VC’ s corner
If the view that Australia is not an innovative country becomes entrenched, this perception could further undermine our efforts to attract international students.
investment through innovation and hence increased productivity we need to change policies, attitudes, behaviours and rewards.
For example, take the Excellence in Research for Australia( ERA) initiative, which is the lynchpin of higher education research policy.
I have no argument with the principle of ERA. It is vital that we recognise highquality research in this country. However, from a perspective of encouraging innovation it has a number of very significant weaknesses, even liabilities:
• The research codes used do not align with the fact that innovation is increasingly interdisciplinary
• A high volume of academic output is very important to attaining a high ranking
• The message is very explicitly given, and further emphasised by the weightings used to distribute Sustainable Research Excellence( SRE) block funds, that if you have been rated at a three( world standard), aim to become a four( above world standard) or five( well above world standard) rather than reach out and work with non-academic partners to deliver innovation. Introducing an impact measure into future ERAs goes some way to addressing these issues but it still gives the strong impression that research comes first and then innovation. Furthermore, we never talk about the fact that despite all the effort involved, ERA assesses less than 3 per cent of the research which might contribute to Australian innovation. We give absolutely no recognition to innovative utilisation by Australian universities of the other 97 per cent of world research.
In this context what sort of university culture might facilitate innovation? I think some of the characteristics include:
• Flexibility, responsiveness and adaptability
• An outward focus that is collaborative and engaged in genuine partnerships with the wider innovation system
• A keenness to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by those partners and a willingness to let such partners influence( and even help set) research agendas
• An ability to apply expertise rapidly from one area to innovate in another
• A willingness to take risks but quickly terminate unsuccessful or nonproductive approaches
• Internal support functions that are service-oriented, enabling and responsive
• Promotion and reward systems that recognise innovation as well as research success.
If universities are to play the role that they need to play in driving innovation, it behoves us to ask how our internal cultures and reward systems measure up against such criteria. Unfortunately I suspect the answer is not too well. Addressing that challenge should be a major priority for 2013. Doing so might begin to help lift Australia towards the top 10 most innovative nations by 2025. ■
Professor Michael Barber is vicechancellor of Flinders University.
www. campusreview. com. au February 2013 | 33