Donald John Markwell (born 19 April 1959) is an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

social scientist, who has been described as a "renowned

educational reformer". He was appointed Head of St Mark's College, Adelaide, from November 2019. He was Senior Adviser to the Leader of the Government in the Australian Senate from October 2015 to December 2017, and was previously Senior Adviser on Higher Education to the Australian Minister for Education.

Early life and education

Markwell was born in Quilpie, Queensland. He was educated at

Brisbane Grammar School Brisbane Grammar School (BGS) is an Independent school, independent, fee charging, non-denominational, day school, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, Queensland, Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Austra ...

followed by the

University of Queensland The University of Queensland is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone ...

, the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

(where he was the 1981

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...

for Queensland) and

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. He studied economics, law and international relations.

Career

Markwell was a Research Fellow of

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

, from 1985 to 1986, and then a Fellow and Tutor in Politics at

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 126 ...

, from 1986 to 1997. He served as a reforming Warden (CEO) of Trinity College (University of Melbourne) from 1997 to 2007; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) of the University of Western Australia from 2007 to 2009; and Warden of

Rhodes House Rhodes House is a building part of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on South Parks Road in central Oxford, and was built in memory of Cecil Rhodes, an alumnus of the university and a major benefactor. It is Listed building#En ...

, Oxford, from 2009 to 2012 (succeeding Sir Colin Lucas). From 2007 to 2009, Markwell led a curriculum review at the

University of Western Australia University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Crawley, Western Australia, Crawley, a suburb in the City of Perth local government area. UW ...

. The review proposed significant curriculum reform; it was implemented as "New Courses 2012". Markwell was the first

and the second Australian to serve as Warden of

(the global CEO of the Rhodes Trust and the Rhodes Scholarships). As Warden from 2009 to 2012, Markwell expanded activities for Rhodes Scholars in Oxford, expanded alumni communications, events and consultation, initiated governance reform and raised significant funds to support the Rhodes Scholarships. The appointments of several new Rhodes Trustees from around the world included John MacBain, who was later recognized as the "Second Century Founder" of the Rhodes Trust for a gift of £75 million. As well as discussing

leadership Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

liberal education A liberal education is a system or course of education suitable for the cultivation of a free () human being. It is based on the medieval concept of the liberal arts or, more commonly now, the liberalism of the Age of Enlightenment. It has been d ...

and collegiate education, Markwell's speeches drew attention to

Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes ( ; 5 July 185326 March 1902) was an English-South African mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He and his British South Africa Company founded th ...

' goal of promoting international

peace Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...

. He initiated discussion on increasing the number of countries in which Rhodes Scholarships are offered, leading to the later creation of Rhodes Scholarships for China and other countries. He is credited with helping to initiate the review of undergraduate women's leadership at

, chaired by Nannerl O. Keohane, and of helping to make scholarships in South Africa open to women. In 2012, Markwell stepped down as Warden of Rhodes House to return to Australia, where his family lives, and to become the Executive Director of the

Menzies Research Centre The Menzies Research Centre (MRC) is an Australian centre-right public policy think tank aligned with the Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party. History The Menzies Research Centre was founded in 1994 and is named in honour of Sir Rob ...

. The Chairman of the Rhodes Trust, John Hood, paid tribute to "the extraordinary energy and commitment Markwell has brought to the advancement of the Rhodes Trust's affairs", and to the "many notable accomplishments under his leadership". As Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre (a public policy think tank in Australia named for Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, and associated with the Liberal Party of Australia), his activities included consultations with

Julie Bishop Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia), Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia#Federal deputy leader ...

for developing a 'New Colombo Plan' to encourage Australian university students to study abroad in Asia-Pacific universities, and co-editing ''State of the Nation: aspects of Australian public policy''. In October 2013, following the Australian federal election of September 2013, Markwell was appointed as Senior Adviser on Higher Education to the new Australian Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne, MP. In October 2015, after the change of Prime Minister from

Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...

Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party an ...

