Story of ANZSOG

ANZSOG was established in 2002 by the governments of Australia, New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland who recognised the need for a Trans-Tasman school of government. Key drivers of the project were the then head of the Victorian Premier’s Department Terry Moran, then Griffith University vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis, and head of the Australian Prime Minister’s Department Max Moore-Wilton. 

Allan Fels, the former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, was appointed as inaugural Dean and CEO. 

In 2003, ANZSOG delivered the first subject in the Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA), a degree that had already been accredited by three of our founding university partners: Griffith University, University of Melbourne and University of Queensland. Other original partners were Monash University  and the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales, University of Canberra, Melbourne Business School and Victoria University Wellington. 

That year also saw the launch of the Executive Fellows Program, and the first Paterson Oration delivered by Prime Minister John Howard. 

ANZSOG’s Research Program began in 2004 with a two-day research symposium at the ANU to identify ANZSOG’s future research strategies and agendas, and the first Research Conference in 2005. 

Reflecting back on the beginning of ANZSOG ten years later, Professor Fels said 

“When I was first approached by Terry Moran, Glyn Davis and Peter Allen in 2002 about being Dean of ANZSOG, I unhesitatingly accepted. This was despite previous unsuccessful attempts to launch a national school of government. It was clear that a new approach with many innovative elements would be required and, on a first look, the key ingredients were present.” 

These ingredients included the ‘unique model of collaboration between universities and governments’, and the ‘networked virtual system of governance with no central campus’ which have remained key features of ANZSOG. 

Since 2003, all Australian state and territory governments have become part of ANZSOG and we now have 15 university members, as well as links to schools of government. We have expanded our work into the Indo-Pacific region and built networks and exchange programs with the governments of India China, Singapore Cambodia and South Korea and we have moved to include First Nations knowledge and culture in our programs. 

Over 4000 people have now participated in an ANZSOG Program and our alumni form a formidable network across the public services of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

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