UNSW Canberra Emeritus Professor recognised as top educator

UNSW Canberra’s Emeritus Professor Carlyle Thayer has been recognised by Marquis’ Who’s Who Top Educators.

Comprehensively assessed on years of service and unique contributions, Marquis’ Who’s Who Top Educators is an honour limited to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and achievement in their respective fields.

Emeritus Professor Thayer has been acknowledged specifically for his dedication, achievement, and leadership in Southeast Asian studies, with special expertise in Vietnam, and professional military education.

“I appreciate this recognition as a legacy for future academics who pursue a career teaching in a military environment,” Emeritus Professor Thayer said.

Emeritus Professor Thayer’s unique contribution to the field involved strategically integrating academic studies of all levels with the military environment, providing a platform for pursuing military studies.

His academic journey has taken him across various universities worldwide, where he eventually joined as a staff member at UNSW Canberra in 1979.

Contributions to UNSW Canberra have included introducing a crisis simulation exercise in place of a written final exam, introducing oral briefs on regional security topics as another form of assessment, and expanding the Master of Defence Studies to wider audiences via distance education.

Despite authoring over 500 academic publications and contributing to more than 200 international interviews a year, Emeritus Professor Thayer said he can now praise his contributions in the professional military educational field.

“It was then [when recognised as a Marquis’ Who’s Who Top Educator] I articulated what I felt personally for a long period of time - I had made major contributions to all levels of professional military education in Australia and the Asia-Pacific,” Emeritus Professor Thayer said as he reflected on his achievement. 

Despite being “completely surprised” by this recognition, it is undeniable that Emeritus Professor Thayer had forged a vital platform for future academics to pursue military education, passing on his passion and extensive knowledge in this field. 

“Academic studies and military education are not antithetical but part of professional development that is both stimulating and personally rewarding,” he said.