Richard Higgott is a Research Professor at the Institute of European Studies in Brussels. He is also an Emeritus Professor of International Political Economy at the University of Warwick. He is also Distinguished Professor of Diplomacy at Vesalius College at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Professor Higgott was a key participant on an H2020 project on European cultural and science diplomacy funded by the European Commission through its Horizon2020 programme until March 2019. Professor Higgott is a former Fulbright Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, and he is an elected Fellow of the UKAcademy of Social Sciences. He has been National Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs and Vice President of the USAInternational Studies Association. He was for 1989–90 the president of the Australasian Political Studies Association. Earlier appointments include the University of Manchester ; the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University and sub-professorial career positions at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and the University of Western Australia. In June 2011, he took up the position of Vice Chancellor of Murdoch University, Western Australia. and resigned in October 2014. He was appointed with a mandate to reform the institution, raise standards, improve the university research reputation and international standing. During the reform process, he was accused in anonymous letters that had appointed a professor who had in past been a co-author and research collaborator to a senior university position. The subsequent investigation highlighted problems elsewhere in the University, such as failed oversight from Murdoch University governance; specifically “a Senate fails to effectively articulate the parameters within which a Vice-Chancellor should act". The national business media suggested that the newly appointed Chancellor, David Flanagan, was “more local and closer to the parochial sentiments of Perth” and ill-suited to the pursuit of international talent and high educational standards. Those in defence of Richard Higgott, who considered him as a ‘A Colleague who Cared’, regarded the investigation as a consequence of “bossy neoliberal governments” where “scholarly freedom is jeopardised”. Since Professor Higgott's departure, Murdoch University has dropped in international University league tables, notably the ‘Worlds Top 100 universities under 50’ debuting at 57th in 2013 and plummeting to 68th position in 2017. Staff with international research reputations have left. In 2019, a Four Corners investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Commission found further denigration of standards with foreign students recruited as 'cash cows' and possible corruption in the recruitment of foreign students from India. The whistle-blower - a Murdoch University faculty member - also faced misconduct allegations and legal action from the University, prompting other high-profile resignations in protest, and outcry from across Australia concerning the assault on academic freedom.
On 1 July 2016, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation News reported that a WA Government report formed an opinion of misconduct against former Murdoch University vice chancellor Richard Higgott. Whilst the CCC Report recognised that Higgott had informed both the selection committee and the deputy Chancellor of his prior professional relationship, the opinion was that Professor Higgott sought to have his former co-author appointed to a crucial university post Despite the departure from university protocol, the candidate was deemed by the selection committee to be the best candidate for the position. There were no sanctions, fines or redress resulting from the Corruption and Crime Commission investigation. The WA Corruption and Crime Commission also considered that Higgott had appointed another former colleague, Mr Jon Baldwin previously Registrar of Warwick University. Baldwin's contract and position at Murdoch University was terminated early by Richard Higgott as Vice Chancellor in 2013. The Corruption and Crime Commission Report also found that Higgott had breached Murdoch University's code of conduct by using a university laptop to access adult material online, both during and outside normal working hours.
