policy & reform
Curtin has already invested in its intellectual property commercialisation, and this will only grow in the future. The Office of Advancement is within the portfolio of the vice-president, corporate relations and development.
But they are aware of the need to continually seek outside funds from traditional sources, especially if the Australian dollar remains high and competition from other countries intensifies.
Mark Barnaba is one person who is fully aware of the need for universities to diversify their fundraising activities. As chairman of the Macquarie Group, Western Australia, he is attuned to the need for alternative sources of capital.
Although it is not just in business that Barnaba is a leader. He is chairman of the University of Western Australia’ s business school board and an adjunct professor in investment banking and finance there.
“ It is a great challenge for universities going forward to seek alternative streams of revenue as I believe that federal government funding will either stagnate or be reduced throughout the next five to 10 years,” Barnaba said.
“ Australia is way behind the United States when it comes to seeking funds from sources such as alumni, philanthropists and working more in conjunction with business, and I think within balance it is a good thing because it will make universities more efficient and focused.”
Barnaba is no slouch himself when it comes to academic study. He won the JA Wood University medal for top graduate for his Bachelor of Commerce degree at UWA before graduating with a high distinction as a Baker Scholar with an MBA from Harvard Business School.
The University of Sydney seems to be well ahead of most universities in Australia when it comes to diversifying revenue streams. According to its 2011 annual report, 16 per cent of income comes from private sources, 29.8 per cent from research and consultancy activities and only 17 per cent from Commonwealth operating grants.
“ It is very important to dedicate resources into attracting non-government funding especially as government operating grants have been steadily decreasing as a percentage of overall revenue,” a Sydney University spokesperson said.
“ In 2002, the Commonwealth operating grant was 19 per cent and in 2011 it had slipped to 17 per cent.”
The University of Sydney does not provide a breakdown of income derived from overseas students, merely classifying both local and overseas students together, which equates to $ 548 million or 34 per cent. It is believed that the overseas student component is about 50 per cent of that revenue but the university knows it needs other sources.
“ Tim Dolan is the director of development and is in charge of the portfolio of fundraising, but each of the 16 deans and the academic leadership have clearly defined fundraising key performance indicators,” the spokesperson said.
“ A big part of the University of Sydney’ s recent success is derived from this model of shared responsibility around building a university-wide culture of philanthropy.
“ In 2011, the University of Sydney raised over $ 79 million in philanthropy and in 2012 more than $ 80.3 million – more philanthropic support than any other Australian higher education institution each year.
“ As universities have become more successful in securing private support, fundraising teams have been steadily increasing. Still, that personnel growth has been fairly modest in comparison to the augmented philanthropic revenue.
“ In 2009, the University of Sydney’ s development office was staffed by approximately 40 people bringing
Engineering The Future
UNSW Engineering is searching for inspirational Lecturers and Senior Lecturers.
Building on our success
Renowned for our engineering excellence, the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New South Wales( UNSW) is seeking outstanding thinkers and communicators to join our world-leading group of academics. With 9 Schools, 12 Research Centres and over 10,000 students, we are the largest and most diverse in Australia, and consistently ranked amongst the nations best.
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Never Stand Still
Never Stand Still
Faculty of Engineering
Engineering
Up to four positions are offered to researchers of exceptional calibre in the early stages of their academic career. Engineering fields of interest are:
• Biomedical Engineering;
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If teaching and researching in a stimulating environment appeals to you, and you’ re in the early stages of your academic career( up to 7 years post-PhD), apply online with a brief research outline and CV at:
eng. unsw. edu. au / opportunities
Applications close: 19 April 2013
16 | March 2013