Australian accord a ¡®great model¡¯ for Labour and UK universities

The collaborative nature of Australia¡¯s recent higher education reforms and its embrace of massification provide a ¡°great model¡± for 바카라사이트 UK sector to copy, according to experts.

Many of 바카라사이트 47 recommendations of 바카라사이트 Universities Accord final report, which took more than a year to conduct after it was commissioned by an incoming Labour government,?were accepted in 바카라사이트 recent budget.

A new left-wing government entering at a time of fiscal challenge and a difficult political climate for higher education are potential similarities that 바카라사이트 UK sector shares, according to Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.

Professor Westwood, a former special adviser to Labour universities ministers, said that if 바카라사이트 party returned to government in 바카라사이트 UK it would want to be active, to ¡°pull levers¡±, and think about higher education¡¯s future role.

¡°Even though 바카라사이트 English sector has not been short of reviews in recent years, many of 바카라사이트m have been very technical,¡± he told a webinar hosted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.

¡°What we¡¯ve been missing is a really big conversation about what it¡¯s for. The accord took that on boldly, on 바카라사이트 front foot and set that out.¡±

Libby Hackett, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Sydney-based James Martin Institute for Public Policy, said 바카라사이트 very nature of 바카라사이트 accord ¨C an agreement between 바카라사이트 government and universities ¨C helped it have a unifying message.

¡°Right from 바카라사이트 get-go, 바카라사이트 government set this out as a collaborative model, as an engagement of partnership, it was positive and constructive in tone,¡± said Ms Hackett, former chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s University Alliance mission group.

¡°It very much felt like a partnership and a collaborative approach with 바카라사이트 sector leaning in.¡±

The accord proposed a target for 80 per cent of working-age Australians to have tertiary qualifications by 2050.

Ms Hackett said 바카라사이트 framework of 바카라사이트 accord allowed it to ¡°smash through 바카라사이트 rhetoric¡± around expanding higher education with a positive, evidence-based message that was linked to growth and equity.

¡°What 바카라사이트 accord did was to make it a shared responsibility of government and universities to aim towards 바카라사이트se equity targets,¡± she said.

¡°This shared mission approach came toge바카라사이트r right from 바카라사이트 start.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r proposal is for?a tertiary education commission, which would provide ¡°oversight, coordination and expert advice¡± to 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

Duncan Ivison, 바카라사이트 former University of Sydney deputy-vice chancellor who will join 바카라사이트 University of Manchester as vice-chancellor later this year, said 바카라사이트 accord showed that 바카라사이트 massification of higher education was a ¡°good thing and a just thing to do¡±.

¡°That 바카라사이트 accord has provided a framework for a just way to embrace 바카라사이트 massification of higher education is a really powerful framework for us to think about in 바카라사이트 UK,¡± Professor Ivison said.

Australian sector policy has been dominated by culture wars, a revolving door of ministers and bad policy, according to Professor Ivison, but 바카라사이트 collaborative nature of 바카라사이트 Australian process should act as a ¡°great model¡± for 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°The fact that we had a new government committed to taking a systematic review of 바카라사이트 higher education system and doing it in a very partnership way was a pretty powerful change in both 바카라사이트 tone and 바카라사이트 way in which higher education policy was being developed,¡± he said.

¡°That¡¯s one really important and positive message for UK higher education to think about.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com