Victoria University Professor Gary Hawke has been chosen as the inaugural Head of the University's new School of
Government.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Matthew Palmer announced Professor Hawke's appointment to School staff last week.
"The School of Government will be an independent, internationally respected centre for learning, research and
professional development in public sector issues and management and Professor Hawke, who has had a distinguished career
in academia, University management and the public service has the right set of skills to ensure that vision is
fulfilled."
Prime Minister Helen Clark launched the new School in September.
Professor Hawke said he was looking forward to the challenge of his new role. "To be chosen as the inaugural Head of a
School is an honour and I'm looking forward to using my skills, knowledge and contacts and working with our quality
staff to create a School that is world-class leader in public sector issues."
Professor Hawke has been on the staff of Victoria since 1968 and is currently Professor of Economic History in the
School of Economics and Finance. He has a strong background in both academia and university management. He has served as
Dean of Arts (1985-88) and as Director of the Institute of Policy Studies (1987-98) at Victoria.
Professor Hawke has been a visiting fellow at Stanford University in the United States, All Souls' College in Oxford,
the Australian National University and with a number of Japanese institutions. In 1998 he was awarded the NZIER-Qantas
Prize in Economics. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Professor Hawke is also well respected in government circles, having chaired the Cabinet Social Equity committee Working
Group on post compulsory Education and Training in 1988 and a Ministerial Review of Applied Social Science Capacity in
1995. He also chaired the New Zealand Planning Council from 1986-91 and in 1998-99 and was a member of the
Superannuation 2000 Taskforce. Since 2002, he has been chair of the board of the New Zealand Committee of the Pacific
Economic Co-operation Council.
Professor Hawke will take up his position on January 1 next year.
For more information contact Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Matthew Palmer on 04-463-6309 or Professor Gary Hawke on
04-463-5794
Issued by Victoria University of Wellington Public Affairs
For further information please contact Antony.Paltridge@vuw.ac.nz or phone +64-4-463-5873