, of providers and of courses. It was a very big bucket of reform to throw at an unsuspecting sector in the May budget. To that end, Christopher Pyne is undisputedly at the top of the list. Love him or loathe him, support his reforms or revile them, it’s all we have talked about for seven long months. And it’s not over yet. Pyne’s self-described “indefatigable” nature will see the New Year arrive with him on the phone (with, hopefully, not too much texting) doing everything he can to persuade the non-believers.

Of course, the list is not definitive. There are plenty of people behind the scenes who wield considerable influence but choose not to step into the limelight. There are others on the list who are only there because they like hogging the limelight but are arguably all tip and no berg, to borrow a line from Paul Keating.

Our hope is that you will read it, engage with it and enjoy it. We would love to know your thoughts. Get in touch via email ([e-mail]) or Twitter @harejulie.

Have a restful break.

Julie Hare
Bernard Lane
Andrew Trounson
John Ross
Kylar Loussikian

11. IAN CHUBB

Chief scientist

A big man in every sense of the word, Ian Chubb is also a study in patience. Chubb spent the best part of two years visiting every corner of this wide brown land preaching the need for a national science strategy — something every other country worth its salt already has, so why not us? When he started repeating his jokes, he thought he’d better write the damn thing himself. The document was applauded by pretty well everybody but the government — its main audience — and it seemed Chubb’s cosiness with Labor may have undermined his influence with the Coalition. But the gears are starting to mesh. The new science council has met exactly once, but it has a buzz about it. Unlike predecessor Penny Sackett, who quit abruptly half-way through her term, Chubb’s run appears to be gaining momentum.

12. PHIL HONEYWOOD

CEO, International Education Association of Australia

The straight-talking chief of executive of the International Education Association of Australia is just the sort of well-connected, savvy and outspoken advocate that Australia’s third-largest export industry needs. A former Victorian State tertiary education and training minister in the Liberal-National Kennett government, Phil Honeywood knows how politics works. And as a former executive at private colleges Stott’s and Cambridge International he knows what the industry needs. Oh, and he was once an exchange student in Japan, so he knows it from all sides. He’s not afraid to call a spade a spade and he’s a refreshingly candid public speaker. Just ask him about dealing with university councils when you are the responsible state minister — councils don’t always say what they mean.

13. BRIAN SCHMIDT

Professor of astrophysics, Australian National University
Nobel Laureate

Nobel Prizes open doors. They give access and influence and Brian Schmidt, Australia’s most recent laureate, uses his to good effect. When Schmidt speaks, people listen. And listen hard. He got his pet project — a primary school science program — refunded after chipping in $100,000 from his Nobel (embarrassing the Rudd government that had defunded the program). This year, Schmidt and his two Nobel co-winners were handed another $3m from Google founder Sergey Brin, and Schmidt promptly donated $250,000 to help promote gender equity in the sciences. Schmidt’s happy to throw his weight around when he know’s it can make a difference — he challenged former banker Maurice Newman to a $10,000 bet over wacky climate change claims. Newman didn’t respond. Schmidt likes to talk about life, the universe and everything — and he also makes a damn fine pinot noir.

14. PETER LEE

Vice-chancellor Southern Cross University
Chairman, Regional Universities Network

It’s just pure chance as to who heads up the various lobby groups at any point in time with the position rotating among member university heads. And so fate dictated that Peter Lee would be chairman of the RUN, Australia’s newest university lobby, when deregulation became 2014’s cause célèbre. Whether Lee was a street fighter in a previous life is unknown. He’s not the most polished lobbyist in town, nor the most convincing, but with a wily mix of high-dudgeon, dubious logic and unwavering certainty, Lee and his offsider Carolyn Perkins, ably managed to get the plight of regional universities on to the radar of cross benchers and the Coalition. As the year ended, the government had conceded to a $100 million structural adjustment package — although it did not appear to be corralled for regionals-only. No doubt Lee will be ear-bashing someone about that oversight as you read this piece.

