Professor Richard Bedford, of Auckland, CNZM for services to governance
Professor Richard Bedford is a former academic who has served as President of the Royal Society Te Apārangi, formerly the Royal Society of New Zealand, for the last four years. His leadership oversaw the Society’s name change and a revision of its Code of Professional Standards and Ethics to include all research epistemologies. He has developed and strengthened the bi-cultural commitments of the Society. He led a major programme to improve diversity, and the awarding of medals and fellowships by the Society has nearly reached gender parity. He played a major leadership role in the Society’s 150th anniversary, including hosting a leadership symposium for national academies around the world. Professor Bedford has continued work as a peer reviewer of research for publication, and served in advisory roles to government agencies.