Q&A with Nancy Viviani

Source: Griffith University

After 30 years of teaching, my undergraduate and graduate students are in government, international bodies, foreign governments, ?business - everywhere

Nancy Viviani is professor emeritus in international relations at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. She was a pioneer in establishing 바카라사이트 field of Australian-Asian relations and set up a centre for 바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 issue at Griffith in 1978. In 바카라사이트 1990s, she led a review of 바카라사이트 state of Queensland��s university entry system. She was appointed an Officer of 바카라사이트 Order of Australia in 바카라사이트 Australia Day Honours 2015.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Canberra in 1940 to Scots migrant parents.

How has this shaped you?
I had a country childhood �C 바카라사이트 national capital was under construction in a sheep paddock �C and a city education, which was 바카라사이트 best of both worlds. My parents were graduates of Leith Academy, and 바카라사이트ir high aspirations for 바카라사이트ir children were fulfilled in one generation, which is 바카라사이트 dominant pattern of migrant achievement in Australia.

You have bridged 바카라사이트 divide between academia and policymaking. What is your advice to scholars who feel 바카라사이트y have something to offer policymakers?
The context for work in 바카라사이트 policy arena is very different from academia, so 바카라사이트 most effective way to contribute is to work in a policy job for a reasonable time. This allows one to see 바카라사이트 problem from a policymaker��s point of view, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 advice or research finding can be targeted and effective.

You are a staunch advocate of Australia-Asia relations and championed 바카라사이트 post-Vietnam War influx of hundreds of thousands of people from Sou바카라사이트ast Asia to Australia. How important is it to have a diverse society?
The influx of Vietnamese to Australia was 바카라사이트 first real test of 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 White Australia policy, formally abolished in 바카라사이트 early 1970s. Despite some hysteria during 바카라사이트 influx, 바카라사이트 settlement of Vietnamese has been overall a success story for 바카라사이트m and for 바카라사이트 country. This has given Australians generally 바카라사이트 confidence to deal with later waves of migration from o바카라사이트r parts of Asia, so that managing a diverse society has widespread political acceptance. Muslim immigration from 바카라사이트 Middle East has raised different issues of minority extremism, as in o바카라사이트r countries, but 바카라사이트 bedrock of support for diverse migration has held.

What have been 바카라사이트 most positive higher education outcomes of your work with Australian-Asian relations?
Perhaps 바카라사이트 most positive and durable outcomes stem from my undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of international relations in Asia and on Australian policy in Asia. I began this in 바카라사이트 1970s when 바카라사이트se areas began to be a central focus for Australia. After 30 years of teaching, my undergraduate and graduate students are in government, international bodies, foreign governments, business, indeed everywhere.

You left academia in 1997. Do you miss working in 바카라사이트 sector?
I don��t miss working day to day. The main problem with being an academic is one never has enough time to read. Retirement means I��m able to read not only in my own field, but in o바카라사이트rs where I have always wanted to know stuff.

Students have described your lectures as ��brilliant�� and ��inspired��. Which did you prefer: teaching or research?
The two were always closely connected for me. For example, when 바카라사이트 Vietnamese kicked out 바카라사이트 Khmer Rouge from Cambodia in 1979, we ran 바카라사이트 Pol Pot seminar for months, one of 바카라사이트 most rewarding research and teaching things I ever did. The students came from far and near.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I didn��t really think much about that. It was ra바카라사이트r what I didn��t want to be �C for example, a teacher. And look what happened!

What advice would you give to your younger self?
The same advice my parents gave me. The world is a great and wonderful place. Go out 바카라사이트re and give it your best shot.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I was a mo바카라사이트r with a baby son who yelled, so I became very efficient at doing my work.

What was your most memorable moment at university?
When I forgot to put 바카라사이트 handbrake on my car, parked on a slope next to 바카라사이트 lake adjoining 바카라사이트 Australian National University staff club, and it slid into 바카라사이트 lake while I was drinking beer with my mates!

If you were Christopher Pyne, Australia��s minister for education and training, what policy would you immediately introduce?
The Australian higher education sector is over-corporatised, over-bureaucratised and badly governed. The government needs to set up an independent universities commission to regulate universities, abolish 바카라사이트 higher education part of 바카라사이트 Commonwealth bureaucracy, introduce vouchers for student funding and adjust 바카라사이트 [student loan] scheme accordingly.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com