During his time at ECU, Mr. Wade presided over a sharp rise of the number of international students studying at the university. He made significant achievements in broadening and strengthening international partnerships and alliances. He also helped establish ECU as a university of innovation, profession and quality in the international arena.

John joined ECU after spending six years in the Middle East between 1996 and 2002 as Adviser to the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in Bahrain, a role that encompassed a wide range of training and education issues.

He was previously Director of various divisions in the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Training (DEET) in Western Australia. In that capacity, he was involved in management, policy development and implementation at senior level, including liaising with peak employer, worker, education and training bodies.

He also led the teams of Australian Government experts on projects for the World Bank in Central Asia for over a period of two years and participated in World Bank projects in Russia’s Pacific coast.