Richard Graeme Larkins (born 17 May 1943) is the former Chancellor of

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora. The university was established in 1964, becoming the third university in the state of Victoria a ...

. He was the

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

and President of

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...

from 2003 to June 2009. Prior to this, he had a distinguished career in medicine, scientific research and academic management.

Early life

Larkins is the son of Graeme Larkins and Margaret "Peg" Rosanove. His father was a medical doctor who specialised in geriatric medicine. His mother was a lawyer and Victoria's first female judge on the Family Court of Australia. Larkins attended

Melbourne Grammar School (Pray and Work) , established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation) , type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding , denomination ...

, where he was dux. He then entered

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

while studying medicine at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

, where he graduated as the top student and won 13 of the 15 graduation prizes.

Career

Larkins' medical research and clinical work was in

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

and

endocrinology Endocrinology (from '' endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental event ...

. He was the James Stewart Chair of Medicine at the

Royal Melbourne Hospital The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), located in Parkville, Victoria, an inner suburb of Melbourne, is one of Australia's leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research. Th ...

from 1984 to 1997. He was then Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne from 1998 to 2003. He was then appointed Vice-Chancellor of Monash University, where he remained until 2009. In recognition of his contribution to medicine, Larkins received the Eric Susman Prize for medical research in 1982 and the Sir William Upjohn Medal and a Centenary of Federation Medal in 2002. In 2002, he was also made an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...

(AO). During his career, he has also served as a member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council from 1977 to 2000, chair of the

National Health and Medical Research Council The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research. It was the eighth largest research funding body in the world in 2016, and NHMRC-funded rese ...

of Australia from 1997 to 2000 and President of the

Royal Australasian College of Physicians The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is a not-for-profit professional organisation responsible for training and educating physicians and paediatricians across Australia and New Zealand. The RACP is responsible for training both ...

from 2000 to 2002. In 2007, he was appointed as Chair of

Universities Australia Universities Australia (formerly the ''Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee'') is an organisation founded in Sydney in May 1920, which attempts to advance higher education through voluntary, cooperative and coordinated action. After being ba ...

, a position he held until May 2009. Larkins was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAHMS) in 2015. Larkins currently serves as President of the Australian University Sport and President of the National Stroke Foundation. He has also served as Chairman of Governors at

. Larkins was made a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

on 26 January 2019.

Views on higher education

While Larkins supported certain measures introduced by

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...

's government, he was largely critical of its over-regulation of the university sector and its failure to index university funding to inflation.Four Corners - 27 June 2005: Interview - Professor Richard Larkins
/ref> In a speech to the Melbourne Press Club in February 2008, Larkins lamented the 30% drop in public university funding from 1996 to 2004, stressing the central role that universities must play if Australia's economy is to remain competitive in the future.The Education Revolution: the Lucky Country can become the Clever Country
/ref> As the head of Universities Australia, he has emphasised the need for greater public investment in university teaching and research. Additionally, Larkins has argued that a national internships program should be established to create closer links between universities and industry. More controversially, Larkins has expressed his personal view that the student contribution to HECS payments should be deregulated, noting that all evidence suggests that HECS repayment amounts do not act as a disincentive for students to study and that only this will enable Australia's top universities to continue to compete globally.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Larkins, Richard 1943 births Living people Officers of the Order of Australia Companions of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Centenary Medal People educated at Trinity College (University of Melbourne) Monash University faculty Alumni of Imperial College London Chancellors of La Trobe University Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Fellows of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians