Julie Bishop resigns as Australian National University chancellor

The former foreign minister, Julie Bishop, has tendered her resignation from the position of chancellor at Australian National University (ANU).

The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, said in a statement on Friday morning that the embattled institution would need to continue “rebuilding trust and confidence”.

“The challenges facing ANU did not arise overnight, and rebuilding trust and confidence across the university community will take time and careful work,” Gallagher said.

“I have consistently said the university leadership and Council need to work openly and constructively with staff, students and the broader community to rebuild confidence and agree on a path forward.

“That remains the task ahead for the university.”

Independent ACT senator David Pocock, who has repeatedly called Bishop’s leadership into question, praised ANU staff and students for standing together in the “face of poor leadership and governance”.

In a Friday statement, Pocock said ANU was founded 80 years ago “as a beacon of hope, of working together and striving for better as a country”.

“After an incredibly difficult few years, now is the time to recommit to that mission, that optimism and that vision for what the ANU can be,” he said.

Pocock said it had been “scary and difficult” for staff and students to do so, pointing to evidence given in front of a Senate inquiry last year “at great personal cost”.

“We’ve seen dozens of Professors, Emeriti and Alumni put their name to letters over the years, and as recently as this week, demanding better governance of our national university … The bravery of all these people, backed by the support of our broader community, has forced ANU leaders to take responsibility for these governance and leadership failures.

“In stepping aside, the Chancellor is acting in the best interests of the ANU.”

Pocock said “a number of processes” including a review by the higher education regulator, TEQSA, were ongoing.

“The voluntary undertaking to conduct an independent process to appoint the next Chancellor is very welcome and will hopefully help rebuild trust, confidence and better governance at our national university.”

Bishop and ANU have been approached for comment.

Bishop’s resignation comes less than a year after the exit of the Australian National University’s vice chancellor, Prof Genevieve Bell, and continues a tumultuous three years for the institution marred by redundancies, proposed course closures and allegations of a toxic work culture.

When Bell tendered her resignation in September last year, Bishop vowed to stay on as chancellor despite pressure from the union, student groups, sectors of the academic community and independent senator David Pocock questioning her future.

Labor senator Tony Sheldon was among the former foreign minister’s critics, pointing to “sweeping restructures … rising dissatisfaction among students and staff” and a failure to “provide transparency around serious governance concerns” during her tenure.

The forced job cuts and restructure have since been walked back under the leadership of the interim vice-chancellor, provost Rebekah Brown. At least 399 redundancies have been taken since the restructure began in 2024.

At the time of Bell’s resignation, Bishop said there were “no grounds” for her to step aside and she had the full backing of council to continue her tenure until 2026.

“The university’s financial situation … began a very long time ago,” she said at a press conference in September. “We’re not the only university that has found itself in this kind of difficulty.”

ANU remains under scrutiny, with a review ongoing by the higher education regulator, TEQSA, into its governance, financial sustainability and institutional culture.

More details soon …