15. IAN MACFARLANE

Industry Minister

Ian Macfarlane moved into the centre of tertiary education policy after research and vocational education were handballed into his industry portfolio. Fans think this will put the “V” back in VET. Critics think it will squeeze VET dry of the underpinning knowledge needed for uncertain careers, as students are prepped for the ever more specific roles bosses demand. The same argument is bouncing around in science, with government demands for more industry engagement seen as salvation by some and subjugation by others. Pragmatic, experienced and effective, the gravel-voiced Macfarlane is pushing on and winning people over, in research at any rate. The tired complaints that his title doesn’t include the word “science” have become a bit of a sideshow. The real issue is whether commercially minded research gets in the way of the other sort.

16. KIM CARR

Opposition spokesman for higher education

Hirsute and pugnacious, Kim Carr has one of an opposition front bench’s most powerful weapons — inside knowledge. Flustered bureaucrats in Senate estimates sometimes forget what year it is, and address him as “minister”. Carr knows higher education and research policy inside out. And he’s increasingly dipping his toes into vocational education, as the government strives to recreate a VET-like open market in higher ed. Carr had a rocky road in the roller coaster of the Rudd-Gillard government (pardon the mixed metaphors), after his support for Rudd saw him exiled from Labor’s inner cabinet. While in the wilderness, others sought to undo some of the good work he and Gillard had achieved in the early years of the Rudd regime, and the sector paid the price in big budget cuts to both teaching and research — cuts Carr is now opposing. In fact, he is opposing the government’s entire deregulation agenda on a “Just Say No” policy — but he’s also putting up alternatives, giving the crossbenchers something to mull over in the Christmas break.

17. DENISE BRADLEY

Former higher ed reviewer

Her 2008-09 report on higher education set the scene for the demand-driven system, a hideously expensive and unpredictable method of assigning university places. It gives mandarins in treasury and finance the heebie jeebies, but mention the word “recapping” and all hell breaks loose. The demand-driven system, which is all about expanding access and participation to more disadvantaged members of the community, has taken on an almost biblical truth — it gives opportunity to those who would otherwise not have it. It also has its problems: falling ATARs, increasing drop-outs, budget blow-outs, too many graduates. But Bradley’s demand-driven system has bipartisan support and it looks set to stay despite budget pressures …. for the time being at least.

18. VICKI THOMSON

Former executive director, Australian Technology Network

Thomson’s influence throughout 2014 has not just been in promoting the government’s deregulation agenda on behalf of the ATN, she has also been at the forefront of efforts to have the government measure and reward research impact. Thomson’s power lies largely in her abilities as communicator and bridge-maker — she knows how to take others on her journey even if they are not entirely on board. In January, Thomson takes up the reins at the Group of Eight where no doubt her ability to influence will become even more profound.

19. JULIE BISHOP

Foreign Minister

Never mind the distracting shambles of the university deregulation debate; over at foreign affairs, they’ve quietly been getting something right: study abroad. And Julie Bishop, a former education minister in the Howard years, gets a lot of credit for the patient and canny way in which her team brought together experts and players to create the New Colombo Plan, for which she has bipartisan support. In PR terms, it may be a bit of a sleeper but as each excited student heads off overseas, you can see the pieces of a potential revolution in education and regional engagement falling into place. This is elegant policy, expertly informed, from someone with a genuine interest.

20. SANDRA HARDING

Vice-chancellor, James Cook University
Chairwoman, Universities Australia

Occupying the chair of UA cannot be a comfortable position at the best of times; its 39 members are as different as they are pushy and argumentative. Sandra Harding has been in the hot seat as UA has had to craft, and keep together, some kind of unified approach to Christopher Pyne’s Budget surprise of deregulation-plus-funding cuts. Whatever you think of UA’s compromise, it’s an accomplishment of the herding a hundred cats variety. Harding is gracious, unjudgmental and focused. Up in Townsville, her own institution is thriving under her leadership with its “University for the Tropics” branding — a shrewd move for a ridiculously remote institution, which is world’s best in some environmental and marine sciences. Not bad.

