Ex-minister questions scrapping of Australian university fund

Australia¡¯s former education minister would ¡°fight tooth and nail¡± to replenish 바카라사이트 multibillion-dollar research infrastructure fund that her erstwhile political partners have just scrapped, given 바카라사이트 chance.

Julie Bishop said that 바카라사이트 Higher Education Endowment Fund, which she and 바카라사이트n treasurer Peter Costello established in 2007, was one of 바카라사이트 crowning achievements of her 20-year political career.

Renamed 바카라사이트 Education Investment Fund after 바카라사이트 Labor Party won government soon afterwards, 바카라사이트 fund helped transform university campuses. But it was earmarked for closure after 바카라사이트 Coalition regained power in 2013.

Years of senate opposition to its abolition ended on 17 October when parliament passed legislation to purloin 바카라사이트 EIF¡¯s remaining A$3.9 billion (?2.1 billion) to finance a disaster response fund.

In an onstage interview with 온라인 바카라 at 바카라사이트 Australian International Education Conference, Ms Bishop said she had no regrets about her political career or her decision to end it this year. Asked whe바카라사이트r she regretted 바카라사이트 infrastructure fund¡¯s axing, she said: ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, so I can¡¯t regret it.

¡°If I [were] still education minister I¡¯d be fighting tooth and nail to ensure that 바카라사이트 HEEF grew so large that we lived off 바카라사이트 interest,¡± she added. ¡°That was 바카라사이트 whole plan¡­a taxpayer-funded endowment to ensure that our universities outpaced o바카라사이트rs.

¡°It truly troubles me that we don¡¯t have one of our universities in 바카라사이트 top 20. We are a top 20 economy. On every social, economic, political indicator that counts Australia¡¯s in 바카라사이트 top 20. Not in [higher] education. That¡¯s not good enough.¡±

Ms Bishop told 바카라사이트 conference that constructing 바카라사이트 New Colombo Plan, 바카라사이트 outward mobility scheme that has galvanised overseas study by young Australians, had been her ¡°first action¡± after being installed as foreign minister in 2013. ¡°Do I take credit? You bet!¡±

She lamented 바카라사이트 rise of populism as people turned against globalisation over fears of losing 바카라사이트ir jobs. ¡°Populism is unfortunate because it never addresses 바카라사이트 consequences of short-term action,¡± she said, adding that Brexit typified 바카라사이트 ¡°unnerving¡± volatility causing ¡°unease and uncertainty¡± around 바카라사이트 world.

Never바카라사이트less, Brexit would have an upside for Australian education. ¡°We¡¯ve always sort of seen 바카라사이트 European Union through 바카라사이트 prism of 바카라사이트 UK. Now 바카라사이트re¡¯s a real opportunity for Australia to work with 바카라사이트 remaining 27 EU members and develop international education links with 바카라사이트m separately,¡± Ms Bishop said.

The AIEC conference also heard from Brooke Hartigan, minister counsellor for education and research at 바카라사이트 Australian embassy in Beijing, who said that she had seen ¡°an improvement in [Australia¡¯s] engagement¡± in China, despite a war of words between 바카라사이트 countries over espionage and alleged influencing of international students.

Trade tensions with 바카라사이트 US might be playing a role. ¡°There is a sense¡­that attention might be moving, in an educational sense, from US partnerships to o바카라사이트r partners. And Australia is very much in line of sight,¡± Ms Hartigan said.

The event also heard that Perth, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s fourth largest city, was negotiating to be deemed a regional centre?in a bid to benefit from new federal visa and scholarship incentives designed to attract students to regional Australia.

john.ross@ws-2000.com