, he became Senior Adviser to the new Leader of the Government in the Australian Senate,

George Brandis George Henry Brandis (born 22 June 1957) is an Australian former politician. He was a Australian Senate, Senator for Queensland from 2000 to 2018, representing the Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party, and was a Cabinet (Australia), cabin ...

, who was also Attorney-General of Australia, until December 2017. Markwell gave constitutional advice to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General during the prorogation, recall, and

double dissolution A double dissolution is a procedure permitted under the Australian Constitution to resolve deadlocks in the bicameral Parliament of Australia between the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). A double dissolutio ...

of the Australian Parliament in 2016. In November 2017, it was announced that Markwell would become head of St Paul's College at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

in early 2018. As Head (later Warden) of St Paul's College, he is credited with leading the vigorous implementation of an Action Plan for Cultural Renewal arising from a review of the college's culture led by Elizabeth Broderick, securing a new St Paul's College Act 2018 from the New South Wales Parliament to commence modernising the governance of the college, strengthening the relationship between the College and the University of Sydney, and leading the creation of a Graduate House for postgraduate students and academics within St Paul's College. In July 2019, he was appointed Head of St Mark's College (University of Adelaide) from November that year. Portraits of Markwell hang at Trinity College, University of Melbourne, and Rhodes House, Oxford. Markwell was appointed as a Member the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2023 Australia Day Honours for "significant service to education in a range of roles".

Writings

Markwell's academic works include contributions to

international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

, the

history of economic thought The history of economic thought is the study of the philosophies of the different thinkers and theories in the subjects that later became political economy and economics, from the ancient world to the present day. This field encompasses many d ...

, constitutional history and

public law Public law is the part of law that governs relations and affairs between legal persons and a government, between different institutions within a state, between different branches of governments, as well as relationships between persons that ...

, and education. They address such questions as how to promote order and peace in the international society of states, the role of conventions in constitutional systems, and higher education for the 21st century. ''John Maynard Keynes and International Relations: Economic Paths to War and Peace''Donald Markwell (2006), ''

John Maynard Keynes John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes ( ; 5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), was an English economist and philosopher whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments. Originall ...

and International Relations: Economic Paths to War and Peace'', Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press. was widely cited in the Keynesian revival of 2008 for its emphasis on international economic cooperation (including the international coordination of economic policies, and the development of international economic institutions such as the

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution funded by 191 member countries, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is regarded as the global lender of las ...

and

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

). It was also cited for its emphasis on economic causes of war and economic means to promote peace, and in a 2013 controversy for rebutting the claim of

Niall Ferguson Sir Niall Campbell Ferguson, ( ; born 18 April 1964)Biography
Niall Ferguson

that the ideas in Keynes's ''The Economic Consequences of the Peace'' (1919) were significantly influenced by Keynes's attraction to a German banker, Carl Melchior. It is one of a number of Markwell's publications on both

, and

idealism Idealism in philosophy, also known as philosophical realism or metaphysical idealism, is the set of metaphysics, metaphysical perspectives asserting that, most fundamentally, reality is equivalent to mind, Spirit (vital essence), spirit, or ...

in international relations (especially interwar idealists, such as Sir Alfred Zimmern ho sought to promote the 'rule of law' in international society

, ho aimed to promote peace through international scholarships Florence Stawell, and Keynes himself, who sought economic means to promote peace). Markwell's contributions to international relations are in the tradition of the so-called English school of international relations theory, and specifically of

Hedley Bull Hedley Norman Bull (10 June 1932 – 18 May 1985) was Professor of International Relations at the Australian National University, the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford until his death from cancer in 1985. He was Montague ...

, but with an added emphasis on economic determinants of order in the international society of states. His study of ''Keynes and Australia'' traces the links between Keynes and Australia, from Keynes's opposition to the approach of William Morris Hughes to reparations after World War I, through the early impact in Australia of Keynesian ideas in the 1930s and 1940s, to the role of Australia in the creation of the

and the

at Bretton Woods in 1944. Markwell's writings in political science and public law have been especially concerned with constitutional issues, including

federalism Federalism is a mode of government that combines a general level of government (a central or federal government) with a regional level of sub-unit governments (e.g., provinces, State (sub-national), states, Canton (administrative division), ca ...

