Paul Ramadge
Paul Andrew Godwin Ramadge (born 6 June 1958) is a noted Australian journalist and knowledge-sector leader. He was editor-in-chief of The Age, a daily newspaper in Melbourne, from 2008 to June 2012.[1] He is a Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow at Monash University (2012 -) and was the inaugural Director of the Australia-Indonesia Centre (2013–2016), based at Monash University but bringing together eleven universities in the two nations to drive collaborative research, strengthen relationships and networks, and analyse attitudes and perceptions.
During his tenure, Ramadge reinforced the newspaper's reputation for agenda-setting investigative journalism and strengthened its coverage of Victoria, the nation and, in some measure, the world. He was praised for recruiting and training the next generation of journalists, and for introducing digital innovations. An award-winning iPad app was launched, along with a host of website products. New social media, database and interactive forms of journalism were introduced. The Age was the PANPA Newspaper of the Year at the time of his departure.
Other highlights of his editorship included forcing the Victorian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into sexual-abuse allegations against the clergy; a years-long investigation into allegations of bank note scams linked to the Reserve Bank of Australia; multi-media coverage – print, television and online – of state and federal election campaigns; and strong advocacy on climate change, asylum-seekers, and the need for progressive, innovative thinking at state and federal levels to reignite infrastructure developments in Australia.
The years 2008 to 2012 witnessed a severe tightening of the media market in Australia, and Ramadge was one of many editors forced to reduce staff numbers through voluntary redundancy programs.
Ramadge announced on 25 June 2012, that he was stepping down from his role, along with his Sydney Morning Herald counterparts, editor Amanda Wilson and publisher Peter Fray.
In July 2012, Ramadge was appointed to the role of Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow at Monash University, working alongside the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ed Byrne. He was commissioned to conduct a campus-wide review of the university’s strategy in Indonesia. This involved an analysis of student and academic flows and projections as well as an appraisal of the opportunities and risks for Monash.
The review led to the awarding of an honorary doctorate to the then Indonesian Vice-President, His Excellency Dr Boediono. Ramadge continues as a Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow.
In late 2013, Ramadge, working with a global-engagement team at Monash, developed a concept paper for the establishment of a new Australia-Indonesia Centre. The incoming Australian Government led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott embraced the idea, awarding $15million to Monash University over four years to pursue the centre’s core objectives. Between 2014 and 2016, the centre delivered new-to-market initiatives in bi-national collaborative research, leadership development and education, cultural exchanges, and analyses of attitudes and perceptions. The centre’s board was chaired by Mr Harold Mitchell AC.