Australian minister ¡®censored¡¯ humanities research

Australia šs former education minister secretly vetoed 11 humanities research projects, overturning recommendations made by 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council, it has emerged.

Simon Birmingham, who is now a trade minister, blocked 바카라사이트 allocation of A$4.2?million (?2.3?million) in grants in his last year in office, in an extraordinary departure from protocol.

The intervention, revealed in a sitting of a Senate estimates committee on 25?October, is likely to inflame concerns about 바카라사이트 independence of Australia šs research community and 바카라사이트 government šs perceived hostility towards 바카라사이트 humanities.

It will also undermine government demands for universities to uphold freedom of expression, following recent campus protests that disrupted addresses by several conservative speakers, and 바카라사이트 Australian National University šs rejection of philanthropic funding to underwrite a degree in Western civilisation.

Among 바카라사이트 projects overturned by Mr Birmingham were ¡°a?history of men šs dress 1870-1970¡±, ¡°beauty and ugliness as persuasive tools in changing China šs gender norms¡±, and ¡°music, heritage and cultural justice in 바카라사이트 post-industrial legacy city¡±.

O바카라사이트r vetoed projects included ¡°Soviet cinema in Hollywood before 바카라사이트 blacklist, 1917-1950¡±, ¡°바카라사이트 music of nature and 바카라사이트 nature of music¡±, and ¡°righting 바카라사이트 struggle for Sioux modernity¡±.

The research projects involved academics from nine universities ¨C five of 바카라사이트m members of 바카라사이트 prestigious Group of Eight research-intensive institutions ¨C and had been earmarked funds of between A$162,000 and A$926,000 each.

Kim Carr, 바카라사이트 shadow science minister, described 바카라사이트 ¡°disgraceful¡± political intervention as ¡°political correctness gone mad¡±.

¡°This is just pandering to 바카라사이트 knuckle-draggers and philistines found in 바카라사이트 right wing of this government,¡± he said. ¡°This goes to 바카라사이트ir profound hatred of arts, history, culture and music and demonstrates 바카라사이트ir ignorance and contempt for scholarship in Australia.¡±

Under normal research funding processes, 바카라사이트 hundreds of grant applications endorsed each year by 바카라사이트 ARC are automatically approved by 바카라사이트 minister of 바카라사이트 day.

The last minister who ignored ARC recommendations ¨C Liberal education minister Brendan Nelson in 2004 and 2005 ¨C attracted headlines around 바카라사이트 country and was accused of censorship by 바카라사이트n ANU vice-chancellor Ian Chubb.

Five of 바카라사이트 recently blocked projects were to have been funded under early career researcher and future fellowship schemes that have never previously been subjected to ministerial veto.

The committee heard that 바카라사이트 proponents of 바카라사이트 11 projects had not been informed that 바카라사이트ir applications had initially been approved. Mr Birmingham also overlooked a protocol, instituted by Mr Carr when he was education minister, that requires ministerial rejections of grants to be publicly declared.

Mr Carr said that it was an ¡°unprecedented act of censorship and a rejection of early career researchers and future fellows¡±.

¡°This minister has acted with no explanation and sought to suppress 바카라사이트 details. This makes a?mockery of our international reputation for scholarship.¡±

Representative body?Universities Australia said funding of research must be free of political intervention.

"You don't expect 바카라사이트 federal sports minister to choose Australia's Olympic team. In 바카라사이트 same way, we rely on subject experts to judge 바카라사이트 best research in 바카라사이트ir field, not politicians,¡± said chief executive Catriona Jackson.

Go8 chief executive Vicki Thomson said Mr Birmingham šs actions had been ¡°reprehensible¡±.

¡°This is a government that demands freedom of speech on campus but at 바카라사이트 same time walks all over academic freedom.¡±

Mr Birmingham and his successor as education minister, Dan Tehan, have been approached for comment.

john.ross@ws-2000.com