, constitutional conventions in the

Westminster system The Westminster system, or Westminster model, is a type of parliamentary system, parliamentary government that incorporates a series of Parliamentary procedure, procedures for operating a legislature, first developed in England. Key aspects of ...

, and the

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...

and

republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self ...

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

countries, including the reserve powers. He uncovered the extensive history of consultations of judges of the High Court (such as

Sir Samuel Griffith Sir Samuel Walker Griffith (21 June 1845 – 9 August 1920) was an Australian judge and politician who served as the inaugural Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1903 to 1919. He also served a term as Chief Justice of Queensland and t ...

and

Sir Edmund Barton ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

) by Governor-Generals of Australia. He worked closely with the former Governor-General of Australia,

Sir Zelman Cowen Sir Zelman Cowen, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982. Cowen was born in Melbourne, and attended ...

, in the writing of ''A public life: the memoirs of Zelman Cowen'', including through an oral history project with Sir Zelman Cowen. He spoke at the state memorial service or funeral of two Governors-General of Australia (

Sir John Kerr Sir John Robert Kerr, (24 September 1914 – 24 March 1991) was an Australian barrister and judge who served as the 18th governor-general of Australia, in office from 1974 to 1977. He is primarily known for his involvement in the 1975 Austral ...

and Sir Zelman Cowen), and has written on "the office of

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

". Markwell's book ''Constitutional Conventions and the Headship of State: Australian Experience'', published in 2016, is a selection of papers focused on constitutional conventions and the role of the

in Australia. In 1984, he co-edited with

and Tom Harley a collection of essays, ''Liberals face the future: essays on Australian liberalism''. In 2013, he co-edited with Rachael Thompson and Julian Leeser a further collection of essays, ''State of the Nation: aspects of Australian public policy'', with critiques of Australian public policy since 2007 by 15 experts. Markwell's ''A large and liberal education: higher education for the 21st century'' reflects his advocacy of broad undergraduate education, improving teaching and learning in universities, equity and access, the value of collegiate education and student engagement, and the importance of educational

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. It consists largely of papers from his tenure as Warden of Trinity College, University of Melbourne. Its sequel, Instincts to lead': on leadership, peace, and education'', based on Markwell's speeches and writings on those topics as Warden of

, Oxford, and as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the

, was published in 2013. The title was drawn from

saying in his will that he wanted as Rhodes Scholars young people with 'instincts to lead'.

Publications

* * * * * * * * Markwell, Donald (2010). ''The need for breadth: on

and the value of university residential colleges''. Ashley Lectures, Trent University, Canada * * *

References

External links

Bio information
from

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

Biodata
on

website
Selected speeches
on

website
Joanna Mather, "New Rhodes lead to Asia", ''Australian Financial Review'', 29 April 2013

Biodata
on

website
Review by Paola Subacchi of Markwell's '' John Maynard Keynes and International Relations''

Review by Michael S Lawlor of Markwell's ''John Maynard Keynes and International Relations''

Discussion of Markwell's ''John Maynard Keynes and International Relations''

''Keynes and International Economic and Political Relations'', Trinity Paper No. 33, Trinity College, University of Melbourne, 2009

''Improving Teaching and Learning in Universities''. Melbourne: B-HERT NEWS, Business-Higher Education Round Table, 2003

Trinity College, University of Melbourne - ''A large and liberal education': higher education for the 21st century''

Oral history project
with

at Victoria University, Melbourne {{DEFAULTSORT:Markwell, Donald 1959 births Living people Historians of economic thought International economists International relations scholars Princeton University alumni Wardens of Rhodes House Australian economists 21st-century Australian social scientists Australian political scientists Fellows of Merton College, Oxford Fellows of New College, Oxford Fellows of Trinity College, Oxford Members of the Order of Australia National Library of Australia Council members People educated at Brisbane Grammar School University of Queensland alumni 20th-century Australian social scientists People from South West Queensland