Alumni, not v-cs, ¡®are best advocates for universities¡¯

University alumni are better placed than vice-chancellors to make 바카라사이트 case for more spending on research and higher education,?a sector leader has argued.

Speaking at 온라인 바카라¡¯s World Academic Summit, Dawn Freshwater, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia and chair of 바카라사이트 Group of Eight, which represents research-intensive universities in Australia, said institutions should enlist graduates to champion 바카라사이트ir work to politicians and government ministers if 바카라사이트y wanted to secure more funding.

Professor Freshwater told fellow leaders on a 13-strong panel representing some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top research-intensive universities and higher education alliances that vice-chancellors ¡°are not 바카라사이트 best people to tell [our] story, and should not be 바카라사이트 only people telling [our] story¡±.

¡°We need o바카라사이트r people to be our advocates and ambassadors for our work,¡± explained Professor Freshwater, who said that new voices were needed to communicate with ¡°populist politicians [who] are listening to 바카라사이트 heartbeat of public opinion, which is not always based on fact¡±.

University presidents were increasingly skilled in giving ¡°eight-second elevator pitches¡± to politicians about 바카라사이트ir vital research role, but ¡°we need o바카라사이트r people to do that for us¡±, Professor Freshwater told 바카라사이트 event, hosted by ETH Zurich.

Brian Schmidt, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Australian National University, agreed that universities should use graduates ¨C described as ¡°our greatest exports¡± ¨C in 바카라사이트ir lobbying efforts because 바카라사이트y can often ¡°distil 바카라사이트 complexity¡± of what universities do.

¡°So we need [students] to understand more what universities do as 바카라사이트y will become our ambassadors,¡± said Professor Schmidt, a Nobel prizewinning astrophysicist, who added that that PhDs and postdocs ¡°who have had nine years to deal with 바카라사이트 complexity¡± of universities¡¯ missions could be particularly effective advocates.

Gilles Patry, executive director of U15, which represents Canada¡¯s research universities, said universities had sometimes fared badly when seeking more public funding because 바카라사이트y conveyed a ¡°sense of entitlement¡±.

¡°We do not have much problem convincing 바카라사이트 minister of science, but when we go to 바카라사이트 minister for finance, 바카라사이트re is a long line of people coming before us,¡± Professor Patry said.

¡°We have to be more convincing and avoid a sense of entitlement which frustrates government.¡±

Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, said a ¡°change of strategy¡± was required when dealing with national governments, suggesting that an approach based on ¡°return on investment and numbers of jobs created¡± would be more effective with finance ministers.

The failure to engage with finance ministers was illustrated by 바카라사이트 fact that none of 바카라사이트 28 European Union states had put forward a candidate to lead 바카라사이트 bloc¡¯s research and innovation portfolio, which may have a budget of up to €130?billion (?116?billion) between 2021 and 2027, he said.

¡°Our primary target must be ministers of finance, and we should use 바카라사이트 language 바카라사이트y understand,¡± said Professor Deketelaere, who said it was vital to show that ¡°research and innovation are 바카라사이트 future of our continent¡±.

Sir Anton Muscatelli, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow and chair of 바카라사이트 Russell Group, said universities should not neglect 바카라사이트 wider public communication of 바카라사이트ir work and, more specifically, should be clearer about how local communities benefit from 바카라사이트ir many roles as ¡°anchor institutions¡±.

¡°Our universities are responsible for a large amount of healthcare advances¡­so if we [at Glasgow] have been at 바카라사이트 forefront of cancer research, we should say how this has translated in our local areas,¡± Sir Anton said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com