We work at ANU. Julie Bishop’s exit wasn’t due to autonomy loss

These are exciting times at the Australian National University where we work. While there has been much attention on government interventions and resignations at the ANU, there is less emphasis on how our university approaches something resembling democratic leadership.

For those off topic (good for you!), our former chancellor, Julie Bishop, resigned from her position on May 8, 2026. Many people understand university presidents as ceremonial positions. That’s not how things work in practice at ANU.