VC’S CORNER
campusreview.com.au
Educated
guesses
It’s hard to predict just what’s next for
the sector with so many shifting factors
in play – but let’s try anyway.
By Caroline McMillen
I
t’s tough to make predictions, especially
about the future, the Danish proverb runs.
This is particularly true in the Australian
university sector. Even the most prescient
observers would have lost their money
had they gambled on the outcome of the
higher education policy roulette wheel in
the past few years. Efficiency dividends,
20 per cent cuts to the Commonwealth
Grant Scheme and fee deregulation have all
been announced, discussed, prepared for
on campus – and rejected by the Senate.
Will 2016 be any less turbulent, given
the probable impact on Australia and our
own sector of some of the seismic shifts
in the geopolitical environment? We are
witnessing a migration of refugees across
Europe on a scale that has not been seen
in 60 years. There are new dynamics
in global conflict and terrorism that
challenge our sense of security and social
cohesion. There is a slowdown in the global
economy, which resulted in more than
US$2.3 trillion ($3.35 trillion) being wiped off
the value of global stocks in the first week
of 2016 – the worst start to any year in two
decades. These ‘big picture’ issues may
appear to be remote as universities across
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Australia prepare to educate more than
a million students and deliver $3.7 billion
worth of research programs. However,
higher education is a global enterprise. And
security, safety and affordability loom large
in decisions parents make across the world
about where their children should study,
in decisions talented academics make on
where to work, and in decisions by industry
and business partners about whether to
engage in research and innovation and with
whom to collaborate.
Against this global backdrop, with a
federal election also looming and higher
education reform legislation still on ice,
only the bravest soothsayer would make
predictions – so here goes.
What will 2016 deliver for our sector in
terms of international engagement? Well
there is some room for optimism that
Australian universities have built a level
of resilience that should enable them to
withstand the global headwinds. In January,
Times Higher Education published its ranking
of the top 200 most international universities.
A total of 24 Australian universities were in
that top 200, placing Australia second only
to the UK in this measure of international
reach. The international position of our sector
is supported in part by the performance
of education as an export industry worth
$18.8 billion in 2014–15. And as the dollar
declines, our world-class universities represent
even better value to international students.
This nation has a reputation for safety
and security and Australian universities
value the cultural diversity that international
students bring to their campuses. The
desire for Australian students to study and
build their careers overseas before returning
here is often catalysed by a deep level of
engagement with students from different
cultures and parts of the world during their
degree. The government’s new National
Strategy for International Education, set to
be an Australian first when it is published
this year, will provide a helpful structure for
continuing expansion of this engagement.
On balance, we should be optimistic that
we have built resilience, networks and
a record of quality and security and are
mature about the importance of reciprocity
in our international relationships. These
elements will underpin our aspirations
to develop education partnerships and
contribute to our region in shaping the
future of higher education.
One of the key ingredients in the
development of any international research
partnerships will always be the quality
of our work, carried out by talented
academics. The outcome of the most
recent Excellence in Research for Australia