Professor Goulter, has a strong academic, university management and research background with experience in academic development and international project management. He will lead Charles Sturt University into the 21st Century as its second Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Goulter, comes to CSU from a Deputy Vice-Chancellor's position at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne where he has been responsible for enhancing and progressing the University's academic and research achievements and the coordination of international activities.

Prior to this Professor Goulter held senior academic and management positions at Central Queensland University, a multi-campus regional university and distance education provider.

A graduate of New Zealand's Canterbury University with First Class Honours in civil engineering, he commenced work as a consulting engineer for the NZ Government. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship through which he completed a PhD at the University of Illinois. This was followed by a position as Professor at the University of Manitoba, Canada and consultancies in Thailand, Bangladesh, Spain, Sweden and Indonesia.

In accepting the position Professor Goulter said he could see a future where CSU was an international model for universities with responsibilities to their region and as a centre of learning excellence.

"The University will continue to provide highly skilled and employable graduates to meet the economic and social needs of regional Australia," he said.

"However, with a significant majority of these graduates poised to spend part of their careers overseas, it is the responsibility of universities like Charles Sturt to provide students with a global perspective through international experience built into the curriculum.

"Such perspectives will also assist in providing world class services and products to regional Australia.

"I look forward to the opportunity to build on the long and distinguished record of achievements already established by the University."

Professor Goulter is widely published in areas of teaching practice, water resource management and disaster management. He has received numerous awards and research grants from overseas agencies, educational providers and from the Australian Research Council in the form of large and industry grants.

He will take up his appointment as Charles Sturt University Vice-Chancellor on 4 July 2001.

Background notes follow