21. MICHAEL SPENCE

Vice-chancellor, University of Sydney

As the corporate university asserts itself as the dominant model, Michael Spence is something of an anachronism — an old-style academic leader who believes in the old-style university. He brings a curious mix of characteristics to his role — deeply held convictions about integrity, fairness and inclusion, lofty ideals about the role of the university in modern society and even loftier ideas about the power of persuasion to bring unbelievers around to his way of thinking — not always successful. It’s hard to separate the personal and professional lives of Spence, who is a lay pastor on weekends. Spence hit the front page in October with the promise that his university would create a generous bursary program if fees were deregulated, offering full or partial scholarships to up to a third of its 27,300 undergraduates. While Coalition politicians loved him for it, not everyone was convinced. Some described his scheme as taxing four students to give the fifth a free ride.

22. GLYN DAVIS

Vice-chancellor, University of Melbourne

With the change in government, Davis might have lost some of his political influence but there is no shortage of people willing to hang off every public utterance he makes about the state of play. Davis is the wise old man of higher ed — even though he’s not so old (and some might dare venture behind closed doors, not so wise). Davis is a former political scientist and his observations about what’s going down in Canberra tend to be bang on. Who was the first to point out that “horse trading” with cross benchers over compromises to the higher education reform package would have nothing to do with higher education? Davis. The first to call for a proper debate on both sides of politics over higher education funding? Davis. The need for coherent policy settings? Davis, again. At the same time, under his leadership Melbourne University has cemented its position as Australia’s strongest and most comprehensive research university, even after the disruption of moving to a new model of undergraduate teaching.

23. LEE RHIANNON

The Greens spokeswoman for higher education

An old school public education devotee and communist who assumed the name of a Celtic goddess, Lee Rhiannon is easily dismissed as a freak from the fringe. But the Greens senator’s campaign against the creeping privatisation of vocational education — a sector that wins her few headlines — has been relentless and pointed. She’s been dogged in her outing of private college rorts, and she pulled no punches when she addressed their peak body’s annual conference a couple of years back. Now she’s taken first points in a similar campaign against public funding of private higher ed — although with an equally dogged opponent in Christopher Pyne, the battle’s not over. Rhiannon has astute staff, and they love her.

24. MOOCS

Massive open online courses

Unlovable as an acronym and often hyped for the wrong reasons, MOOCs are still a big deal. In a world with plenty of conflict, ignorance and trivia, the best MOOCs show citizens engaged in a noble commonwealth of learning that captures the enduring spirit of human curiosity. What MOOCs might mean for the university enterprise is a narrower question, and it’s silly to make any sweeping predictions just yet. Even so, there are some promising cases of cross-fertilisation between MOOC technology and teaching on campus that leverage online courseware so that students and their instructors get much better value out of their precious face-to-face time. And, as with any such technology, there will be dramatic applications that nobody can yet imagine.

25. PETER SHERGOLD

Chancellor, University of Western Sydney

In a recent Senate appearance on higher ed reform, Shergold kept changing hats, as he put it. One moment he spoke as Christopher Pyne’s hand-picked adviser on how to create a contestable higher ed market; the next as a university chancellor unhappy about funding cuts. It’s an indication of the depth of his expertise and experience — and his potential to influence the future direction of the sector. The hat he wears as chair of the TEQSA advisory council is especially important. The national regulator was sorely in need of streamlining and a lighter touch at the top but when a real test comes, it will need to be effective and tough.

26. PETER COALDRAKE

Vice-chancellor, Queensland University of Technology
Chairman, Australian Technology Network

Coaldrake is the old bull of higher education and currently its longest serving vice-chancellor in a single institution. He’s a seasoned political campaigner, not easily excitable — having seen it all before. But he did give 2014 one of its more memorable lines, describing the prospect of no deregulation plus funding cuts as a “thermonuclear strike” on the sector. He’s more than happy to pick up the phone and have a chat, if he thinks it will make a difference — and sometimes even when it won’t (because Coaldrake loves to chat!). He’s been around so long, 2013-14 was his second term as chairman of ATN, having taken a pro-deregulation stance early on and sticking to it. A political scientist, Coaldrake got serious experience of government as a public service reformer during the Goss years, a period in which his colleagues included Glyn Davis and Kevin Rudd. Coaldrake knows the ropes, and he knows how to swing on them. And he’s used to getting what he wants.

