Crawford School of Public Policy

There will, no doubt, be much written about 2020 and how we have all had to change and adapt to new realities. To add to the list, Policy Forum will be saying ‘farewell’ to its co-founder and inspirational editor, Martyn Pearce.  

Martyn is the founding Editor of Policy Forum and has inspired us since we began in November 2014. We owe him a great debt. Martyn’s vision was to create a place where Crawford School, The Australian National University, and global experts from academia, business, and the policy world could share ideas and analysis on the policy challenges affecting our region and beyond. This has been achieved, and much more besides.

Under Martyn’s editorship, Policy Forum has published more than 2,400 pieces from around 1,700 authors, including not only academics, but senior business leaders, politicians, and prime ministers, and leaders of multilateral institutions.

Policy Forum has been unapologetically broad in its coverage and provided a platform for academics everywhere to engage with policy audiences from around the world. Some of the academics with whom we have worked had their first ‘break’ on Policy Forum before going on to becoming leading public commentators in their areas of expertise.

Our first podcast series, Policy Forum Pod, commenced in 2016. We now have a well-established weekly series that is very popular and listened to around the world. Thanks again to Martyn, we later added the National Security Podcast and Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny to our podcast repertoire. Combined, these podcasts had more than half a million downloads this year alone, and they have a rapidly growing audience.

Along with the written pieces and podcasts, Policy Forum also has highly engaged social media audiences. Our engagement effectively bridges the divides that ordinarily exist between academia and mainstream social media users.

Martyn leaves Policy Forum at the end of 2020 to take on exciting new challenges. He leaves behind a great team in Angus, Connie, Julia, Gil and Pat, and all the great things that you have come to expect from Policy Forum will continue.

On Martyn’s departure, Angus Blackman, a key, established member of the Policy Forum team, will take on the editorship role and oversee the podcasts.

Please join me in thanking Martyn and wishing him the very best in his new role in 2021.

My best wishes to you all, and especially for the new year.