Paul Fawcett

Paul Fawcett is Professor of Public Policy in the School of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne. A political scientist by training, he earned his PhD in Governance, Master of Arts in Political Science (Research Methods), and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science from the University of Birmingham. His career trajectory includes early positions as a Lecturer in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne starting in 2009, roles in the Department of Government at the University of Sydney, and the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis at the University of Canberra. At Melbourne, he advanced to Associate Professor in 2019, served as Chair and Head of the Political Science Discipline, Director of the Master of Public Policy and Management—the largest postgraduate coursework program of its kind in Australia—and Director of the ANZSOG Executive Master of Public Administration, representing the university on its Academic Advisory Council and advising on work-based projects.

Fawcett's research centers on public policy, governance, public administration, and collaborative governance, with contributions to understanding depoliticization, metagovernance, accountability, and policy processes. He is co-Editor of the Australian Journal of Public Administration since 2022 and Company Secretary (formerly Treasurer) of the Australian Political Studies Association. He co-convened the APSA Policy Studies Group from 2016 to 2019 and twice convened the Australasian Public Policy Network Annual Conference (2014 and 2021). Notable publications include 'Metagovernance of migration policy in the Asia Pacific region' (Policy and Society, 2021), 'Understanding Felt Accountability' with Schillemans et al. (Governance, 2021), 'Behavioral Responses to Conflictual Accountability of Agencies' with Schillemans et al. (Administration & Society, 2021), 'Principals and Agents, or Principals and Stewards? Australian Arms Export Controls' (Armed Forces & Society, 2021), and 'Anti-Politics, Depoliticization, and Governance' (Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, 2019). In January 2025, he joined the Australia and New Zealand School of Government as Deputy Dean (Academic), overseeing education, research, and global partnerships, while holding an adjunct position at the University of Canberra.

Professional Email: paul.fawcett@unimelb.edu.au