Vice-Chancellor and President

Professor Barney Glover AO

Professor Barney Glover AO is the fourth Vice-Chancellor of Western Sydney University. A distinguished academic leader, an accomplished mathematician and mathematics educator and an experienced Vice-Chancellor, Professor Glover assumed his position at Western Sydney University in January 2014. He leads Western Sydney University as it continues to strive to ensure its students will succeed, its research will have impact and its communities will thrive – in Western Sydney and beyond.

In January 2019, Professor Glover was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to tertiary education, to professional associations, and to cultural organisations. His outstanding leadership whilst Vice-Chancellor of Charles Darwin University was recognised in 2015 by him being awarded the title of Emeritus Professor.

Professor Glover is currently the Australian Government representative on the University of the South Pacific Grants Committee, Convenor of the NSW Vice-Chancellor’s Committee, and Chair of the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching Working Group – which advises the Commonwealth Department of Education, Skills and Employment. He holds current appointments as a board member of AARNet – Australia’s Academic and Research Network, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council, the NSW Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, Westpac Scholars Ltd which is trustee for the Westpac Scholars Trust, the Study NSW International Education Advisory Board, the Powerhouse Capital Campaign Committee, the Bradfield Board of Governors, and NUW Alliance – a collaboration between four research-intensive Australian universities. In addition, he is a member of the Australian Government’s University Foreign Interference Taskforce Steering Group, and Lead Vice-Chancellor (Corporate) for Universities Australia. In December 2019, Professor Glover was appointed by the NSW Premier, the Hon Dominic Perrottet MP, to undertake a review of the development of Parramatta with a focus on developing Parramatta as a global city by 2035.

Previously, Professor Glover has served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Trust until 2020, Chair of Universities Australia and Chair of Rare Voices Australia. Professor Glover was also a board member of the Australian-American Fulbright Commission, the NSW Accelerating Research and Development Advisory Council, the Committee for Sydney, Education Services Australia, and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Trust from 2015 to 2016 prior to becoming President. Further, he has served on the boards of a diverse range of corporate organisations and several state and national centres covering areas such as health and medical research, energy, mineral exploration, and telecommunications.

Before relocating to the Northern Territory in 2009 to take up appointment as the Vice-Chancellor of CDU, Professor Glover held a number of senior roles in various universities throughout Australia including: Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at the University of Newcastle; Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Development at Perth’s Curtin University of Technology, and senior positions at the University of Ballarat in Victoria. Building research infrastructure, strategic partnerships and fostering a culture of research excellence alongside the successful commercialisation of University intellectual property have been hallmarks of Professor Glover’s long tenure in senior executive roles within the Australian higher education sector.

Professor Glover is a leader in the development of flexible, technology-based learning and in furthering Indigenous knowledge and education. He has considerable experience in developing strong and mutually beneficial relationships with the vocational education sector. Holding a PhD in Applied Mathematics, Professor Glover has a strong research publication record and has co-authored four texts in mathematics education. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a deep commitment to widening participation and exploring innovative approaches to higher education access.

Professor Glover is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE), a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW (FRSN), and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).