Evan Arthur was educated at Newcastle (Australia) and Cambridge (UK) Universities. His doctoral thesis was in the area of Stoic Philosophy.

Evan has been employed as a university tutor and as a public servant. He joined the Australian Public Service in 1981. He has worked in the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and in the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. He has worked on issues such as refugee policy, labour market programs, teacher professional development, recognition of overseas qualifications, and the development of a national Action Plan for the use of information technology in the education and training sector under the auspices of the National Strategy for the Information Economy.

Evan has also contributed to research policy, including in the higher education sector. Until late 2007, he was responsible for directing the implementation of two major Australian Government initiatives, the Research Quality Framework and the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. His current position is Group Manager, Digital Education and Youth Transitions Group.

Evan is responsible for coordination of the Australian Government's involvement in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education, including the Digital Education Revolution. He is the Chair of the principal cross sectoral and cross jurisdictional body advising the Federal, State and Territory Government Ministers on issues associated with the use of ICT in education, the Australian Information and Communications Technology in Education Committee.