27. JOHN DEWAR

Vice-chancellor, La Trobe University

John Dewar seems to have a lot on — all the time. At La Trobe he has been going through a long restructuring that has resulted in rivers of bad blood, legal fights and campus protests. But he keeps pressing on. At the heart of the issue is the need to boost demand at an institution caught between being a destination for non-traditional students and a home for highbrow bohemians. Meanwhile, rivals like Deakin and RMIT have pulled away in the race for first preferences. One would have thought that was enough to keep Dewar busy, but he also was chosen to head up the government’s financing working group on the higher education changes. This was the group that pushed for changes to the (now abandoned) plan to charge interest on HECS loans. And it came up with the deal to give non-universities teaching subsidies at 70 per cent of the university rate. A tough working group to chair, but Dewar’s biggest test remains the task of getting La Trobe unified and back on track.

28. NTEU

National Tertiary Education Union

Will university degrees cost $100,000 if Education Minister Christopher Pyne gets his way? It’s not entirely clear, but the NTEU has sure convinced a lot of voters. Running a solid if understated anti-deregulation campaign, the NTEU has linked students and other grassroots activists with the opposition parties in Parliament. Even if the government’s subsequent backdown on charging students interest on student loans has taken some of the sting out of the tail of the reform package, concerns about eventual fee hikes will continue to dominate the debate. President Jeanne Rea is backed by regular and well-argued analysis from policy co-ordinator Paul Kniest. The NTEU’s concerns have clearly been listened to by the crucial Senate crossbenchers. The NTEU also spent the year fighting industrial relations battles, its bread and butter, most recently having a most union-resistant Australian Catholic University agree to talks over claims academics were being turned into teaching-only staff by stealth.

29. SHIRLEY ALEXANDER

Deputy vice-chancellor (academic), University of Technology, Sydney

More than $1 billion in new campus buildings at a time of MOOC fever: UTS’s Shirley Alexander is not afraid to pursue what Sir Humphrey would call a “courageous” approach to teaching and learning. Lovers of the old lecture format wept in the corridors as the designers moved in to confect new spaces for collaborative learning. Maybe she’s over-estimating the clubbishness of Gen Z, or wherever Gen we’re up to, but hats off to a bold experiment to revitalise a city campus. As a champion of technology in improving the learning experience, Alexander knows her audience. Or maybe not — her plan to make maths and stats compulsory for all first-years is likely to scare the pants off three out of every two school leavers.

30. DON MARKWELL

Higher education adviser to Education Minister Christopher Pyne

Pyne’s appointment of former Rhodes scholar Don Markwell — who had held roles as head of the Menzies Research Centre, deputy vice-chancellor at UWA, and head of Trinity College at the University of Melbourne — was met with a universal sigh of relief. Markwell had runs on the board, knew his stuff, knew everyone and was a serious intellect. It was a sign that higher education would be taken with the seriousness it deserves. Since budget night, Markwell has been behind the scenes selling the reform package to one and all. Is he convincing? Yes. Do people trust him? Yes. Will the reforms pass? Who knows.

31. MILLY SHANAHAN

Student of the demand-driven system

We’ve been following Milly Shanahan since the 2012 most influential list when, armed with an ATAR of 53, she applied to study teaching at Notre Dame University in Sydney. Our interest in Milly is that she represented a new generation of students — first-in-family, low-ATAR — who were being accepted into university courses across Australia under the newly minted demand-driven system. Milly was accepted into Notre Dame on the proviso she complete a foundation studies course first, which she duly did. But having failed the maths component, was asked to repeat. Having failed maths the second time round, Milly transplanted herself to Wollongong where she had a third attempt at doing foundation studies in order to get into nursing. We weren’t able to track down Milly before deadline, and Wollongong would not confirm her enrolment status. Whether she eventually made it into that undergraduate program or not, Milly’s is a salutary tale: the demand-driven system has given a lot of non-traditional students access to university. But getting in is not the end of the story.

32. ANDREW ROBB

Trade Minister

Education is Australia’s biggest services export — now worth almost $16 billion — but it suffers from two nagging paradoxes. Outside the small army of people whose livelihoods depend on it, the true export character and commercial clout of inbound education is almost a secret. And the industry itself has been slow and hesitant in grasping the opportunity to project Australia’s education product into the Indo-Pacific, rather than simply encouraging students of the region to book a flight here. As trade minister, Andrew Robb has been preaching that gospel of expanding opportunity. And it’s not just talk; witness the new free trade agreement with China and its conferral of the coveted “most favoured nation” status on Australia for its education services.

