Murray Gillin

Murray is a recognised world leader in his area of entrepreneurship teaching and research. He was honoured with an AM for his contributions to engineering education, innovation and entrepreneurship in 1997. In 1966 he founded the Christian Brethren Research Fellowship in Melbourne. He is a past chair of the Evangelical Fellowship, Victoria 1988; Forrest Baptist Church 1976; ElKanah Counselling Service 1972. He currently chairs the Australian Institute of Archaeology and Tabor College in Adelaide. He is currently writing a book, Jesus the Entrepreneur: Understanding the Entrepreneurial Mindset.

During a career spanning 60 years he worked in the fields of Defence Science and Technology as a Materials Engineer (Ordnance Factory), Research Scientist (Aeronautical Research Laboratories), Defence Research Attaché in the Australian Embassy Washington, USA; Head of Laboratory Programs DSTO; and in education until 1998 as Dean of Engineering, Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Industry/Academic), at Swinburne University of Technology. In ‘retirement’ Murray co-founded the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship and was Director to 2009, was a By-Fellow at Churchill College Cambridge 2004, and continued teaching in-house MEI classes for Pitcher Partners Financial Services to 2020. He is currently Chair, Tabor College, Adelaide.

Murray’s unique contribution to entrepreneurship education goes well beyond adding an elective or concentration to an MBA program.  He and his team demonstrated convincingly that a totally opportunity focused, and integrated real-world program produced much better applied learning results.

In 1994 Murray was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. In September 1997 Murray was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Pedagogy from the North Eastern University, Boston, USA for his work in developing innovation and entrepreneurship teaching programs, and in December 2017 with an Honorary Doctor of Business from Swinburne University of Technology for contributions to entrepreneurship, AGSE and community.

Murray was the winner of the Inaugural Best Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year (2001, Business/Higher-Education Round Table). He has special interests in wealth creation from engineering and innovation (is Past President of the Institution of Engineers, Australia), and work integrated learning (is Past-President of the World Association for Co-operative Education). He was inducted a life Fellow (2004) of the Babson Kauffman Entrepreneurship Research Conferences and received a Lifetime Achievement Award (2010) at the AGSE International Entrepreneurship Research Exchange.