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Glyn Conrad Davis (born 1959) is an Australian academic and public servant. He is known for serving as the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from June 2022 to June 2025. He was an academic at Griffith University in Queensland from 1985 until his appointment as vice-chancellor in 2002, a role he occupied until 2005. From January 2005 until September 2018, he served as vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, when he was appointed as a distinguished professor at the Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy.
He was educated at Marist Brothers College, Kogarah.
Davis graduated with first-class honours in political science at the University of New South Wales. His thesis supervisor was journalist and public intellectual Donald Horne, whom he cites as a strong influence. He was offered a journalism cadetship, but turned it down and in favour of undertaking a PhD at the Australian National University. After this, he worked briefly the ABC's Canberra newsroom.
In 1982 he took a few months off working on his doctoral thesis and worked as a public servant on the inquiry into the public service, under the Fraser government.
Subsequently, while working at Griffith University (where he began lecturing in 1985), he was awarded a Harkness Fellowship for 1987–88 to work in the United States. He undertook post-doctoral appointments at the University of California, Berkeley, the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
He also served as director-general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to Peter Beattie, from 1998 to 2002.
Davis became third vice-chancellor (VC) and president of Griffith University in January 2002. As VC, he oversaw the establishment of the Griffith University School of Medicine and the acquisition of the former South Brisbane Library, an historic building on the South Bank which was refurbished to house Griffith Film School. He also replaced the university's coat of arms, as part of a major rebranding.
In January 2005 he was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, and led the introduction of the university's "Melbourne Curriculum" academic structure.
For nearly 14 years Davis served as vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Melbourne and as professor of political science in the Faculty of Arts. During his tenure there, he replaced 96 undergraduate degrees with six, increased the budget from $1.1 billion to $2.56 billion, and expanded the intake of international students.
In 2003 he commissioned The Griffith Review.
In 2008, Davis co-chaired, with the prime minister (Kevin Rudd), the Australia 2020 Summit and, in the same year, served as a member of the Innovation Taskforce, an expert group commissioned to review Australia's research and innovation systems.
In 2010 Davis presented the ABC's 51st Boyer Lectures series, speaking on higher education in Australia.
, he was serving on the boards of the Grattan Institute and the Melbourne Theatre Company, and also hosted a podcast called The Policy Shop, with the aim of contributing to public debate about both Australian and global policy challenges. He has also served on a range of other arts boards, including and the Queensland Theatre Company, and in 2021 he was elected chair of Opera Australia He has also partnered with First Nations community programs in the Goulburn River–Murray River valley and Cape York Peninsula.
On 18 February 2021, he delivered the inaugural Hugh Stretton Oration at the University of Adelaide.
In October 2018, Davis joined the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University (ANU) as a distinguished professor, a position jointly funded by the Griffith University and ANU. He was no longer in the position by June 2025.
He was elected a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2003.ref name=formergriffith/> He is also a fellow the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
He holds honorary doctorates from Griffith University (2006) and the University of New South Wales.
There are buildings named after him on the campus of Griffith University at Nathan (named Glyn Davis Building in 2010), and the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne Parkville, opened in 2010.
A photographic portrait of Glyn and his wife, Margaret Gardner, created by Australian photographer Jacqueline Mitelman in 2017, is held by the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.
Career
Early political appointments
Davis served simultaneously as an academic while appointed to various roles in government. He served as Commissioner for Public Sector Equity with the Public Sector Management Commission from 1990 to 1993, and as director-general of the Office of the Cabinet from 1995 to 1996 under Queensland Premier Wayne Goss.
Academia
Davis began his academic career at Griffith University. He commenced as a lecturer in public policy in 1985 and was appointed as a professor in 1998. While there, he "emphasised social justice, diversity and the university's public mission".
Paul Ramsay Foundation
In December 2018, Davis was appointed the CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation, starting the position in January 2019. The foundation is the largest philanthropic endowment in Australia, and uses social science research to direct funding to disadvantaged communities.
Secretary of PMC
In June 2022, Davis became the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He was appointed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on 30 May 2022, and commenced on 6 June 2022. On 9 May 2025 he announced his resignation from the position, effective 16 June.
Other activities and roles
Davis publishes on public policy. He was founding chairman of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) in 2002, and continued to play an important role there, including chairing the research committee, until his 2022 appointment as PM&C Secretary.
he was patron of Australia 2021, a non-profit organisation focused on building research networks on issues impacting Australia's future.
Other roles in academia
Davis' career memberships include: chair of Universitas 21, Universities Australia,the Association of Pacific Rim Universities steering committee, the Hong Kong Grants Commission, and a director of the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at King's College London. He was also president of the Group of Eight, which represents the major research universities in Australia.
Davis is a visiting professor at the Policy Institute at King's College London, in the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford (2018-2027), at the University of Manchester, and in the Faculty of Arts at he University of Melbourne. He is also a visiting fellow at Exeter College, Oxford.
Recognition and honours
Davis received the Centenary Medal on Australia Day 2001, "in recognition of contribution to public service", and on 26 January 2002, Davis was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, the highest Australian honour, for his "service to public administration, particularly as an advocate for good governance, constitutional reform and the creation of infrastructure to enable the development of a "knowledge-based" nation, to tertiary education in the field of political science, and to the community."
Personal life
Davis married Margaret Gardner, the 30th Governor of Victoria and former Vice-Chancellor of Monash University and RMIT. When Davis was vice-chancellor of Melbourne University, he and his spouse were described by The Guardian as "Melbourne's top academic couple". The thinking Australian's Posh and Becks (David Cohen), The Guardian – 10 January 2006
Publications
Davis has written widely on policy and governance. Recent publications include:
Footnotes
External links
Categories: 1959 Births, Living People, Vice-chancellors Of The University Of Melbourne, Australian National University Alumni, University Of New South Wales Alumni, Companions Of The Order Of Australia, Fellows Of The Academy Of The Social Sciences In Australia, Harkness Fellows, People Educated At Marist College Kogarah
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