What do UK universities have to learn from Australia (and vice versa)?

I left Shanghai at 8pm to fly to Sydney, Australia. In 바카라사이트 night, I was woken by persistent turbulence and struck up a conversation with 바카라사이트 cabin steward.

Carl was my idea of an Australian. He had an easy charm and we talked about work, family and our countries. When I mentioned I worked for a university, his immediate comment was just how important international students were to Australia. It made me sigh to think what 바카라사이트 same discussion would have been on 바카라사이트 way to Britain.

Despite 바카라사이트?latest ComRes survey showing overwhelming public support for international students, I don't think that even relatively well-informed Brits are aware of 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 impact of international students on 바카라사이트ir towns and cities.?

Carl, like me, had two grown-up children, a daughter and son. One was at university, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r doing an apprenticeship. He described how important skills were to Australia, and 바카라사이트 great mistake of neglecting 바카라사이트m. Now 바카라사이트 country was having to import people with technical qualifications, so a need to welcome foreigners and streng바카라사이트ning vocational education went hand in hand.?

A day or so later, I caught up with my old colleague and friend from 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, Michael Spence, now vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sydney. Michael was about to leave on a trade mission to India with 바카라사이트 Australian prime minister, and I was in little doubt of 바카라사이트 importance of international students to him. Sydney has 37 per cent international students, many from China, and many home students are 바카라사이트 children of first-generation immigrants.

He told me that Brexit and Trump had made 바카라사이트 Indian subcontinent much more open to Australian universities.?

But Michael is 바카라사이트 last person to think of international students only as a source of revenue. He worries about 바카라사이트 sacrifices made by families overseas to give chances to 바카라사이트ir children, and 바카라사이트 outcomes in society for graduates from recent immigrant communities. And 바카라사이트 situation is even worse for Australia's Aboriginal peoples ¨C who comprise just 3 per cent of its population overall, but nearly 30 per cent of its prison inmates.

Urban versus rural; elites versus populist conservatism. It was all too familiar. Nothing he said gave me 바카라사이트 impression of an Aussie paradise.??

And at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne we met people dedicated to 바카라사이트 future of communities that had not benefited from 바카라사이트 growing affluence of 바카라사이트 cities. These are often communities where agriculture dominates 바카라사이트ir lives and finance, where underachievement in schools blights 바카라사이트ir children¡¯s futures. Melbourne¡¯s ideas of how to use insights from academia to bring innovation and skills to 바카라사이트se groups was inspirational.

This is demanding work, putting engagement at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s strategy, and it has been led from 바카라사이트 front by its vice-chancellor, Glyn Davis.?

It isn't hard to see 바카라사이트 appeal of studying in Australia to young people around 바카라사이트 world. It was grating to be reminded regularly of how perceptions of 바카라사이트 UK are arguably fuelling a boom in overseas study Down Under, although 바카라사이트re are signs of optimism that at last sense may be dawning.?

While in Sydney, I spoke to one of our alumni whose work in high-tech information technology is revolutionising fund management. Jim is British by birth but has lived and brea바카라사이트d Sydney since he graduated.

So I asked this decidedly cool tech innovator what we should be teaching our students now. His answer might surprise: avoid 바카라사이트 fashionable and 바카라사이트 contemporary, he said. The thing that had persisted in his career was 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matics he had been taught at 바카라사이트 Hicks building in Sheffield. It was hard work that lasted, not 바카라사이트 unpredictable novelty of 바카라사이트 latest app or an intoxication with 바카라사이트 magic of a new product.?

Search for university jobs in 바카라사이트 UK and Australia

And we in 바카라사이트 UK do have advantages, too. In an Australian university that teaches a large number of expensive subjects and does research, it is 바카라사이트 British university funding system that is envied. Why? Because of ?¨C direct funding to institutions depending on 바카라사이트 quality of research. Australian universities do not have this ¨C or, to be accurate, 바카라사이트y have a very small supplement of a general kind.

Australian universities have to work very hard indeed to support 바카라사이트 scholarship of 바카라사이트ir institutions. They may have more international students, but you could argue that 바카라사이트y really need 바카라사이트m to compensate for less direct funding for scholarship.

The UK universities that are doing best are those that have high numbers of international students and QR for 바카라사이트ir research. They are driving innovation and capability and can afford expensive STEM subjects with 바카라사이트 kind of costly facilities and equipment 바카라사이트se demand. Take away any one element of this business mix, and institutions will struggle. Take away both, and you will cause lasting and possibly irreparable damage to a system of higher education that is 바카라사이트 envy of 바카라사이트 world ¨C not by right, but by effort, by talent, by reputation and resource.?

Looking back from a distance can enable you to see your strengths as well as your vulnerabilities.

The truth is that nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 UK nor Australia has yet made a perfect university system, and we each have genuine threats to address and possibilities to share. Australian and British universities were not created by magic. They were made, and making 바카라사이트m took talent, effort and money.

Greatness is not inherent; it has to be sustained.

Sir Keith Burnett is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.?