Murray Cairns is a principal tutor and joined the WSG in 1997 as finance manager and remained on the administrative staff of the School in various capacities until 2009 when he became an academic. He is co-convenor of the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management, which is a fully online degree. His teaching started in the area of HIV and AIDS both at WSG and the Wits Business School, but has moved to research conceptualisation, research methods and proposal development. Cairns teaching focuses on assisting students to conceptualise and define their research, to build an analytical lens, and to explore the literatures that guide their disciplinary area.

He supervises in the broad area of the social response to HIV and AIDS, HIV and AIDS policy analysis and implementation.  Much of his supervision has focused on policy issues that affect minorities and vulnerable groups, as well as broad policy implementation topics, particularly looking at public participation. He provides support to the school in the development and construction of curricula for degrees and short courses, as well as system development and web application development.