industry & research
philosophical research, then there needs to be greater recognition of its centrality in not only a decent liberal arts education, but also in vocational programs. Many institutions pay some lip service to broadening vocational courses by including a subject or two in the course that might address some liberal arts themes, but these are no substitute for a serious introductory philosophical subject or unit of study. If philosophical study is not thought important in a university education, there is no reason to think that universities will consider philosophical research worthwhile. The first step is for universities to recognise the importance of philosophy in all their courses and then to fund the research that is necessary to support the teaching of good philosophy. It would help then for its importance to be seen more widely.
What is your advice to young academics looking to break into this field of research? My advice would be that expecting support from any institution to do philosophical research is foolhardy. With few exceptions, the number of philosophy positions at Australian universities has been either stagnant or declining. In the various restructures that universities have undergone, many departments of philosophy have been subsumed under broader arrangements and this has not resulted in an increase in positions for philosophy. The competition for scarce positions is fierce and postdoctoral students are expected to have substantial teaching experience and research publications. The former is hard to obtain, apart from sessional work, and the latter is hard to achieve if you are to complete in the minimum time and do some sessional work, not to mention have a life. Young, aspiring academics are best advised not to expect a tenured position in philosophy, but to look further afield. It is possible to be a good philosopher while holding down some other kind of position. Many philosophers have more than one string to their bow. Arguably, they may well be more effective advocates for the importance of philosophy through having a position in some other field. There is nothing to stop them from contributing important philosophical work while not holding a related position in a university. Kant, for instance, did not get a fulltime position in philosophy until he was 45, so it is sensible to be prepared for a long wait for a permanent position.
What Australian institutions could do to promote this discipline more widely? Australian institutions can start by recognising that philosophy is crucial in the discussion of questions about meaning, life and values. If we want to be able to think well, then we need the skills that philosophy provides. Clear thinking, for example, does not simply occur, but requires training. Few people these days have any idea of how to frame a cogent argument, much less analyse what someone has said. Recognising the fallacies in arguments is a skill that few possess these days. Institutions could promote philosophy by recognising that philosophical questions, if they are to be rigorously analysed and discussed, demand a high degree of philosophical training. This will be true in all walks of life as well; for every institution, government agency and corporation faces philosophical questions that require a degree of sophisticated analysis and discussion. Clear-headed analysis is one of the strengths of a philosophical education.
The best way for institutions to promote philosophy is to make it an essential part of every course that is offered and realise that of all the disciplines students might study, it is the one that can provide them with skills and capacities they can use in any and every field of endeavour. They can also support pure, basic research in philosophy and advocate for a greater share of research funds to go to the humanities and the creative arts. ■
The 2014 ATEM / Campus Review Awards for Best Practice in Tertiary Education Management
ATEM and Campus Review are seeking entrants to the 3rd annual Best Practice awards.
These exciting awards will once again showcase the wonderful work being achieved by our professionals in tertiary education management
The awards will be presented at the Awards ceremony of the TEMC conference in September 2014 in Cairns.
To find out more phone: 9351 9719 or visit: www. atem. org. au / awards
Join ATEM and check out our catalogue of professional development courses.
Bulding professionalism and advancing your career
The categories are:
u The LH Martin Institute Award for Excellence in Leadership
u The Coop Award for Excellence in Student Aministration and Customer Service
u The Knowledge Partnership Award for Excellence in Marketing, Communication and Public Relations
u The Unisuper Award for Excellence in Innovation
u The Research Master Award for Excellence in Research Management
u The HES award Excellence in Financial Management
u The Unijobs Award for Excellence in Human Resource Management
u The Award for Excellence in IT Management
u The NTEU award for Excellence in Community Engagement
u The Campus Living Villages award for Excellence by a New Entrant in Tertiary Education
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University( PolyU) 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( US $ 1 = HK $ 7.8 approximately) per year. Committed to academic excellence in a professional context, PolyU aspires to become a world-class university with an emphasis on the application value of its programmes and research. Its vision is to become a leading university that excels in professional education, applied research and partnership for the betterment of Hong Kong, the nation and the world.
The University is now inviting applications and nominations for the following post: Head of Department of Applied Social Sciences( Ref: 14050501)
The successful candidate will be appointed as Chair Professor / Professor, commensurate with his / her qualifications and experience, and hold a concurrent headship appointment. The headship appointment is normally for an aggregate period of six years in two three-year terms of office. Post specification of the above position can be obtained from http:// www. polyu. edu. hk / hro / job / en / external _ adv / deans-heads. php. Other suitable candidate( s), if deemed appropriate by the University, may be appointed as Chair Professor / Professor.
Remuneration and Conditions of Service Terms of appointment and remuneration package are negotiable and highly competitive.
Application Applicants are invited to send detailed curriculum vitae with the names and addresses of three referees and direct any enquiries to the Human Resources Office, 13 / F, Li Ka Shing Tower, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong [ Fax:( 852) 2764 3374; E-mail: hrscapss @ polyu. edu. hk ], quoting the position applied for and the reference number. Recruitment will continue until the position is filled. Initial consideration of applications will commence in late July 2014. Candidature may be obtained by nomination. The University reserves the right not to fill the position or to make an appointment by invitation. General information about the University and the Department of Applied Social Sciences is available on the University’ s Homepage http:// www. polyu. edu. hk and http:// www. polyu. edu. hk / apss / respectively or from the Human Resources Office [ Tel:( 852) 2766 5305 ]. The University Personal Information Collection Statement for recruitment can be found at http:// www. polyu. edu. hk / hro / jobpics. htm.
To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind
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