policy & reform
efficiency dividend, which was introduced in the last Budget but not implemented. This will result in a funding cut of, in effect, 2 per cent for 2014, and 1.25 per cent for 2015.
There’ s presently no indication the cuts can pass the Senate, but if they do, they will slice more than $ 900 million from universities over the forward estimates.
Schreuder says one place the Budget fails is equity.“ You’ re going to increasingly put a barrier in the minds of people about going to university,” he says.“ That’ s the last thing we want to be doing with any kind of education and training.”
The Coalition has abandoned the previous government’ s equity targets and cut some of the grants to universities provided specifically for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including $ 51.3 from the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program and $ 121.1 million in Higher Education Reward funding. A new scholarship scheme will require institutions with enrolments of 500 or more domestic Commonwealth supported placement students to pay one in every five dollars in additional revenue from fees to a scholarship fund. The universities themselves will administer the fund.
“ It’ s massively important you tap all the
talent in your country,” Schreuder says.“ Talent isn’ t distributed only among the wealthy classes, and if you’ re not tapping that wide range you’ re missing out on one of your great resources.”
Politically, the reforms are complicated by the perception that the government is open to changing elements of the policy, and that key figures aren’ t across the detail. Pyne was attacked by the opposition at the end of May for apparently contradicting his department when he claimed student loan changes would affect only those who enrolled after January 2016. In the previous week, Prime Minister Tony Abbott was forced to allay rumours his government would collect unpaid student loans from the dead.
The Budget has been a tough sell. The public feels angry and betrayed, according to recent polling, which showed Abbott was now far more likely to be considered‘ out of touch’,‘ arrogant’,‘ narrow minded’,‘ intolerant’ and‘ aggressive’. If an election were held today, the Coalition would lose government.
The polls, whilst speculative, are significant in a political climate where the government will need to fight and negotiate for many of its core Budget measures. Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer – whose voting block will hold the balance of power in the next Senate – has changed position on tertiary education several times. He presently promises to block the Coalition’ s tertiary deregulation push, as does the opposition. His position, in fact, recalls the federal treasurer aged 22.
“ I would like to see the return to a free university system for Australian students so everybody can have the same dreams and aspirations about bettering themselves and this nation, regardless of their circumstances,” Palmer says in late May.
Meanwhile, Schreuder asks,“ If it’ s blocked in the Senate and none of it goes forward, who will return to this issue? How will this be brought into the public consciousness again? I don’ t know where the government may be prepared to make concessions and changes, but until we have clarity it’ s not very helpful for the sector.
“ Colleges, universities, they’ re not some luxury; the whole question of the capacity of our society will be just as important as what we can dig out of the ground. It’ s a cultural thing, making sure we can operate and compete in the world.
“ You hear a lot from government about being competitive, but the surest way to be competitive is to build the skills base of society itself. That’ s the real investment.” ■
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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is a government-funded tertiary institution in Hong Kong. It offers programmes at various levels including Doctorate, Master’ s, and Bachelor’ s degrees. It has a full-time academic staff strength of around 1,250. The total consolidated expenditure budget of the University is about HK $ 5 billion per year.
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is recognised by the local and international communities in conducting world class research in civil and environmental engineering fields, and has well established connections with industrial partners and government agencies in Hong Kong. The new appointee will further add to the existing research strengths in the area of environmental noise and vibration of the Department.
The Department offers academic programmes at various levels, including MPhil degree and PhD degree, in the disciplines of Construction and Transportation Engineering, Environmental Engineering Science, Geotechnical Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, and Structural Engineering. The Department currently has about 40 faculty members and 36 technical and administrative personnel, and is committed to the international standards of excellence in teaching and research. Please visit the website at http:// www. cee. polyu. edu. hk for more information about the Department.
Assistant Professor in Environmental Noise and Vibration( Ref. 14050504)
The appointee will be required to( a) teach relevant subjects in Noise Pollution Studies and Control, and Structural Dynamics at various level;( b) supervise student projects and theses;( c) initiate, lead and participate in research activities; and( d) undertake relevant administrative duties.
Applicants should( a) have a first degree in Engineering or Applied Science and a PhD degree in Noise or Vibration;( b) have strong commitment to excellence in teaching and research;( c) have a good record of research and scholarship; and( d) be able to demonstrate effective classroom teaching skills and have good interpersonal skills. Preference will be given to those with relevant professional qualifications and working experience.
Remuneration and Conditions of Service A highly competitive remuneration package will be offered. Initial appointment will be on a fixed-term gratuity-bearing contract. Re-engagement thereafter is subject to mutual agreement. Applicants should state their current and expected salary in the application.
Application Please submit application form via email to hrstaff @ polyu. edu. hk; by fax at( 852) 2364 2166; or by mail to Human Resources Office, 13 / F, Li Ka Shing Tower, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. If you would like to provide a separate curriculum vitae, please still complete the application form which will help speed up the recruitment process. Application forms can be obtained via the above channels or downloaded from http:// www. polyu. edu. hk / hro / job. htm. Recruitment will continue until the position is filled. Details of the University’ s Personal Information Collection Statement for recruitment can be found at http:// www. polyu. edu. hk / hro / jobpics. htm.
14 | campusreview. com. au