The Sir Roland Wilson Foundation welcomed alumni back to campus last night to network with leaders, mentors and peers from the Australian Public Service (APS) and The Australian National University (ANU).

The 2022 Alumni Networking Reception was an opportunity to focus on the critical work of Sir Roland Wilson and Pat Turner alumni, their contributions to evidence-based public policy and their roles as future leaders of the APS.

Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at ANU, Professor Helen Sullivan delivered a keynote address on leadership in an environment of uncertainty and risk. She reflected on the challenges faced by leaders today and discussed aspects of the public service as an institution, its activities and leadership – which are critical for robust and just policy outcomes.

“War, plague, natural disasters, unstable economies, and fractured societies. Historians may likely tell us to keep things in perspective, that what we face now is not unique. At the same time they shrug their shoulders at our persistent inability to learn the lessons of the past,” Professor Sullivan said.

Professor Sullivan shared her thoughts on the pressures faced by public service leaders during times of uncertainty as they balance developing solutions to immediate problems along with their longer-term implications. She also offered her advice on becoming a good leader.

“If you don’t know yourself well, and you don’t engage in the kind of ‘self work’ necessary to understand your strengths and weaknesses – and we all have them, you won’t be able to lead,” Professor Sullivan said.

Sir Roland Wilson Pat Turner alumnus Cris Castro from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment thanked Professor Sullivan for her insightful and thought-provoking words.

“I think it’s timely that you raise questions around the trade-offs between policy outcomes and what that may mean for leadership both now and into the future,” Mr Castro said.

“It’s important for us as APS leaders and scholars to continue to work hard to achieve robust outcomes and build a stronger APS.”

Since 2012, the Foundation has awarded 64 scholarships and now has 24 alumni across both the Sir Roland Wilson and Pat Turner scholarship programs. As the community of scholars and alumni grows, so too does their rich and diverse contribution to evidence and research-informed public policy development in the public service.

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