Until last year he was the Vice-Chancellor and President of Victoria University, Australia.
The alumnus holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a PhD from Loughborough University, where he was also awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012.
Peter began his teaching career (post-degree) at Loughborough where he lectured in Economics. He moved to Australia in 1984 and worked for six years in leadership roles for the Victorian Government, followed by 28 years in the university sector.
As the Vice-Chancellor and President of Victoria University between 2011 and the end of 2020, he introduced sweeping changes that earned the institution praise among industry peers. Professor Dawkins oversaw the implementation of a new revolutionary way of teaching in Australia.
Known as Block Model, students study one subject at a time, in smaller classes. He believed the new approach to teaching could better accommodate the needs of the cohort of students attending Victoria University.
Professor Dawkins implemented the VU Block Model in 2018– changing Australian tertiary education by introducing the entirely new model of student learning, where students undertake one unit at a time for their entire degree to enhance engagement and success.
Following his role as Vice-Chancellor, Peter is now a Professor of Economics at the Mitchell Institute for Education & Health Policy. In addition to this role, he is the chair of the West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance (WoMEDA) influencing new economic development opportunities and creating jobs in the West of Melbourne, aiding the recovery of COVID-19.
Congratulations to Professor Dawkins on his achievements.
Photo credit: Australian Financial Review