Professor Glenn Withers

Visiting Professorial Fellow
UNSW Canberra
School of Business

Glenn Withers is a Visiting Professor of Economics at UNSW Canberra and an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University. Prior to that he was CEO of Universities Australia and Professor of Public Policy at ANU and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. He is a Monash and Harvard graduate and has held academic posts in Australia and overseas including at Harvard and Cambridge. He is President of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and President of the Australian Council of Learned Academies..

He has produced a significant number of books, academic papers and government and consultancy reports. He has worked in and for government, including as chair of various Australian government bodies such as the National Population Council and the Economic Planning Advisory Commission, and he has chaired various public inquiries. Professor Withers helped to establish the Productivity Commission, the Crawford School, ANZSOG and Universities Australia. He has been an adviser to private sector and community sector organisations in Australia and overseas, ranging from the North West Shelf Consortium and the Business Council of Australia to the OECD and UNDP. Professor Withers was awarded an Order of Australia for services to applied economics, including for design of the Australian immigration points system.

  • Books | 2020
    , 2020, Cyber Security Education, Austin G, (ed.), Routledge, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780367822576
    Books | 2020
    Towse R; Hernández TN, 2020, Handbook of Cultural Economics, Third Edition, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781788975803
    Books | 2014
    Ville S; Withers G, 2014, The Cambridge economic history of Australia, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CHO9781107445222
  • Book Chapters | 2025
    Tani Bertuol M; Zhang L; Withers G, 2025, 'High Speed Rail, Regional Connectivity, and Economic Growth: Evidence from China', in Pagliara F (ed.), Socioeconomic Impacts of High-Speed Rail Systems, pp. 207 - 228, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82528-6
    Book Chapters | 2025
    Withers GA, 2025, 'DEMAND FOR PERFORMING ARTS SERVICES', in Economics of the Australian Service Sector, pp. 385 - 413, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003679714-17
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Austin G; Withers G, 2020, 'Creating Social Cyber Value as the Broader Goal', in Cyber-Security Education Principles and Policies, Routledge, Abingdon Oxon, pp. 99 - 118, https://www.routledge.com/Cyber-Security-Education-Principles-and-Policies/Austin/p/book/9780367421915
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Withers G, 2020, 'Broadcasting', in Handbook of Cultural Economics Third Edition, pp. 66 - 81, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781788975803.00014
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Withers G, 2018, ''Inclusive Growth: Hybrid policies into the future',', in fabian M; breunig R (ed.), Hybrid Public Policy Innovations: Contemporary Policy Beyond Ideology, rout ledge, London, pp. 235 - 252
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Withers G, 2018, 'An Australian humanities crisis?', in The Changing Face of Higher Education, Routledge, pp. 8 - 29, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315276601-2
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Withers G, 2018, 'Inclusive Growth', in Hybrid Public Policy Innovations, Routledge, pp. 235 - 252, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781351245944-14
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Junankar PNR; Pope D; Withers G, 2016, 'Immigration and the Australian macroeconomy: Perspective and prospective', in Economics of Immigration: Immigration and the Australian Economy, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 21 - 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137555250
    Book Chapters | 2015
    Withers G, 2015, 'People movements and the ‘National interest’', in Australia's Trade, Investment and Security in the Asian Century, pp. 187 - 200, http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/9789814632874_0012
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Gupta N; Withers G, 2014, 'Income Contingent Loans for Business Innovation', in Income Contingent Loans, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 156 - 164, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137413208_14
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Hatton T; Withers G, 2014, 'The labour market', in Cambridge Economic History of Australia, pp. 351 - 372, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CHO9781107445222.022
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Ville S; Withers G, 2014, 'Introduction: connecting past, present and future', in The Cambridge Economic History of Australia, Cambridge University Press, pp. xxii - 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cho9781107445222.002