33. WARWICK ANDERSON

CEO, National Health and Medical Research Council

It isn’t easy being head of the NHMRC, especially when the success rate on its coveted research grants falls to 15 per cent. That leaves room for plenty of armchair experts to offer advice on how to do it differently. Long-serving chief Warwick Anderson weathers the criticism and advice every year and in recent times, has taken steps to streamline and speed up the process while maintaining the peer-review system. He argues that the work preparing an unsuccessful grant should be useful to the researcher. Now as he prepares to leave the NHMRC in July after eight years at the helm, he made a big splash by calling on institutions to do better in ensuring women get a fair go in research; he’s put everyone on notice that the NHRMC will be setting minimum gender standards for institutions that want to be eligible for grant funding. This year he’s also made recommendations to government on how the Medical Research Future Fund should operate, if it ever happens. And he sits on Health Minister Peter Dutton’s review of medical research institutes that is due to report early next year. It is set to be a busy time for Anderson in the lead up to his new role as secretary-general of the international Human Frontier Science Program in Strasbourg.

34. AIDAN BYRNE

CEO, Australian Research Council

Aidan Byrne has proved himself a safe pair of hands in heading up an agency that gets kicked about as a political football. On the eve of the Abbott government’s election, there was a familiar outbreak of Coalition attacks on “bonkers” ARC projects (Hegel copped it big time). Although the ARC hasn’t emerged unscathed from budget cuts, Byrne has deftly handled the transition to the new regime. And there is no sign of Christopher Pyne letting loose the ideological hounds again. Securing ongoing funding for Future Fellowships was a major win. Byrne has also done well tweaking the Excellence in Research for Australia audit while maintaining its standing and justification. A clear challenge now is how the ARC positions itself in the coming debate, driven by government, on how to better focus research on outcomes. Professor Byrne has been publicly wary of going down the UK route using case studies and creating a major new measure of research impact.

35. RICHARD HIGGOTT

Former vice-chancellor, Murdoch University

The murky scandal at Murdoch University renders any judgment provisional but it must be said that Higgott arrived as a breath of fresh air. He came from Warwick University with a solid reputation in his field of political science and governance, spoke vigorous English rather than bland managerese, and showed a willingness to consider novel approaches in a sector prone to uniformity. To what degree he misfired, to what degree he wasn’t given a decent opportunity, is not yet clear. Whatever the reason for his early departure, the immediate future for Murdoch does not look good.

36. RICHARD JAMES

Pro vice-chancellor (equity and student engagement), University of Melbourne
Director, Centre for the Study of Higher Education

Richard James’s public profile has receded somewhat in the past couple of years as his duties as pro vice-chancellor at the University of Melbourne take precedence. But when James has something to say he gets plenty of attention. He buys into the big higher education issues of the day in his dual role as director, Centre for the Study of Higher Education. His particular interests are student equity, access and participation and the barriers to success at university, including student poverty. James brings an intellectual rigour and crispness to everything he does. He says what he means and means what he says — and he can back it all up with evidence. If he doesn’t want to answer your question, he won’t. Simple as that.

37. ANDREW DEMPSTER

Head of government and corporate affairs, Swinburne University

Andrew Dempster succeeds in walking the tight rope between being an institutional executive at Swinburne and a commentator on the sector. A former higher education adviser to Gillard government tertiary education minister Chris Evans, Dempster knows well the politics and departmental complexities around higher education. Having moved to the sector-side, he has established himself as an effective advocate for Swinburne, despite the other political party being in power. Some university vice-chancellors might be jealous of their corporate affairs executive getting regular opinion pieces into the media, but to her credit Swinburne chief Linda Kristjanson is happy to trust Dempster. Between them, they have well argued Swinburne’s call for more checks and balances — such as a cap on student loans — if fees are to be deregulated. His Twitter feed is a must-follow for those interested in higher education, and those wanting to keep up with the Socceroos.

