The Go8 Board

Professor Deborah Terry AC is Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Queensland (UQ) and began her term as Chair of the Group of Eight in January 2026. Prior to commencing as Vice-Chancellor of UQ in August 2020, she served as Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University in Western Australia (from February 2014 to July 2020).

She is a Fellow and past President of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia; an appointed member of the Australian Research Council Advisory Council; and serves on the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Board and Australia’s Academic and Research Network Board.

A globally recognised leader in driving future-focused educational and research reform, Professor Sharon Pickering brings unmatched energy, vision, and purpose to her role as the tenth Vice-Chancellor and President of Monash University, appointed on 29 January 2024. She is also currently Deputy Chair of the Group of Eight.

From the moment she first joined Monash in 2003 as a Lecturer in Criminology, Professor Pickering has been a force of transformation, shaping minds, driving innovation, and creating a lasting impact on the University and beyond.

Professor Pickering’s pioneering research has earned her prestigious awards, including the Australian Human Rights Commission Award, the Leon Radzinowicz Prize, the CM Alder Prize, the International Education Association of Australia Best Practice Award, and the Australian Financial Review International Education Award.

With 15 books and over 80 scholarly publications to her name, Professor Pickering has led major research initiatives across Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. A champion of international education and of Australia’s influence in the Indo-Pacific, her leadership has
brought to life transformative initiatives such as Monash’s Global Immersion Guarantee, redefining international study and engagement.

Professor Pickering’s influence extends beyond academia. She serves on the Victorian Premier’s Business Council, is an inaugural board member of the Australian Government’s ASEAN-Australia Centre and is a board member of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).

Professor Mark Scott began his term as the University of Sydney’s 27^th Vice-Chancellor and President on 19 July 2021. He is a highly respected and successful senior leader of large and complex institutions, across public service, education and the media. His notable roles include Secretary of the NSW Department of Education (2016 to 2021), Managing Director of the ABC (2006 to 2016) and Editor-in-Chief of Fairfax newspapers.

Professor Scott began his career as a teacher in Sydney and held senior policy and leadership positions with two NSW education ministers – Terry Metherell and Virginia Chadwick. In 2011 he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia. He holds an Honorary Doctorate (Letters) and a Professor of Practice (Education and Media) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has also been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of NSW and University of Technology Sydney.

Professor Nicola Phillips is the Vice Chancellor and President of Adelaide University, commencing in the role on 12 January 2026.

An esteemed leader and academic, Professor Phillips has some 30 years of experience in the higher education sector across Australia and the United Kingdom. She completed her undergraduate studies at King’s College London, and holds both a master’s degree in Comparative Government and a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

A distinguished scholar in global political economy, she held academic and leadership positions at the Universities of Warwick, Manchester, and Sheffield, before returning to King’s College London in 2017 as Vice-President and Vice-Principal (Education). She subsequently moved to the University of Melbourne to take up the role of Provost from September 2021 to July 2025.

Over the course of her career, Professor Phillips has held visiting fellowships and professorships at several leading institutions around the world, including the Australian National University, the University of British Columbia, and the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México.

She is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), and a Member of Chief Executive Women.

Professor Brungs commenced his appointment on 31 January 2022, joining UNSW from his position as Vice-Chancellor and President of University of Technology Sydney (UTS) (2014 – 2021). He was Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research), UTS (2009 – 2014). In November 2021, Professor Brungs was appointed Emeritus Professor and Emeritus Vice-Chancellor, UTS.

He is a distinguished academic and higher education leader with extensive experience in the government and corporate sectors. He has held senior roles with CSIRO and McKinsey & Company, and leadership roles and appointments including Chair of the Australian Technology Network of Universities, the NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee; and member of the Universities Australia Board, the Federal Government Sustainability Research Committee, the Committee for Sydney Board, the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council, and the Federal Government’s National University Precincts Advisory Committee.

Professor Glyn Davis AC is a public policy specialist and interim Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. He served previously in the role from January 2005 to September 2018, and has returned at the request of the University’s Council following the tragic death of Vice-Chancellor Emma Johnston AC.

Prior to his current role Professor Davis served as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Head of the Australian Public service from June 2022 until June 2025.

Professor Davis holds a first-class honours degree in Political Science from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and a PhD from the Australian National University (ANU). In 1988, Professor Davis undertook post-doctoral studies as a Harkness Fellow, with appointments at the University of California, Berkeley, the Brookings Institution in Washington DC and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Professor Davis is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2002 for service to public administration and governance and to education. He is a visiting Professor at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, and the Policy Institute at Kings College London

Professor Amit Chakma is the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Western Australia. He has served as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Ontario from 2009-2019.  Prior to his tenure at Western, he served as Provost and Vice-President Academic at the University of Waterloo from 2001-2009.

In addition to his university leadership roles, Professor Chakma has served as Chair of the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities from 2017-2019. He was the Acting Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Asian University for Women from 2013-2015. He chaired Canada’s Advisory Panel on International Education Strategy from 2011-2013.

Professor Rebekah Brown, commenced as Interim Vice-Chancellor and President of the Australian National University in September 2025. She is a multi-award-winning educator, researcher and academic leader in environmental studies, specialising in urban water, sustainable development, and transdisciplinary methods. Professor Brown is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and began her career as a practising civil engineer, working on major infrastructure projects across the UK, Europe, South East Asia and Africa.

As Chief Investigator, she attracted a career total of $123M in external competitive research funding. Over the course of her career, Professor Brown has conceived and led six large-scale research entities across Australia, Europe, South East Asia and the Pacific in roles including Program Leader, Research Director and Chief Research Officer. She was the Founding Director of the $70M RISE program – a multi-country health research initiative supported by the Wellcome Trust.

Professor Brown has published more than 220 papers (H-index = 53, >14,217 citations), including in Nature and Science, and have served on five international editorial boards.

She brings extensive governance experience, having most recently served as Board Chair of the Monash European Research Foundation and as Ministerial Board Representative of the Victorian Environment Protection Authority. Professor Brown holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) from Monash University and a PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of New South Wales. Prior to joining ANU, she was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Senior Vice¬President at Monash University.

Vicki Thomson has worked in Australia’s university sector for  more than two decades championing its role as integral to the success of our nation and its people. She is currently the Chief Executive of the Group of Eight Universities and prior to this role she was Executive Director of the Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN).

She has an extensive media, political and policy background and was Chief of Staff to a South Australian Premier. She is a Board member of the European Australian Business Council, Multiple Sclerosis Australia  and a former Board member of the Australian Government’s Australia-China Council and the New Colombo Plan Advisory Group. She is also a member of the Australian Government’s University Foreign Interference Taskforce.

She has been awarded the prestigious Insignia of the Knights in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French Government for her continuing services to the growth of successful education relationships and programs between France and Australia. She also has significant experience and relationships with China. From the mid-1990s when she was first involved through her Government positions, she assisted the management of trade, industry and energy negotiations over a number of years. She has extensive experience in building relationships between business, industry and universities, and supporting increased access to university for people from all backgrounds.

She has been named by the Australian Financial Review in the top five of its power list for Australia’s education sector on multiple occasions.