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Withers G, 2014, 'Future Directions for Income Contingent Loan Theory', in Income Contingent Loans, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 241 - 247, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137413208_22
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Withers G, 2013, 'Broadcasting', in Handbook on the Digital Creative Economy, pp. 409 - 415, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781781004876.00049
    Book Chapters | 2011
    Withers G; Alford K, 2011, 'Broadcasting', in A Handbook of Cultural Economics Second Edition, pp. 76 - 85
    Book Chapters | 2003
    Withers G, 2003, 'Broadcasting', in A Handbook of Cultural Economics, pp. 102 - 113, http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781781008003.00018
    Book Chapters | 1998
    Junankar PNR; Pope D; Withers G, 1998, 'Immigration and the Australian Macroeconomy: Perspective and Prospective', in Economics of Immigration, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 21 - 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137555250_2
    Book Chapters |
    Ville S; Withers G, 'Preface', in Ville S; Withers G (ed.), The Cambridge Economic History of Australia, Cambridge University Press, pp. xvii - xviii, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cho9781107445222.001
  • Journal articles | 2025
    Ryan M; Withers G; Den Hartog F, 2025, 'The Cloud Conundrum: Are Financial Institutions Heading for a Catastrophic Disruption Event?', IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society, 6, pp. 80 - 89, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TTS.2024.3462726
    Journal articles | 2025
    Ryan M; Withers G; den Hartog F, 2025, 'The impact of extreme cyberattacks on market valuations: An in-depth economic analysis', Australian Journal of Management, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/03128962251383120
    Journal articles | 2023
    Devlin M; Zhang LC; Edwards D; Withers G; McMillan J; Vernon L; Trinidad S, 2023, 'The costs of and economies of scale in supporting students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds in Australian higher education', Higher Education Research and Development, 42, pp. 290 - 305, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2022.2057450
    Journal articles | 2022
    Tani Bertuol M; Withers G; Edwards R; Curtain R, 2022, 'IT IS TIME FOR A NEW REGIONAL COMPACT!', The Australian Economic Review, 55, pp. 281 - 289, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.12468
    Journal articles | 2021
    Withers G, 2021, 'Investing in Science: Social Cost Benefit Analysis of Research Infrastructures', ECONOMIC RECORD, 97, pp. 328 - 330, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1475-4932.12617
    Journal articles | 2019
    Asadi Bagloee S; Tavana M; Withers G; Patriksson M; Asadi M, 2019, 'Tradable mobility permit with Bitcoin and Ethereum – A Blockchain application in transportation', Internet of Things Netherlands, 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iot.2019.100103
    Journal articles | 2019
    Bagloee SA; Withers G, 2019, 'Side constrained optimisation to capture capacity of choices in the multinomial logit model: Case study of income tax policy in the USA prior to the 2009 economic crisis', International Journal of Operational Research, 36, pp. 123 - 149, http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJOR.2019.102073
    Journal articles | 2019
    Bagloee SA; Withers G, 2019, 'Side constrained optimisation to capture capacity of choices in the multinomial logit model: case study of income tax policy in the USA prior to the 2009 economic crisis', International Journal of Operational Research, 36, pp. 123 - 123, http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/ijor.2019.10023659
    Journal articles | 2019
    Withers G, 2019, 'How Economics Shapes Science, by Paula Stephan (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2012), pp. 367.', Economic Record, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1475-4932.12480
    Journal articles | 2016
    Golebiowska K; Elnasri A; Withers G, 2016, 'Responding to Negative Public Attitudes towards Immigration through Analysis and Policy: regional and unemployment dimensions', Australian Geographer, 47, pp. 435 - 453, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2016.1220904
    Journal articles | 2016
    Withers G, 2016, 'Education Matters: Global Schooling Gains from the 19th to the 21st Century', Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 30, pp. 127 - 128, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/apel.12171
    Journal articles | 2015
    Withers G, 2015, 'Australia's political economic future', Australian Journal of Political Science, 50, pp. 735 - 744, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2015.1110764
