The Menzies Oration on Higher Education

The Menzies Oration on Higher Education at the University of Melbourne honours the late Sir Robert Menzies, former Prime Minister of Australia and Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.

Sir Robert considered that his contribution to the development of universities might prove to be amongst the most lasting of his achievements for Australia. In recognition of this vision and in order to strengthen the role of higher education in Australia, the University of Melbourne and the Menzies Foundation established the Sir Robert Menzies Oration on Higher Education in 1991.

The theme for the Oration is higher education policy and practice in Australia both in view of its national importance and also because of Sir Robert's attachment to both the extension of higher education and the wise development of it. The intention is for each Oration to be a contribution to intellectual debate in Australia.

University of Melbourne

2009 Emeritus Professor Richard Larkins AO
Former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne University and former Vice-Chancellor of Monash University
Universities: the Foundation of Civil and Successful Societies [pdf]
2008 The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Deputy Prime Minister; Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations; Minister for Education; Minister for Social Inclusion.
The Challenge for Universities in the Education Revolution (Microsoft word, 52kb)
2007 Professor Arthur K C Li
Former Secretary for Education and Manpower, Hong Kong SAR Government
Education: Vision and Reality (Microsoft Word, 116KB)
2006 Professor James Wilkinson
Director of the Derek Bok Centre for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University
Undergraduate Education: What Good Is It? An International Perspective (Microsoft Word, 104KB) (Acrobat PDF, 218kb)
2005 Professor Peter McPhee
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic),
University of Melbourne
Faces in the Crowd? The 'Melbourne Experience' past, present, future (Acrobat PDF, 2mb)
2004 Professor Stephen Leeder
Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine
University of Sydney
Global Health and the Future of Academic Medicine (Acrobat PDF, 147kmb)
2003 Professor Alan Gilbert
Vice-Chancellor
University of Melbourne
Some Heretical Ideas about Universities (Acrobat PDF, 117kb)
2002 Dr Bernard Shapiro
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
McGill University 
The Research University: An Undergraduate Challenge (Acrobat PDF, 95kb)
2001 Dr John Hood
Vice-Chancellor
University of Auckland
The Research-led University - Reflections from New Zealand (Acrobat PDF, 135kb)
2000 Professor Sir Alec Broers
Vice-Chancellor
University of Cambridge
University Partnerships - Sustaining International Competitiveness (Acrobat PDF, 97kb)
1999 His Excellency The Hon Sir Guy Green
Governor of Tasmania
Governors, Democracy and the Rule of Law (Acrobat PDF, 127kb)
1998 Lord Dearing
Chancellor
University of Nottingham
A Time of Opportunity (Acrobat PDF, 48kb)
1997 Professor Wang Gungwu
The National University of Singapore
 
1996 Professor Sir Stewart Sutherland
The University of Edinburgh
 
1995 Professor Brian Wilson
The University of Queensland
 
1994 The Honourable Nick Greiner  
1993 Professor Henry Rosovsky
Harvard University
 
1992 Professor Emeritus Peter Karmel
Australian National University
 
1991 Professor David Penington
The University of Melbourne
 
Sir Daryl Dawson with Julia Gillard
2008 Oration:  Sir Daryl Dawson with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Julia Gillard holding the Menzies Medallion.