Annual AAUN
John Hearn Memorial Lecture

Prof. John Hearn

The late Professor John Hearn (1943-2024) co-founded the Australia Africa Universities Network (AAUN) in 2012 with Professor Cheryl de la Rey, the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pretoria. He served as the inaugural AAUN Co-Chair (Australia) until his passing on 1 November 2024. Professor Hearn served in senior university leadership positions at the Australian National University and the University of Sydney and as Executive Director of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), under which he established the WUN Global Africa Group. Professor Hearn also served on the Australian Foreign Minister’s Advisory Group on Australia-Africa Relations (AGAAR). As a reproductive and developmental physiologist, he remained a highly active global scholar and academic diplomat right up until his passing, regularly traveling to Europe, Asia and Africa. Professor Hearn was a pioneer and champion of Australia-Africa collaboration in higher education and research, and through his academic diplomacy, servant leadership and commitment to the principle of equal partnership, he built enduring and impactful international networks and collaborations that brought together universities, scholars, students, ministers, diplomats, international agencies, business leaders and communities across the Global North and Global South.