Dr Craig Emerson
Executive Director
Australian APEC Study Centre, RMIT University
Former Minister for Trade
Dr Craig Emerson is an eminent economist with 40 years’ experience in public policy, politics and public service. He is the Executive Director of the Australian APEC Study Centre at RMIT University and Managing Director of Emerson Economics Pty Ltd.
He is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University and an Adjunct Professor at Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies.
Dr Emerson is a member of the National Competition Council, a member of the Trade Minister’s 2040 Trade Taskforce and the Chair of the multi-party Australian Political Exchange Council.
Dr Emerson was Australia’s Minister for Trade from 2010 to 2013.
He was the architect of the 2012 White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century and was appointed Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Asian Century Policy.
Dr Emerson is Co-chair of the resumed Australia-China High Level Dialogue.
Dr Emerson is also a former Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs and Minister for Small Business.
Dr Emerson was economic, trade and environmental adviser to Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
He is a former economic analyst at the United Nations in Bangkok, Assistant Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Director-General of the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage.
Dr Emerson has a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University.
