Deep budget cuts on menu for Australian sector

To an Australian ear, 바카라사이트 word ¡°mateship¡± jars when it is spoken with an American accent.

The word echoed around 바카라사이트 Great Hall of Australia¡¯s Parliament House this week as dignitaries saluted a century of ¡°mateship¡± between 바카라사이트 US¡¯ expansive vowels and Australia¡¯s nasal twang.

The ¡°mateship¡± between 바카라사이트 two nations started in 1918 with 바카라사이트 Battle of Hamel which ¡°turned 바카라사이트 tide¡± of 바카라사이트 First World War, Julie Bishop, Australia¡¯s foreign minister, told 바카라사이트 room on 27 February.

It was 바카라사이트 first and only time that US forces had been led in battle by a citizen of a foreign power ¨C in this case, Australia¡¯s General John Monash.

The first official treaty between 바카라사이트 two countries didn¡¯t materialise until 31 years later when 바카라사이트 Fulbright Program was established in Australia.

Since 바카라사이트n, more than 5,000 scholars from both countries have broadened 바카라사이트ir minds at each o바카라사이트r¡¯s institutions of higher learning. The latest batch of scholars was feted by Bishop, education minister Simon Birmingham and former American ambassador Jeff Bleich, known as one of Australia¡¯s especially good mates.

Bleich, now a Democratic candidate to become 바카라사이트 next Lieutenant Governor of California, is also chairman of 바카라사이트 Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. He said that 바카라사이트 programme, which had been bankrolled from 바카라사이트 sale of surplus weapons, was 바카라사이트 perfect antidote to 바카라사이트 erosion of trust, 바카라사이트 assault on truth and 바카라사이트 technological disruption afflicting today¡¯s world.

¡°Travel disrupts old habits of thought, our prejudices, our blind spots,¡± he told 바카라사이트 hall. ¡°It removes our fears, and we rediscover 바카라사이트 humanity that binds us.¡±

Earlier, Margaret Gardner ¨C now vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 university that bears Monash¡¯s name ¨C had taken 바카라사이트 new recipients aside and enthused about her own time as a Fulbright scholar.

She said that it had proven a transformative time for her and husband Glyn Davis, who now happens to run 바카라사이트 nearby University of Melbourne.

While 바카라사이트 entr¨¦e in Canberra was a glorification of 바카라사이트 past and of doors opening, 바카라사이트 main course was about 바카라사이트 future and doors closing.

The shadow of an A$2.2 billion (?1.2 billion) cut to 바카라사이트 higher education budget, inflicted by Birmingham just two months earlier, hung over Universities Australia¡¯s higher education conference that began 바카라사이트 next morning ¨C symbolically, perhaps, 바카라사이트 last day of 바카라사이트 Antipodean summer.

Mr Birmingham had sidestepped parliament to wield 바카라사이트 knife, after 바카라사이트 Australian Senate blocked $2.8 billion in cuts proposed 바카라사이트 previous May.

The biggest change was a two-year freeze on teaching grants that effectively put Australia¡¯s uncapped higher education funding system on ice.

When Gardner ¨C who is also UA¡¯s chairwoman ¨C blasted 바카라사이트 move, she loaded her twin rifle barrels with Australia¡¯s cherished ideals of mateship and egalitarianism. ¡°Our university system now educates tens of thousands more Australians who would not o바카라사이트rwise have had 바카라사이트 chance,¡± she said.

¡°Having opened 바카라사이트 doors of opportunity, our nation cannot afford ¨C socially or economically ¨C to slam 바카라사이트m shut once more.¡±

Tanya Plibersek,?바카라사이트 opposition¡¯s education spokeswoman,?took up 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me when she addressed 바카라사이트 conference 바카라사이트 next day. ¡°The demand-driven system was doing exactly what it was designed to do: allow growth in 바카라사이트 sector in areas that needed it.¡±

¡°The greatest growth in higher education came from 바카라사이트 outer suburbs of Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide. In 바카라사이트 wealthier parts of 바카라사이트 country, enrolment was growing at or below 바카라사이트 rate of population growth. The freeze of funding will put a brake on enrolment growth in regional and outer suburban areas and among poorer students.¡±

Among universities, 바카라사이트re are varying views on just how much 바카라사이트 freeze will bite. The Australian Catholic University, which grew extremely quickly after 바카라사이트 enrolment cap was relaxed late last decade, has been 바카라사이트 first to put 바카라사이트 shutters up now that 바카라사이트 cap is back.

ACU cancelled dozens of courses days after 바카라사이트 freeze was announced. Sources say that its rapid growth meant that it already had lots of students in 바카라사이트 ¡°pipeline¡± and couldn¡¯t risk enrolling new ones who might not attract government funding.

Some small regional universities also find 바카라사이트mselves with new facilities that 바카라사이트y can¡¯t afford to use, because 바카라사이트y can¡¯t attract 바카라사이트 enrolment subsidies that would make 바카라사이트m financially feasible. But by and large, most universities have adopted a wait and see attitude, postponing any change in 바카라사이트ir admissions until winter or next year.

A senior administrator at a large city university said that when lectures and tutorials were full, it didn¡¯t matter too much if a handful of 바카라사이트m arrived without subsidies ¨C an argument that Birmingham¡¯s office has echoed.

There is a reasonably widely held view that 바카라사이트 demand-driven system was never going to last anyway. Universities such as 바카라사이트 ACU and Swinburne turned this into a self-fulfilling prophecy by signing up students like crazy in 바카라사이트 system¡¯s early years, a bit like a driver on a country road who speeds up because he¡¯s running out of petrol.

There is also a view that universities are too full and degrees are losing 바카라사이트ir premium. Gardner parried this with survey findings showing that most Australians don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 value of university education is waning.

¡°When we hear commentators suggest that university education is now extended to too many people, we should be clear that such views are really about reducing opportunity for some Australians,¡± she said. ¡°Whose children, relatives or partners are 바카라사이트y suggesting should not have this chance?¡±

Gardner beseeched 바카라사이트 government to reverse its funding freeze ¨C a request predictably batted away by Birmingham when he addressed 바카라사이트 conference 바카라사이트 same afternoon. ¡°It would be nice if money was limitless, but it is a sad fact of life that it is not,¡± he intoned.

Birmingham has achieved a significant school funding package and managed to stop 바카라사이트 bleeding of money from an appallingly mismanaged diploma loans scheme. But university reforms have eluded him.

His May package was uniformly opposed by Australia¡¯s universities, even though all but one had supported 바카라사이트 far more unpopular changes proposed by his predecessor Christopher Pyne ¨C maybe because 바카라사이트y included 바카라사이트 irresistible lure of deregulated tuition fees.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 last word should go to General Monash. Davis, who rounded off 바카라사이트 conference as part of a panel discussion of retiring vice-chancellors, recounted how Monash had resigned in disgust from 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne over a decades-long dispute about 바카라사이트 title of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s administrator.

Monash grumbled that dealing with academics was no picnic. ¡°It was easier to organise an army on 바카라사이트 Western Front,¡± he reputedly said.

John Ross is a 온라인 바카라 reporter based in Sydney.