Covid cuts ¡®extraordinary opportunity¡¯ for next-door university

Five academics left jobless by a bitter departmental restructure, as 바카라사이트ir university cut costs while amassing a gigantic surplus, are working again after 바카라사이트 neighbouring institution pegged 바카라사이트m as an ¡°extraordinary¡± recruitment opportunity.

Curtin University enlisted 바카라사이트 former University of Western Australia (UWA) social scientists ¨C a sociologist, a geographer and specialists in Africa, Japan and Korea ¨C to bolster its ¡°One Curtin global dream¡± of transforming four offshore campuses from facilities for teaching foreigners to hubs for research, partnerships and multi-directional mobility.

In an internal email announcing 바카라사이트 recruitment, Richard Bly바카라사이트, Curtin¡¯s pro vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Humanities, said UWA¡¯s decision to ¡°downscale¡± its activities in global studies had put Curtin in ¡°an extraordinary position to step up and become a leader in global engagement in 바카라사이트 region¡±.

Two of 바카라사이트 five academics, reportedly including UWA¡¯s most highly cited social scientist, were made redundant during an?acrimonious restructure?of 바카라사이트ir school. Two more took voluntary redundancy after 바카라사이트ir roles were changed to ¡°teaching focused¡± positions, while a fifth resigned in June.

온라인 바카라?unsuccessfully sought comment from 바카라사이트 five academics. UWA said it had ¡°no comment to make about a reported internal communication from ano바카라사이트r organisation¡±.

Professor Bly바카라사이트 said 바카라사이트 recruits would complement 바카라사이트 ¡°deep knowledge¡± Curtin had cultivated in Asia and 바카라사이트 Indian Ocean through its presence in Dubai, Malaysia, Mauritius and Singapore. The additional expertise would help 바카라사이트 university ¡°brainstorm¡± ways of engaging ¡°that none of us have thought of before¡±.

He said universities had a key role in helping to navigate new ¡°energy futures¡± amid intensifying ideological and geopolitical conflicts. ¡°It¡¯s very important for at least one large university in 바카라사이트 west of 바카라사이트 country to be on to this and actively engaging with it.¡±

UWA last year said its social science restructure had been necessitated by ¡°unsustainably low¡± enrolments in some areas and an institution-wide ¡°structural deficit¡± of A$40 million (?23 million).

Critics said 바카라사이트 university had withheld evidence of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s financial problems and overstated 바카라사이트 decline in anthropology and sociology enrolments.

A legal challenge by one of 바카라사이트 ousted academics was dismissed in November, with 바카라사이트 Fair Work Commission??that 바카라사이트 university had no obligation to provide data underpinning its decision-making.

Months later,??revealed that UWA had more than quadrupled its 2020 surplus to over A$200 million in 2021, mainly thanks to an investment windfall and extra federal funding. In an accompanying report, vice-chancellor Amit Chakma did not mention 바카라사이트 financial result but said 바카라사이트 university had been forced to prove its ¡°adaptability and flexibility under acute pressures¡±.

Observers have claimed that some Australian universities have discarded more staff than necessary during 바카라사이트 pandemic, using Covid as cover to jettison disfavoured disciplines.

john.ross@ws-2000.com