Emeritus Professor
Citation delivered by Professor D’Maris Coffman at the University of Wollongong on the occasion of the admission of Gregory Lawrence Rose as an Emeritus Professor on 3 November 2026.
Deputy Chancellor, I present to you Professor Greg Rose.
Professor Greg Rose is a scholar of international law whose career has combined teaching and research with valued public service and a sustained commitment to the University of Wollongong.
His work across environmental protection, ocean resources and national security has centred on making international law effective in practice.
Professor Rose joined the University in 1998 and served as a Professor of Law until his retirement in 2025. Over 27 years, he made a substantial contribution to the School of Law and the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security. His teaching ranged across international environmental law, the law of the sea, international criminal law and administrative rights. As a supervisor and mentor, he supported colleagues and students and guided 16 doctoral candidates to completion.
His scholarship has addressed the implementation of environmental treaties, the protection of marine resources and the legal dimensions of terrorism. He undertook expert work for the United Nations Environment Programme and produced significant research on environmental crime. For more than two decades, he also served as Associate Editor of the Yearbook of International Environmental Law.
Before joining UOW, Professor Rose led the environmental law unit in the Legal Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He advised government on complex international legal issues and represented Australia in international negotiations. This practical experience informed his teaching, research and public service throughout his academic career.
Within the University, Professor Rose served as Chair and Deputy Chair of Academic Senate, Associate Dean of Law, Law Discipline Leader, and Chair of committees responsible for research, thesis examination and student conduct. Through these roles, he contributed to academic governance, research culture and the operation of University processes. His service also extended to the daily life of the University community through more than two decades as a lay chaplain for Jewish staff and students, providing pastoral care and support to the Jewish community.
Beyond UOW, Professor Rose served as Vice-President of the National Environmental Law Association and as a member of the National Oceans Advisory Group.
He continues his work through honorary roles with the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security and The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation. Across these endeavours, his career reflects a consistent purpose of using law, scholarship and institutional service to strengthen cooperation, stewardship and security.
The University values his ability to connect scholarship with practical challenges facing governments and communities. In conferring the title of Emeritus Professor, it honours his contribution to international law, his guidance of future scholars and his dedicated service to the University and its people.
Deputy Chancellor, it is my privilege to present Professor Greg Rose for admission as an Emeritus Professor.