The Australian National University (ANU) has appointed Dr Gordon de Brouwer AO PSM FIPAA as its 14th Chancellor, ending an independent search process launched under the University's Voluntary Undertaking with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).
Dr de Brouwer, an ANU alumnus and economist, brings more than four decades of experience in public policy, governance and institutional reform to the Canberra-based national university, and will take up the post on 19 August 2026.
A public service career now turned to university governance
Dr de Brouwer served as Australian Public Service Commissioner and Secretary for Public Sector Reform from 2022 to 2026, leading efforts to strengthen capability, integrity and workforce management across the 200,000-strong Australian Public Service.
He was previously Secretary of the Department of the Environment and Energy from 2013 to 2017, and has held senior posts at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Treasury and the Reserve Bank of Australia.
His academic ties to ANU run deep. Dr de Brouwer completed his PhD in economics at the University in 1996 and has since held academic and governance roles there, including as Professor of Economics and, since May 2026, Honorary Professor. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Commerce, both with first-class honours, from the University of Melbourne.
The appointment follows an independent search under regulatory scrutiny
The Chancellor search was overseen by an Independent Panel chaired by Emeritus Professor Peter Coaldrake AO, which gathered feedback from the ANU community on the qualities required of the next Chancellor before unanimously recommending Dr de Brouwer.
ANU Council, which holds statutory responsibility for the appointment, endorsed that recommendation. The process forms part of the University's broader governance reset, following a period in which both a Vice-Chancellor and a Chancellor departed the institution within the space of a year, and which has drawn the attention of federal regulators and a Senate inquiry into higher education governance more broadly.
Acting Pro-Chancellor Andrew Metcalfe AO said Dr de Brouwer's background suited the University's present needs. "Dr de Brouwer has the experience, judgement and integrity that ANU needs as we look to the future with confidence," Mr Metcalfe said. "He has an outstanding understanding of public institutions, governance and transformation, as well as a deep personal connection to ANU and its mission."
Dr de Brouwer said the role carried both personal and national significance. "I am deeply honoured to be appointed Chancellor of the Australian National University and to have the opportunity to serve a university to which I have such a strong personal and professional connection," he said. "I am committed to helping ANU build confidence in its future, with strong governance, a compelling shared strategy and a culture in which our people can do their best work."
Colleagues point to a track record on institutional culture
Professor Glyn Davis AC, Interim Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne and a former Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, said Dr de Brouwer combined policy depth with institutional judgement. Elizabeth Broderick AO, former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner, pointed to his record on building inclusive, high-performing teams and his personal commitment to modelling the culture he seeks to create.
Dr de Brouwer will work alongside Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Rebekah Brown as the University continues to rebuild trust with staff and students following its recent restructuring dispute. For a university sector already navigating tighter compliance expectations – as canvassed in our recent examination of how TEQSA is reshaping assessment integrity in Australian classrooms – the ANU appointment is likely to be read as a signal of how seriously the sector's governing bodies are treating oversight and accountability.
The appointment also lands at a moment when universities are deepening ties with schools on pathways and workforce pipelines, a trend reflected in our coverage of a $100 million STEM pathway program linking Western Sydney schools with university partners.
Dr de Brouwer's chancellorship follows a broader pattern across the sector of institutions turning to experienced governance figures at moments of scrutiny, echoed in our earlier report on a university's chancellor succession following a long-serving predecessor's departure.