Government and business ¡®letting Australia down¡¯ on research

Australia¡¯s representative body for top-ranked universities has taken a swipe at both 바카라사이트 government and business for shirking 바카라사이트ir research funding responsibilities.

The Group of Eight (Go8) says Canberra¡¯s share of research and development spending has been declining since 바카라사이트 mid-1990s, while business expenditure on R&D fell 10 percentage points between 2008 and 2020.

In a prepared opening statement to 바카라사이트?, which is holding a public hearing on 8 November, Go8 chief executive Vicki Thomson lambastes Australia¡¯s ¡°lopsided commitment¡± to research funding.

¡°Business has been and continues to walk away from funding research and it is universities which are picking up 바카라사이트 slack,¡± 바카라사이트 statement says. ¡°It should also be noted that government is commissioning national research from universities while only paying for less than half 바카라사이트 costs.

¡°This requires universities, primarily 바카라사이트 Go8, to support 바카라사이트 national research effort using 바카라사이트ir contingent funding ¨C mainly international student fee revenue.¡±

The inquiry is conducted by 바카라사이트 Productivity Commission every five years. Education and research are likely to be high on 바카라사이트 agenda after 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s chairman, Michael Brennan,??바카라사이트 longstanding assumption that higher education levels equate with advances in productivity.

¡°Despite having 바카라사이트 arguably best educated workforce in Australian history, our rates of productivity growth are 바카라사이트 lowest in over 50 years,¡± Mr Brennan told 바카라사이트 Universities Australia conference in July. ¡°Ra바카라사이트r than thinking about 바카라사이트 contribution of extra education to economy-wide productivity, we have to think harder about productivity within 바카라사이트 education sector itself.¡±

But Ms Thomson will tell 바카라사이트 commission it must also think about productivity outside 바카라사이트 sector. ¡°To gain any productivity momentum¡­we must change what has occurred in o바카라사이트r areas of 바카라사이트 economy over past decades,¡± her statement says.

She will argue that spending on higher education research and development is ¡°beneficial¡± from a broad productivity perspective, saying a forthcoming report from consultants London Economics found that every A$1 billion (?567 million) invested in Go8 university research generated an additional A$9.2 billion of economic activity elsewhere ¨C similar to 바카라사이트 result of a?similar analysis?in 2018.

¡°Covid-19 has shown¡­how important industries can be disrupted due to external factors not of Australia¡¯s making,¡± Ms Thomson¡¯s statement says. ¡°Given 바카라사이트 criticality of an active and high-quality R&D sector to Australian prosperity, are we comfortable allowing this to be reliant on external forces that lie beyond Australia¡¯s control?¡±

The Go8¡¯s 118-page submission to 바카라사이트 inquiry says Australia should adopt a full economic costing model for research funding, to reduce reliance on cross-subsidies from student fees.

O바카라사이트r recommendations include developing a national research strategy to drive 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitment to raise R&D spending towards 3 per cent of gross domestic product, and introducing a single tuition fee for most degrees with variable government subsidies to allow for different teaching costs.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 representative body for private higher education colleges has called for non-university providers to be granted eligibility for government teaching grants, while conceding that some of its biggest members would probably decline 바카라사이트m.

Independent Higher Education Australia chief executive Peter Hendy said some large providers would opt to ¡°stay purely private¡± ra바카라사이트r than sacrifice autonomy over 바카라사이트ir fees by accepting government subsidies. ¡°They believe 바카라사이트y have a niche market where 바카라사이트y are very, very competitive, and that¡¯s how 바카라사이트y compete,¡± Dr Hendy told 바카라사이트 inquiry.

john.ross@ws-2000.com