    Journal articles | 2014
    Ville S; Withers G, 2014, 'Introduction: Connecting past, present and future', The Cambridge Economic History of Australia, pp. 1 - 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CHO9781107445222.002
    Journal articles | 2014
    Ville S; Withers G, 2014, 'Preface', Cambridge Economic History of Australia, pp. xvii - xviii, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CHO9781107445222.001
    Journal articles | 2014
    Withers G, 2014, 'Immigration in a Population Context', Australian Economic Review, 47, pp. 231 - 239, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.12068
    Journal articles | 2014
    Withers G, 2014, 'Why Australia Prospered. The Shifting Sources of Economic Growth, by Ian W.McLean (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 2012), pp. 281', Economic Record, 90, pp. 400 - 401, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1475-4932.12143
    Journal articles | 2009
    Withers G, 2009, 'DAVID HEWITT POPE, 1944-2007', AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, 49, pp. 198 - 212, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8446.2009.00262.x
    Journal articles | 2003
    Withers G, 2003, 'CORE ISSUES IN IMMIGRATION ECONOMICS AND POLICY', Economic Papers, 22, pp. 13 - 23, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1759-3441.2003.tb00332.x
    Journal articles | 2002
    Withers G, 2002, 'Population Ageing and the Role of Immigration', Australian Economic Review, 35, pp. 104 - 112, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.00228
    Journal articles | 2001
    Throsby D; Withers GA, 2001, 'Individual preferences and the demand for military expenditure', Defence and Peace Economics, 12, pp. 87 - 102, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10430710108404979
    Journal articles | 2001
    Withers G, 2001, 'Economic Issues in Health Policy: Comment', Australian Economic Review, 34, pp. 312 - 316, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.00199
    Journal articles | 2000
    Withers G, 2000, 'Population Issues and Options: Investing in People', Australian Economic Review, 33, pp. 265 - 271, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.00156
    Journal articles | 2000
    Withers G, 2000, 'Population Policy: Introduction', Australian Economic Review, 33, pp. 256 - 256, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.00153
    Journal articles | 1998
    Junankar PN; Pope D; Withers G, 1998, 'Immigration and the Australian macroeconomy: Perspective and prospective', Australian Economic Review, 31, pp. 435 - 444, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.00087
    Journal articles | 1993
    Pope D; Withers G, 1993, 'Do Migrants Rob Jobs? Lessons of Australian History, 1861–1991', Journal of Economic History, 53, pp. 719 - 742, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0022050700051299
    Journal articles | 1992
    WITHERS G, 1992, 'AUSTRALIAN PhDs IN ECONOMICS: 1980–1990', Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy, 11, pp. 91 - 93, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1759-3441.1992.tb00034.x
    Journal articles | 1991
    Withers G, 1991, 'Australasian Immigration, Economics And Regional Interdependence', Australian Journal of International Affairs, 45, pp. 38 - 50, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10357719108445047
    Journal articles | 1991
    Withers G, 1991, 'The human resource dimension of Defence and Peace Economics: An introduction', Defence Economics, 2, pp. 279 - 281, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10430719108404702
    Journal articles | 1989
    WITHERS G, 1989, 'ARTISTS‘ SUBSIDY OF THE ARTS: REPLY', Australian Economic Papers, 28, pp. 288 - 289, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8454.1989.tb00487.x
    Journal articles | 1986
    Duncan G; Aitkin D; Paris C; Galligan B; Layman L; Weller P; Scott R; Craig J; Moran B; Withers G; Dabscheck B; Harman F; Smith G; Archer J; Simms M; Smith H; Skene G; Altman D; Ahluwalia DPS; Ravenhill J; Hayes MD; Mughan K; Bryan D; Pickvance C; Hughes O; Jesse E; Poole R; Goot M; Marvick EW; Bell S; Head B; Albury RM; Sawer M; Bulbeck C; Bacchi C; Lake M, 1986, 'Reviews: Australian', Politics, 21, pp. 123 - 160, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00323268608402007
    Journal articles | 1986
    Throsby CD; Withers GA, 1986, 'Strategic bias and demand for public goods. Theory and an application to the arts', Journal of Public Economics, 31, pp. 307 - 327, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0047-2727(86)90063-0
    Journal articles | 1986
    WITHERS G; PITMAN D; WHITTINGHAM B, 1986, 'Wage Adjustments and Labour Market Systems: A Cross‐Country Analysis', Economic Record, 62, pp. 415 - 426, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4932.1986.tb00907.x
    Journal articles | 1986
