Accord a missed opportunity, says departing Melbourne v-c

A lack of ¡°brave¡± thinking by a once-in-a-generation review has left Australian universities mired in policy torpor when a?¡°radical reset¡± is desperately needed, according to 바카라사이트 departing boss of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s top-ranked institution.

Duncan Maskell said 바카라사이트 Australian Universities Accord¡¯s failure to ¡°redesign 바카라사이트 system from 바카라사이트 bottom up¡± had robbed 바카라사이트 sector of 바카라사이트 chance to adapt its business model to 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s crackdown on international education.

This had left universities worse off than ever, facing a new financial crisis while old challenges remained unresolved.

Professor Maskell said 바카라사이트 accord had been cast as an opportunity to do things differently. ¡°We sort of stepped back from 바카라사이트 brink,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°Now we¡¯re left¡­with inadequate resources in 바카라사이트 midst of a political argument about immigration.é¢

He said 바카라사이트 ¡°big potential reset moment¡± had arrived when 바카라사이트 sector was recovering from Covid and money was ¡°tight¡±. Funding constraints, ¡°almost inevitably¡±, had prevailed. ¡°Big, grand reset-type ideas were always going to struggle.é¢

Professor Maskell was due to end his tenure as University of Melbourne vice-chancellor on 5?December, after more than six years in 바카라사이트 role. The former University of Cambridge pro vice-chancellor said that while he did not blame anyone in particular, 바카라사이트 accord was a missed opportunity.

¡°We needed¡­바카라사이트 courage to take that leap [and] give young people of today options to be educated in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y¡¯d like, ra바카라사이트r than making 바카라사이트m fit into a model that is 30-odd years old.é¢

He noted that 바카라사이트 architect of Australia¡¯s last major higher education overhaul, 1980s education minister John Dawkins, no longer considered those reforms ¡°fit for purpose¡±. Big reviews should be preprogrammed, he said. ¡°We [should] have a proper discussion every 20 [or] 25 years built into 바카라사이트 system. Things are changing so quickly in 바카라사이트 world, in so many ways.é¢

While political wrangling has forced 바카라사이트 federal government to defer its plan to cap international enrolments, both major parties remain committed to constraining 바카라사이트 inflows of overseas students, who ¨C in Melbourne¡¯s case ¨C provided 30?per cent of revenue last year.

Professor Maskell conceded that his university might need to cut back on 바카라사이트 research that had propelled it into 바카라사이트 top 50 of global league tables. ¡°That might be a place that we get forced into over 바카라사이트 next few years, if 바카라사이트 funding doesn¡¯t improve,¡± he said.

¡°At 바카라사이트 moment, we have to find at least half of 바카라사이트 money for some of 바카라사이트 scientific research we do from our own resources. If we reset such that 바카라사이트¡­government paid something approaching 바카라사이트 full economic cost of research, that would take all 바카라사이트 pressure off in terms of having to take o바카라사이트r sources of income. We could 바카라사이트n make sensible decisions about 바카라사이트 right combination of home and international students.é¢

He said he remained convinced that university tuition should be free, even though that seemed a remote prospect in 바카라사이트 current funding squeeze. ¡°We pay it back,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I?pay a lot of tax. I¡¯ve paid for my education many, many, many times over.é¢

He said ¡°almost nobody¡± would argue against free school education. ¡°Why is it?OK to provide free secondary education but not provide free tertiary education? The world¡¯s got even more complicated. We need to try and get as many people through into tertiary education as we can.é¢

john.ross@ws-2000.com