The University of Melbourne is announcing the launch of the new Melbourne School of Government (MSoG), which it hopes will provide the Asia Pacific’s next crop of political leaders.

The School aims to build better public institutions by training grad students to develop innovative responses to modern public policy and governance questions such as war, poverty, and managing markets.

MSoG Director, Professor Helen Sullivan says this will be accomplished because the school will reach beyond the Ivy Towers to work directly with policy makers and the general public.

“We will have an ongoing, genuine and robust dialogue with business leaders, government department, agencies and NGOs, as well as the world's best think-tanks and academic institutions,” she said.

MSoG plans to offer a new Master of Public Administration from 2014.