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John Dewar (academic)

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Australian legal scholar, university administrator

John DewarAO
Born (1959-09-11) 11 September 1959 (age 65)
Kingston, Jamaica
NationalityBritish
CitizenshipAustralian

John Kinley Dewar AO (born 9 September 1959) is an Australian academic. He served as the vice-chancellor of La Trobe University from 2012 to 2024 and is currently the Interim vice-chancellor of University of Wollongong from June 2024.

Education

He was educated at Abingdon School and Hertford College, Oxford, where he is currently a Research Fellow.

Career

Dewar is an internationally known family law specialist. He was a member of the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Family Law Pathways Advisory Group from 2000 to 2001 and a former member and chair of the Family Law Council from 1998 to 2004.

Before working at Griffith University, Dewar taught at the universities of Lancaster and Warwick in the United Kingdom and was a fellow and tutor in law at Hertford College, Oxford. He was Head of Education and Training for Allen & Overy (London) from 1988 to 1990.

Griffith University

Dewar moved from the United Kingdom in 1995 to take up a professorial position in the Griffith Law School, where he eventually became the dean of the school from 1999 to 2002. From 2002 to 2005, he was the pro vice-chancellor for business and law and then became deputy vice-chancellor (academic).

University of Melbourne

Dewar moved to the University of Melbourne in April 2009, becoming the deputy vice-chancellor (global relations). In September that year, he was appointed provost of the university, a role similar to his previous one at Griffith University. The role's focus was "on refining the Melbourne Model and ensuring successful second phase implementation of the University's graduate programs in 2011".

La Trobe University

Dewar became the sixth vice-chancellor of La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, in January 2012. On arrival, he declared that his goal was to ensure that La Trobe be "recognised as the natural alternative to Victoria's two Group of Eight universities, with a unique appeal other universities can't offer".

In 2012, Dewar announced a plan to cut 500 subjects and 41 jobs. Dewar ran from student protestors frustrated with his plan to cut university subjects and job and escaped via a network of tunnels under the university. In 2014, Dewar announced that 350 staff would be sacked without any voluntary redundancies.

In 2020 as a consequence of the effects of COVID-19 on university revenue, Dewar was one of four vice-chancellors who negotiated with the National Tertiary Education Union's leadership to deliver the Australian Universities Job Protection Framework. La Trobe staff subsequently voted to vary the university's collective agreement pursuant to the Job Protection Framework, opting to take pay cuts to protect the financial equivalent of around 225 jobs.

Humanities and the arts became the subject of reductions in November 2020, with Dewar informing staff that some subjects were no longer financially viable.

In 2021, Dewar consulted on a proposal to close the school of molecular science and reassign its disciplines to other schools in a bid to reduce costs.

In February 2023, La Trobe Chancellor the Hon John Brumby AO announced that after 12 years, Professor Dewar will conclude his term as Vice-Chancellor in early 2024.

University of Wollongong

Dewar took up the role of Interim vice-chancellor of the University of Wollongong from June 2024. On 5 September 2024 the Illawarra Mercury raised questions about conflict of interest arising from Dewar’s position as a partner at the consulting firm KordaMentha, which has been awarded contracts to review aspects of how the University of Wollongong operates.

Universities Australia

In April 2021, Dewar was elected chair of Universities Australia. In July 2022, he delivered a speech at the National Press Club arguing the case for investing in universities.

Other appointments

As of February 2022 Dewar holds a number of other directorships including the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, the Committee for Melbourne, and the Foundation for Australian Studies in China. He is also a member of the University Foreign Interference Taskforce, the University of Lincoln's 21st Century Lab Higher Education Reference Group and the Champions of Change Coalition.

He is an honorary fellow of Hertford College, Oxford, an adjunct professor in the Melbourne Law School and the La Trobe Law School, and a visiting professor at the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University.

Awards

In 2020, Dewar was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day Honours List "in recognition of his distinguished service to education through leadership roles in the universities sector, and to professional organisations".

Other

In 2023, Dewar's 'Earthhouse' was featured in Season 10 (Episode 9) of Grand Designs Australia, described as 'a radical underground house' on 25 spectacular acres at Whittlesea, Victoria.

See also

References

  1. Who's Who in Australia, ConnectWeb (2018).
  2. ^ University, La Trobe. "La Trobe Vice-Chancellor to conclude tenure". www.latrobe.edu.au. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  3. "Interim Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Wollongong". www.uow.edu.au.
  4. "Old Abingdonians News" (PDF). The Abingdonian.
  5. "Hertford alumnus and former Fellow John Dewar appointed Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University". Hertford College.
  6. "Professor John Dewar". Hertford College Staff. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  7. Family Law Council website, accessed 23 August 2012.
  8. Online Opinion website, accessed 22 August 2012.
  9. The Australian website, accessed 22 August 2012.
  10. University of Melbourne news website, accessed 22 August 2012.
  11. The Australian, accessed 22 August 2012.
  12. University of Melbourne news website, accessed 22 August 2012.
  13. "John Dewar starts as Vice-Chancellor" (Press release). La Trobe University. 16 January 2012. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  14. La Trobe University Bulletin, Autumn issue 2012, accessed 22 August 2012.
  15. ^ Veness, Kirsten (26 August 2012). "Vice-chancellor flees mob via underground tunnels". ABC News. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  16. ' NTEU article 18033, 8 October 2015, accessed 8 October 2015.
  17. "Jobs protection framework", National Tertiary Education Union website.
  18. "Dewar says the university needs staff to back cuts for jobs accord". 20 May 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  19. University, La Trobe. "La Trobe staff vote yes to Variation". www.latrobe.edu.au. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  20. Carey, Adam (11 November 2020). "'Unviable': La Trobe proposes cutting humanities and education courses". The Age. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  21. Carey, Adam (14 July 2021). "La Trobe to axe 200 jobs, shut molecular sciences school in bid to save $60m". The Age. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  22. "Professor John Dewar elected next chair of Universities Australia". Universities Australia. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  23. "Professor John Dewar - National Press Club address". Universities Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  24. "About the Vice-Chancellor". www.latrobe.edu.au. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  25. "Australia Day Honour for La Trobe Vice-Chancellor". MyLaTrobe. 25 January 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  26. James, Alastair (26 July 2023). "Grand Designs Australia: Whittlesea, Victoria – Bel & John (More4 Thursday 27 July 2023)". Memorable TV. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
Academic offices
Preceded byPatricia M. Davidson Interim Vice-Chancellor of University of Wollongong
June 2024–present 		Incumbent
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