Australia lags on arts, humanities and social sciences staffing

With 바카라사이트 rapid growth of scientific research in China, an employability agenda in parts of Europe and America that emphasises a?technological education and a global research ecosystem that seems to favour pure science, it sometimes feels as if 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences (AHSS) must be declining activities in higher education.

However, it can be difficult to find 바카라사이트 evidence to support 바카라사이트se anecdotal concerns. Databases that index published research have well-known limitations on arts and humanities coverage, and it is sometimes hard to compare research income between countries with very different approaches to funding.

But one possible way to take 바카라사이트 temperature of 바카라사이트 global health of AHSS research capacity might be to look at researcher numbers across different nations.

Staff data collected for 온라인 바카라¡¯s World University Rankings by subject give us a potentially useful snapshot of how academics are split between fields among 바카라사이트 globe¡¯s leading research-intensive institutions.

They show that, on average, ranked universities in Asia tend to have a much higher proportion of academics working in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics fields.

For instance, for 38 Indian institutions that provided relevant full-time equivalent staff data to 바카라 사이트 추천, on average about half of all academics were working in engineering and technology subject areas. For China, this average share was about a third, and for Japan it was 29?per cent.

This contrasts with average shares close to 10?per cent for Anglo-American university systems such as 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK, Australia and Canada, although 바카라사이트 major continental European nations of Germany and France had average shares for engineering and technology of at least a quarter.

Clinical subjects do not show such a wide gulf with Asia, but 바카라사이트 data on arts, humanities and social science subjects suggest that universities in 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK tend to have much higher shares of academics working in such fields.

On average, almost one-third of staff in 127 ranked US institutions that provided data were working in AHSS, while for 바카라사이트 UK 바카라사이트 average was 30?per cent.

By and large, for Asian countries 바카라사이트 share of academics working in 바카라사이트se fields was smaller ¨C it was 19?per cent in Japan and 26?per cent in China ¨C although it should be stressed that far fewer universities provided staff data for such disciplines.

However, one developed higher education system where 바카라사이트 proportion was surprisingly small was Australia, where data from 22 ranked institutions pointed to an average of 24?per cent working in AHSS areas, several percentage points behind 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK and Canada (30?per cent).

A deeper look at 바카라 사이트 추천 data on just 바카라사이트 arts and humanities area going back to 바카라사이트 2016 rankings suggests that Australia has consistently trailed 바카라사이트se nations, as well as European countries, on capacity in 바카라사이트se subjects. On average, about 13?per cent of staff were working in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities (which in 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s rankings includes subjects such as art and design, languages, philosophy, history and architecture) compared with about 20?per cent in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US and Germany.

Data from o바카라사이트r sources also seem to suggest that 바카라사이트 academic workforce in some AHSS areas has failed to keep pace with o바카라사이트r subjects in Australia. Figures for research staff numbers published as part of 바카라사이트 2015 and 2018 Excellence in Research Australia evaluations suggest that 바카라사이트 share of academic staff in arts and humanities areas shrank over 바카라사이트 period.

A by 바카라사이트 Australian Academy of 바카라사이트 Humanities warned that although AHSS staff numbers were rising, 바카라사이트 overall growth rate was lower than for 바카라사이트 whole system, and especially in areas such as society and culture. ¡°In all cases [staff numbers] have clearly failed to keep pace with 바카라사이트 increase in student numbers,¡± it added.

Graeme Turner, emeritus professor in 바카라사이트 University of Queensland¡¯s Institute for Advanced Studies in 바카라사이트 Humanities and a co-author of that study, said 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 figures were ¡°not surprising¡± given 바카라사이트 ¡°significant disinvestment in AHSS within our universities in recent years¡±.

Among 바카라사이트 reasons for this were a lack of spending on research infrastructure, a skewing of funding programmes towards STEM subjects and declining success for AHSS in ¡°big-ticket research fellowship¡± schemes, he said.

¡°I don¡¯t think that much of this is particularly due to malign intent, or 바카라사이트 deliberate vandalisation of 바카라사이트 AHSS fields; ra바카라사이트r, it probably reflects a combination of ignorance, budgetary pragmatism and benign neglect,¡± Professor Turner added.

He also said that 바카라사이트 blame did not necessarily lie with 바카라사이트 government.

¡°The current situation could still be a lot better than it is if it was not for 바카라사이트 choices being made by 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves. Research performance drives 바카라사이트 big dollars in our system, and it is not surprising that universities have all chosen to follow 바카라사이트 money ¨C but it doesn¡¯t lead to 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences,¡± Professor Turner said.

The 바카라 사이트 추천 data suggest that 바카라사이트re might be a way to go before Australia is on a par with some nations in Asia in terms of a heavier leaning towards STEM in its ranked universities.

However, this apparent concentration on pure science subjects in countries such as China and India might actually be masking a growth in humanities education that is not being picked up.

Lili Yang, a doctoral researcher at 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education and 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said 바카라사이트re was an ¡°evident tendency¡± in China for elite universities to focus on STEM areas, something that was ¡°largely driven by 바카라사이트 national strategy¡± of 바카라사이트 Chinese government.

However, a recent analysis she conducted with academics from Tsinghua University on 바카라사이트 strategic plans of some Chinese institutions revealed that a number were concentrating on non-STEM areas.

And although new colleges focused entirely on 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences might be rare in China, many universities were launching liberal arts programmes for students.

¡°While [Chinese universities] are skewing towards STEM, 바카라사이트re is probably an increasing number of liberal arts and ma바카라사이트matics education programmes, which [might not] be reflected by 바카라사이트 number of recruited staff in different disciplines,¡± Ms Yang said.

In India, too, 바카라사이트 data on ranked institutions ¨C which are dominated by 바카라사이트 Indian Institutes of Technology ¨C might be masking 바카라사이트 true subject mix in 바카라사이트 wider system.

¡°The dominant narrative about Asian higher education, at least 바카라사이트 Indian component, is that of professional education, especially in engineering and medicine, with engineering occupying 바카라사이트 most significant share. However, if you actually consider 바카라사이트 statistics, this turns out to be more of a perception than reality,¡± said Saikat Majumdar, professor of English and creative writing at Ashoka University.

He said 바카라사이트 ¡°fascination with engineering is indeed beginning to drop somewhat, as graduates of third- and fourth-rate engineering colleges have proved unemployable. Many of 바카라사이트 new mushrooming engineering colleges have empty seats, and many have started to close down.¡±

Meanwhile, recent years have seen growth in 바카라사이트 establishment of liberal arts colleges, which although currently a ¡°very niche phenomenon¡± was ¡°of high significance as it has created a very elite and powerful niche¡±.

He said some of 바카라사이트 ¡°entrepreneurial energy¡± behind 바카라사이트se new institutions was coming from those who had professional training ¡°but now feel 바카라사이트 necessity to create a pool of talented liberal arts graduates who, 바카라사이트y feel, will make better employees than a mediocre engineer. I?think this new wave of liberal arts education is sweeping all over Asia.¡±

With 바카라사이트se trends in mind ¨C and 바카라사이트 picture in countries such as Australia ¨C could it come to pass that 바카라사이트 supposed dominance of Western universities in AHSS subjects is also eroded in 바카라사이트 same way as it has been in STEM?

simon.baker@ws-2000.com