    Withers G, 1986, 'ECONOMIC RATIONALISM AND WAGE FIXATION', Economic Papers, 5, pp. 23 - 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1759-3441.1986.tb00518.x
    Journal articles | 1985
    Throsby D; Withers G, 1985, 'What price culture?', Journal of Cultural Economics, 9, pp. 1 - 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00187742
    Journal articles | 1985
    WITHERS G; POPE D, 1985, 'Immigration and Unemployment', Economic Record, 61, pp. 554 - 564, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4932.1985.tb02010.x
    Journal articles | 1985
    WITHERS G, 1985, 'ARTISTS‘ SUBSIDY OF THE ARTS', Australian Economic Papers, 24, pp. 290 - 295, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8454.1985.tb00117.x
    Journal articles | 1985
    Withers G, 1985, 'Television viewing and abc program policy: An econometric study', Australian Journal of Management, 10, pp. 99 - 112, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/031289628501000206
    Journal articles | 1984
    WITHERS G, 1984, 'Crime, Punishment and Deterrence in Australia: An Empirical Investigation*', Economic Record, 60, pp. 176 - 185, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4932.1984.tb00851.x
    Journal articles | 1981
    Withers G, 1981, 'Efficiency Gains from Banking De‐Regulation', Australian Economic Review, 14, pp. 35 - 39, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8462.1981.tb01008.x
    Journal articles | 1979
    WITHERS GA, 1979, 'Economic Influences upon Marriage Behaviour: Australia, 1954–1984', Economic Record, 55, pp. 118 - 126, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4932.1979.tb02211.x
    Journal articles | 1979
    Withers G, 1979, 'Private demand for public subsidies: An econometric study of cultural support in Australia', Journal of Cultural Economics, 3, pp. 53 - 61, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00167322
    Journal articles | 1977
    WITHERS GA, 1977, 'THE WELFARE COST OF CONSCRIPTION', Australian Economic Papers, 16, pp. 219 - 230, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8454.1977.tb00601.x
    Journal articles | 1977
    Withers G, 1977, 'Immigration and Economic Fluctuations: An Application to Late Nineteenth–Century Australia', Australian Economic History Review, 17, pp. 131 - 149, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aehr.172003
    Journal articles | 1977
    Withers GA, 1977, 'Armed forces recruitment in Great Britain', Applied Economics, 9, pp. 289 - 306, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00036847700000017
    Journal articles | 1977
    Withers GA, 1977, 'SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE UNIONS: A NORMATIVE APPROACH TO CO‐OPERATION AND CONFLICT UNDER INTERDEPENDENCE', British Journal of Industrial Relations, 15, pp. 322 - 337, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8543.1977.tb01138.x
    Journal articles | 1977
    Withers GA, 1977, 'Some social effects of draft eligibility in Australia', Journal of Sociology, 13, pp. 261 - 263, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/144078337701300318
    Journal articles | 1972
    Withers GA, 1972, 'The Wage Costs of an All‐Volunteer Army', Economic Record, 48, pp. 321 - 339, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4932.1972.tb00782.x
  • Conference Papers | 2025
    Austin G; Bappanad K; Henry AP; Materano L; Michael K; Reddy B; Walker-Munro B; Withers G, 2025, 'Technology Impact Assessment for Peace and Stability in Practice: Australia and India', in International Symposium on Technology and Society Proceedings, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ISTAS65609.2025.11269622
    Conference Papers | 2025
    Tani Bertuol M; Zhang L; Withers G, 2025, 'Population Change and High Speed Rail? Empirical Findings in China’s Meso Level Data', in Pagliara F (ed.), Springer Nature, pp. 193 - 206, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82528-6
    Conference Papers | 2025
    Zhang L; Tani M; Withers G, 2025, 'High Speed Rail, Regional Connectivity, and Economic Growth: Evidence from China', in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, pp. 207 - 227, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82528-6_11
    Conference Papers | 2025
    Zhang L; Tani M; Withers G, 2025, 'Population Change and High Speed Rail? Empirical Findings in China’s Meso Level Data', in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, pp. 193 - 206, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82528-6_10
    Conference Papers | 2013
    Withers G, 2013, 'The State of the Universities', in Thornton M (ed.), THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY: THE SOCIAL SCIENCES LOOK AT THE NEOLIBERAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIAN NATL UNIV, AUSTRALIA, Australian Natl Univ, Canberra, pp. 103 - 117, presented at Workshop on Markets and the Modern University, AUSTRALIA, Australian Natl Univ, Canberra, 30 May 2013 - 31 May 2013