Fred Hilmer Flies Solo as UNSW's Vice-chancellor. (June 28, 2006)

New UNSW Vice-Chancellor Professor Fred Hilmer

When University of New South Wales Chancellor David Gonski announced the appointment of the vice-chancellor designate he said,  "Mr Hilmer is the ideal person to oversee and expand the university in Australia and into Asia. He brings to the role a rare combination of experience at the highest levels of business, academia and public life. His leadership and management credentials are proven and well-recognised."

Since the beginning of the year Professor Hilmer has had his training wheels on working with the incumbent VC to get the hang of things.

From 1989 to 1998 he was Dean and Professor of Management at the AGSM, following which he spent seven years as Chief Executive Officer of John Fairfax Holdings Ltd.

At the time of his appointment Professor Hilmer said, "I am strongly committed to education, and have been all my life, in every position I have held. I respect and share the values of the University with regard to research, scholarship and teaching. I want to further these values in the institution. I hope to bring both strategic leadership and operational expertise. I spent ten years at this university, and I look forward to being able to strengthen it further here in Australia and in Asia."

Now that he is officially the guy in charge he's told the media when asked whether he had plans to reduce staff numbers, "This is not like running Fairfax (where) I've got a profit target and we've got to have a margin, and we're going to have to pay dividends.  It's not about numbers. It's about: Are we doing things that are of the highest value to us?"

"Us"? i.e. does he mean the UNSW, its faculty and students, the citizenry or the nation as a whole?

In any case Fred Hilmer has been quick to revamp the university's top management so that, "Academics shouldn't need to worry about (running facilities). It's not their area of strength, managing IT departments, the provision of food services, managing colleges ... On the other hand, getting research grants, spending money well, having a great teaching environment, that's what academics do."

He also seems to have served notice on the Federal Government. According to The Australian he said the sector should make "loud claims" for more public money but he did not have "the cargo cult mentality (of) waiting for the big plane to drop the goodies from Canberra, and then it'll all be easier for everybody".

Like Steven Schwartz, who took over the vice-chancellorship of Macquarie University in February, Professor Hilmer seems to be strong willed and interested in elevating his institution as a place for scholarship, research and learning.

It remains to be seen what he'll be able to accomplish.