38. PETER RATHJEN

Vice-chancellor, University of Tasmania

Peter Rathjen’s importance can be summed up with a number — $453 million. This is of course the amount of money aon offer to UTAS to persuade a posse of Tasmanian Senators, including Jacqui Lambie, to support deregulation. She hasn’t take the bait, yet. Sure Lambie was the swing factor in getting the money but Rathjen has emerged as possibly the Apple Isle’s most eloquent advocate and has played his cards well, warning early on that UTAS wouldn’t possibly be able to raise fees to make up for the government’s cuts. A biochemist who likes to teach philosophy, he is one of the sector’s big thinkers and is tipped to eventually head a Go8. It would be a loss for Tasmania, which needs all the talent it can keep.

39. FOSSIL FREE MOVEMENT

Fossil-free movement

Vested interests might have tried to undermine the fossil-free movement over ANU’s decision to divest $16m in fossil-fuel share holdings, but take a look overseas and all the evidence points to the fact that this movement is here for a long haul — and they are not going to be intimidated by the status quo. Expect to see much more of FFM in 2015 and beyond. This mob reckon they are on the right side of history.

40. KWONG LEE DOW

Higher ed trouble shooter

Kwong Lee Dow is the sector’s elder statesman but there is little elderly about him. He has long been and remains a key “go-to man” for any government or institution wanting anything reviewed that is education-related. When the red tape at the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency was under scrutiny the government turned to Lee Dow to tell it what to do. When attempts to reform Youth Allowance were mired in politics, Lee Dow was tapped again. A former vice-chancellor at both Melbourne and Ballarat, he has retained a strong concern for equity throughout his career. In the current debate about the government’s higher education reforms he has backed fee deregulation as a “logical” next step, given places are uncapped, but doesn’t think much of the government’s plans to fund Commonwealth Scholarships out of premium fee revenue, which he fears risks inflating fees. He has also voiced concerns that regional universities will lose out in fee deregulation. The government would do well to listen to him, everyone else seems to.

41. ROD JONES

CEO, Navitas

Any history of Australia’s international education industry will have to devote a decent chapter to Rod Jones and his listed company Navitas. The pathway business, trying to get chiefly overseas students ready to stand on their own two legs at university, showed an imaginative grasp of a real opportunity. And Navitas administered and expanded this and its other businesses with a commercial know-how and discipline that the market famously rewarded. If the Navitas story sometimes seemed too good to be true, the share price took a big hit in July with the surprise announcement that Macquarie University would wind up its 18 year alliance with the company. And last month brought news that Navitas was cracking down on dubious student applications out of India and Nepal, a neat reminder of persistent questions about quality and standards in international education at large.

42. LEO GOEDEGEBUURE

Director, LH Martin Institute, University of Melbourne

Leo Goedegebuure is not an excitable person. He takes things very much in his stride. And Goedegebuure’s stride is quite often out of synch with the prevailing ethos — and with good reason. His views are the culmination of a rich professional career which has taken him around the globe in his role as an expert on university management and governance. As an example, earlier this year Goedegebuure ran a series of workshops that challenged the notion that government funding cuts had to be passed on to students in the form of higher fees — all that was needed was for senior managers to abandon tried and tested business models in favour of creative alternatives. It’s not an idea that’s gained traction in the public sphere — but it should have. It’s typical of the quiet but important work being done by the LH Martin under Goedegebuure’s leadership — don’t whinge about the symptoms, change the structures.

43. DAVID WILLETTS

Former UK universities and science minister

David Willetts is the sort of eloquent, knowledgeable and unifying advocate for education and science who can win over people from both sides of the political divide, highlighting the vacuum Australia has in this space. He is a big loss to UK government, but his influence here is without question. Willetts was a key part of the Cameron administration that got through massive funding cuts to universities and massive increases in fees, and which was able to persuade its reluctant partners the Lib-Dems to follow it into the breach. Willetts also managed to protect research from the big cuts. The Abbott government was certainly inspired by the Cameron government’s success, but is Pyne a salesman of equal stature?

