Richard Higgott

Richard Higgott is a Research Professor at the Institute of European Studies in Brussels. He is also an Emeritus Professor of International Political Economy (and former Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research) at the University of Warwick.^[1]. He is also Distinguished Professor of Diplomacy at Vesalius College at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.^[2] HProfessor Higgott is working on an H2020 project on European cultural and science diplomacy funded by the European Commission through its Horizon2020 programme.^[3]

Professor Higgott is a former Fulbright Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, and he is an elected Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences. He has been National Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs and Vice President of the USA International Studies Association.^[4]

He was (1989–90) president of the Australasian Political Studies Association.^[5]

Earlier appointments include the University of Manchester (professor of Government); the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University (Professor in International Relations and Public Policy and Director of Studies for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and sub-professorial career positions at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and the University of Western Australia.^[6]

In June 2011, he took up the position of Vice Chancellor of Murdoch University, Australia.^[7] and resigned in October 2014. He was appointed with a mandate to reform the institution and improve its research reputation and international standing.^[8] Later, the Western Australian Corruption and Crime Commission found that he had appointed a close friend from outside the state to a senior university position and downloaded adult material.^[9] There were no sanctions or legal action on this opinion.

The Commission also highlighted the failure of Murdoch University governance; specifically “a Senate (that) fails to effectively articulate the parameters within which a Vice-Chancellor should act". The national business media suggested that the newly appointed Chancellor, David Flanagan (a miner), was “more local and closer to the parochial sentiments of Perth”.^[10]

CCC report

On 1 July 2016, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation News (ABC News) reported that “Western Australia's Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) has formed an opinion of serious misconduct against former Murdoch University vice chancellor Richard Higgott. Whilst recognising that he had informed both the selection committee and the deputy Chancellor of his prior professional relationship, the CCC found Higgott sought to have his friend appointed to a crucial university post ^[11] Although not following university protocol, the candidate was deemed by the selection committee to be the best candidate for the position.^[12]

The Commission also considered that Professor Higgott misled the institution's chancellor in appointing another former colleague, Mr Jon Baldwin previously Registrar of Warwick University. Baldwin’s position at Murdoch University was terminated in 2013. Those in defence of Richard Higgott, who considered him as a ‘A Colleague who Cared’, regarded the investigation as a consequence of “bossy neoliberal governments” where “scholarly freedom is jeopardised”.^[13]

Since Professor Higgott’s departure, Murdoch University has dropped in international University league tables, notably the ‘Worlds Top 100 universities under 50’, having debuted at 57th in 2013.^[14] and plummeting to 68th position in 2017^[15] Staff with international research reputations have left.^[16]. In late 2018, the University faced scandal subsequent to an enrolment surge of international students, many “lacking English language and computing skills”.^[17]

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