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VC ’ s corner this is a very values-driven university . In fact , it ’ s the most values-driven organisation that I have ever studied in or worked for . And I found that the Curtin values and the way of being was really consistent with my own views , and it was such a completely different university from my former university . It ’ s much bigger . It ’ s very industry embedded and industry engaged . It has campuses in five countries . So , this just seemed like a great opportunity for one last leadership challenge .
I ’ d never set foot on the campus before I started my job on April 19 . It ’ s been a seven-month journey of discovery , both for the university and for me , and I ’ ve certainly loved everything that I have discovered . I often describe it to people as : ‘ It ’ s like somebody handed me this huge present , and every day I open another layer of the wrapping and I find something new and exciting inside .’
In contrast to what some people might think about the challenges of leading universities through something like a pandemic – it does provide really good opportunities for leadership that we don ’ t often get . In many ways , I feel very privileged that I ’ ve had the opportunity to lead two universities in this unprecedented time , and certainly , Curtin is in a fantastic position for me .
Are the New Zealand and Australian higher education sectors operating in similar environments , or are there some notable differences in your experience ? There are some very interesting similarities and differences between New Zealand and Australia in terms of the higher education system , and I ’ m only now coming to grips , for example , with the funding system in Australia which is very challenging . I used to think that the New Zealand system was confronting , but in fact , the Australian system provides some very interesting challenges , and I guess the biggest challenge is the cap funding environment that we ’ re currently working on .
The bulk of our income at Curtin , as is the case with most universities in Australia , does come in the form of student-related funding , either the money that the Commonwealth pays us to teach students or the tuition that the students are paying through their HECS fees , and both of those are capped under the current funding environment . I ’ m starting to understand why Australian universities have come to rely so heavily on international students as an additional source of revenue , because that ’ s really one of the handful of mechanisms or levers that we have under our control .
In New Zealand , government funding for research includes the overhead costs . So , that includes the funding for the salaries of the academics , or a portion of the funding , for the academics who are conducting research . The money also goes to support all of the expensive infrastructure that is required to do world-class research , and that isn ’ t the case in Australia .
I ’ m still trying to get my head around how we at Curtin will be able to meet our goals for world-class research against a backdrop of a relatively constrained funding environment . It ’ s our problem to solve , but it ’ s nonetheless something that I think about often .
How well do you think the Australian higher education sector , and Curtin in particular , is positioned to negotiate the post-pandemic future ? I think it ’ s still too early to tell , but we ’ ve got a very clear path to recovery at Curtin . I can ’ t speak on behalf of the other Australian universities , but our path to recovery will capitalise on our existing strengths . One of the huge strengths is that it is very industry engaged and industry embedded . This is a young university . It ’ s agile . It ’ s not bogged down by an imagined past . It is a futurelooking institution , and I think that ’ s what makes us such a great partner for business and industry because we are young and nimble . This isn ’ t a new thing for Curtin . This is part of the DNA here .
We ’ ll continue to build on the fact that our students are highly employable . We ’ ve got the highest employment rate of a public university in WA . We ’ ve got a higher employment rate than any other Go8 university . So , that ’ s something that we ’ re really proud of .
The new part of our strategy will be around maximising the student experience . I do think that is one thing where Australian universities have lagged behind their counterparts in other parts of the world , not only New Zealand , but in the US , the UK , Canada where university life in those countries is really centred on students ’ needs , and the university organises itself in such a way that it maximises not only the educational , but also the growth opportunities for the student body .
The Curtin values and the way of being was really consistent with my own views .
Tell us about the new innovation precinct , Exchange . It ’ s like a small city sitting in the heart of our university campus . It includes residential accommodation for students , a boutique hotel and a large amount of industry space , including space in our new building of Design and Built Environment . There is a large amount of commercial space , and there ’ s also a large amount of retail space , including a large and a number of food and beverage outlets as well .
We ’ re hoping it will be a really great destination place , not only for our staff and students , but also for members of the community who enjoy the campus primarily on the weekends while they ’ re using our amazing sporting fields . Curtin is really a seven-day-a week place . Five days a week , the university operates , and then the other two days , the community joins us to play every sport imaginable . It ’ s the only university that I ’ ve seen since I ’ ve been in this part of the world that reminds me of a US big 10 .
The timing is interesting . We read and hear a lot about post-COVID blended learning and now some universities are selling off parts of their built assets . What are your thoughts on what the campus of the future might look like ? One of the things that COVID taught me both in New Zealand and Australia is that the last thing university students want , and particularly school leavers , is more online learning . Our students have made it very clear that they want to get back into the classroom . They clearly understand the value of learning with their peers , and they clearly understand the face to face opportunities that are provided by the excellent teaching staff that we have .
For us , the future will include blended learning because we also have a large cohort of individuals who are reskilling or upskilling adults and are juggling work . We ’ ve got students obviously who are scattered around the Indian Ocean rim .
For us , blended learning going forward will be a combination of very high , intensive face to face learning opportunities and then
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