44. STEPHEN NAGLE

Holmes Institute director

If you’d like a master class in the polite but steely rebuke, Stephen Nagle can help. Holmes Institute’s well-regarded director has also been a spear carrier for private higher education. His argument that quality private providers ought not to be treated as second class citizens is one usually put in government and sector forums. Note the adjective: quality. Nagle has not hesitated to speak out about abuses, potential and real, and the need for a regulator with teeth. But when commentators glibly equate private with dodgy, as if public universities are all free of blemish, Nagle has been known to hit the send button on blisteringly elegant rebukes. It’s no coincidence he was trained as a linguist.

45. BILL LOUDEN

Strategic adviser, Murdoch University

No pressure but higher ed veteran Bill Louden has an opportunity to salvage something from the wreckage that is Murdoch University. How that institution fits into a somewhat tertiary-shy state with the University of Western Australia at the top and, dare we say it, Notre Dame at the bottom has been unclear for a while. Murdoch’s second leadership meltdown within four years only poses the question more acutely. An ex senior DVC at UWA, Louden has waded into Murdoch-in-a-mess with the official title of “strategic adviser” to a rather junior acting VC. Everyone with the higher ed interests of WA at heart will hope that Louden can do some good, assuming he’s allowed to.

46. ALAN ROBSON

Chair, Higher Education Standards Panel

Ex-vice chancellor Alan Robson has been overseeing the task of devising a new set of minimum standards for higher education providers to observe. As subject matter goes, it’s hardly a bodice-ripper and Robson, who once ran a research centre for legumes, is no rabble rouser. But his understated and effective manner is well suited to the standards challenge, which requires a deft mix of precision and concision, as well as a sense of what will work practically in conjunction with a newish regulator, universities with varying track records of quality assurance, and the unknown quantity of newly minted providers. The double act of minimum standards and national regulator will perform an especially important role if deregulation goes ahead.

47. MARK HUTCHINSON

CEO, Vocation

It’s been a year of great highs, and greater lows, for former adventure fishing instructor Mark “Thor” Hutchinson. His listed higher education and training provider Vocation became a stock market darling with shares hitting $3.35 on the back of promising profit forecasts and quick acquisitions. Too bad for Hutchinson, and for investors, when it turned out a government compliance review — unmentioned by the company to the ASX — turned out to be a big deal, reducing the company’s share price to a handful of cents. With Vocation’s biggest shareholder, sometime UTS lecturer Brett Whitford, gunning for his job, will Hutchinson be able to rebuild investor trust in time? Chairman John Dawkins was the fall guy earlier this month to buy Hutchinson some time. Questions are now being asked of Education Minister Christopher Pyne whether we might see a repeat of the Vocation experience once higher education is opened up to private providers. It’s been a salutary tale of corporate ambition and lax regulation.

48. NAPU

National Alliance for Public Universities

The National Alliance for Public Universities is an old-fashioned beast — at its core is the belief that universities should engender a love of higher learning (talk about anachronistic!). With 1400 signatories and some high-profile members — JM Coetzee, among others — NAPU has managed to get its message across despite the hubbub. It’s message is simple — universities are a public good so governments should fund them accordingly. It’s a message that has been listened to by various crossbenchers — with genuine enthusiasm, if NAPU is to be believed.

49. LES FIELD

Deputy vice-chancellor (research), UNSW
Policy secretary, Academy of Science

Fighting the good fight for research can be a thankless task but Les Field, the long-serving deputy vice-chancellor at UNSW, wins plaudits for his no-nonsense, effective approach. He’s alert to news opportunities when research policy is in play, makes himself available, speaks plainly and makes a plausible case for research in its various guises. He’s also a realist and careful to temper warnings of government delinquency with acknowledgment of sound policy where it’s found. In short, a chemist with resonance, who is not retiring any time soon.

50. LEESA WHEELAHAN

William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership, University of Toronto

The cold hasn’t cooled Leesa Wheelahan’s blood. A hot-headed motor mouth from Sunshine in outer Melbourne, Wheelahan’s rising star has taken her to icy Toronto where she bagged a chair in one of the world’s top-ranked universities. A former TAFE teacher, Wheelahan is now one of the world’s foremost experts on the institution and its analogues in Europe and North America. She has a habit of turning tired old questions about tertiary education upside down and looking at them in ways nobody else thought of. And she understands better than almost anybody how the cogs of higher and vocational education fit together. A year in Canada hasn’t erased her interest in the scene back home — or dimmed her local influence.