ANZSOG welcomes six Academic Fellows for 2027 to help governments respond to complex challenges

ANZSOG has appointed six Academic Fellows for 2027, bringing expertise from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Europe into direct knowledge exchange with public sector practitioners.  

The Academic Fellows will contribute to ANZSOG's program of research mobilisation, practitioner engagement and executive learning throughout the year, working to strengthen connections between leading public policy research and public-sector practice. 

The 2027 cohort reflects many of the issues currently confronting governments across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Their work spans public-sector artificial intelligence, climate and energy governance, place-based approaches to complex disadvantage, First Nations governance and participation, public service capability and workforce reform, and data stewardship.  

While each Academic Fellow brings a distinct area of expertise, together they offer perspectives on a common question: how can governments respond effectively to increasingly complex challenges while maintaining public value, legitimacy and trust?  

Throughout 2027, Academic Fellows will engage with ANZSOG members and wider practitioner communities through roundtables, workshops, policy conversations, executive education and practitioner-facing publications.  

Their activities will support dialogue between research and practice, helping public servants access new ideas and evidence that can inform policy and decision-making, while ensuring research is informed by the practical realities and constraints of governing as part of a series of reciprocal and relational exchanges. 

Through engagement with ANZSOG member jurisdictions, alumni and practitioner networks, Academic Fellows contribute fresh ideas on emerging public sector challenges while gaining insights into the practical realities of policy development, service delivery and governance. 

The 2027 Academic Fellows are:  

• Dr Tracey Dodd (Adelaide University) will explore the public-sector capability required to lead strategic change under uncertainty, including governance challenges associated with Australia's transition to a low-emissions economy. Tracey has also been engaged as Faculty Lead for ANZSOG’s 2027 Leading Strategic Projects program.

• Dr José-Miguel Bello y Villarino (University of Sydney) will focus on the governance, regulation and procurement of artificial intelligence and automated decision-making systems in the public sector, drawing on experience working with integrity bodies, regulators and governments in Australia and internationally.

• Professor Tim Reddel (University of Queensland) will examine how governments can strengthen collaborative governance and place-based approaches to address complex and persistent social challenges, including disadvantage, community wellbeing and partnership-based reform.

• Professor Dominic O'Sullivan (Charles Sturt University and Victoria University of Wellington) will explore what it means to recognise First Nations peoples as shareholders in state authority, drawing on his work in Indigenous public policy, self-determination and Critical Tiriti Analysis.  

• Professor Michael Kenny (University of Cambridge) will investigate public service workforce capabilities in an era of political turbulence, considering how governments are adapting skills, leadership and institutional arrangements in response to changing demands.  

• Professor Barbara Prainsack (University of Vienna) will explore questions of data stewardship, solidarity and public value, examining how governments can govern the reuse of public-sector data in ways that balance innovation, benefit sharing and public trust.  

Connecting research and practice

The ANZSOG Academic Fellows Program is designed to strengthen connections between leading public policy research and public-sector practice. Through engagement with ANZSOG member jurisdictions, alumni and practitioner networks, Academic Fellows contribute fresh perspectives on emerging public sector challenges while gaining insights into the practical realities of policy development, service delivery and governance.

Throughout 2027, Academic Fellows will contribute to events, publications, teaching and practitioner discussions across ANZSOG’s network.

Read More about the Academic Fellows Program and the 2027 Fellows here.

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