{"id":81697,"date":"2026-08-27T19:51:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/81697\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T19:51:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:51:37","slug":"kevin-rudd-backs-new-anu-chancellor-after-years-of-turmoil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/81697\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin Rudd backs new ANU chancellor after years of turmoil"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Australian Business Network<\/p>\n

His name is Kevin. He\u2019s from Beijing. And he\u2019s here to help. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s the quick summary of Kevin Rudd\u2019s star turn at Wednesday night\u2019s \u201cChina in the World\u201d annual lecture at the Australian National University in Canberra.<\/p>\n

Margin Call joined the packed audience in Manning Clark Hall \u2014 a rare occurrence at a public lecture. Among them were Labor\u2019s Member for Gellibrand Tim Watts (one of the Albanese government\u2019s smartest foreign policy brains), members of Australia\u2019s intelligence community and Australia\u2019s previous China ambassador Graham Fletcher, now a fellow at the Lowy Institute (and an excellent addition to Australia\u2019s often juvenile China debate). <\/p>\n

Rudd and Fletcher both worked in the Australian Embassy together in Beijing in the 1980s when they were junior diplomats. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was first secretary, very important. Graham was only a third secretary, much less important,\u201d said Rudd. \u201cBetween us we managed the photocopying.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lecture itself was on the evolving ideological struggle over AI in Xi Jinping\u2019s China. Dr Rudd (one of the ANU\u2019s greatest exports, now with a PhD in Xi studies from Oxford) argued that Xi\u2019s party sees the potential for AI to allow their mighty state to seize power from the market. <\/p>\n

The former Prime Minister said he is closely tracking the debate in China\u2019s ideological literature. Evidently, he is also getting first hand insight. (Rudd revealed that he had just flown into Canberra from China\u2019s capital \u2014 where you only imagine the access Australia\u2019s former Ambassador to America got as a rare trusted foreigner who has had direct, recent experience with Beijing\u2019s great obsession: Donald Trump\u2019s second administration).<\/p>\n

While a certain ageing chorus in Australia cheers on Paul Keating for stuffing his Montblanc scrawled notes on how to deal with Xi into Anthony Albanese\u2019s jacket pocket, Rudd is the former Labor PM with stature on China within the federal government. Thank goodness for that. On China, Rudd makes Keating sound like a dilettante.<\/p>\n

Endorsement from one K-Rudd<\/p>\n

The ANU\u2019s newly appointed chancellor Gordon de Brouwer \u2014 a retired senior public servant \u2014 was also present. He served as an official in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet during the Rudd government, a famously demanding period for the city\u2019s mandarins, as the PM acknowledged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can think of no better person to be the leader of this university. Well done, mate,\u201d said Rudd, warmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGordon has remarkable resilience. He had to survive me as Prime Minister \u2026 The Australian National University is dead easy after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

It has been a wrenching few years for the ANU under the chancellorship of Julie Bishop and her remarkably unpopular vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell. Senior staff have been leaking against each other, while the university \u2014 my alma mater \u2014 has undergone waves of sometimes perplexing redundancies and reorganisations.<\/p>\n

Rudd, who was a munificent supporter of the university when Prime Minister (including founding the China in the World centre, which is now led by Ben Hillman, who organised Wednesday night\u2019s lecture), finished his address with some clear words on the subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a Rhodes scholar to work out there have been a few problems at the mill here recently at the ANU. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a fantastic university \u2014 a first class, world class university. So it\u2019s time I think just for everyone to put the bullshit away and just get on with the business. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m delighted that you\u2019ve got Gordon at the helm. This university, anchored in its statute, anchored in its mission and anchored now with his leadership is going to surge ahead. <\/p>\n

\u201cNow let\u2019s get behind the new leadership. Thank you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with that, he was off to a dinner appointment (with Margin Call following to where and with whom).<\/p>\n

The venue: Symposium, on the ANU campus, to the delight of surprised fellow diners.<\/p>\n

Rudd\u2019s fellow dinner guests: de Brouwer, Hillman, Watts, as well as the ANU\u2019s acting vice-chancellor Rebekah Brown, ANU\u2019s acting provost Joan Leach.<\/p>\n

As we peered through the window, it looked to us like Brown\u2019s chances of getting the permanent gig are on the rise. <\/p>\n

Read related topics:China Ties<\/a>\"Will<\/a>Will Glasgow<\/a>Senior journalist and Margin Call columnist<\/p>\n

Will Glasgow is an award winning journalist and The Australian\u2019s Margin Call columnist, covering business, politics and power. He was previously based in Beijing and Taipei as The Australian\u2019s North Asia correspondent and was a finalist in the Lowy Institute\u2019s foreign reporter of the year prize in 2025. Send him tips via encrypted messaging platform Signal (@WillGlasgow.42) or email him at will.glasgow@theaustralian.com.au<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Australian Business Network His name is Kevin. He\u2019s from Beijing. And he\u2019s here to help. 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