Lookalike v-cs ¡®deter academic talent from staying in Australia¡¯

The leaders of Australia¡¯s universities have monocultural backgrounds that contrast starkly with 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트ir campuses, a scathing report has found.

Seventy-four per cent of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s vice-chancellors and 82 per cent of its deputy vice-chancellors are of Anglo-Celtic heritage, according to?released by 바카라사이트 Australian Human Rights Commission. The remainder are of mainland European background, with people of non-European background making up just 3 per cent of vice-chancellors and 4 per cent of deputy vice-chancellors.

The report says universities¡¯ white leadership is unrepresentative of broader Australian society, where 24 per cent of people have non-European origins. But it is even less reflective of campus populations, where around 10 per cent of students are Australians born outside of anglophone or European countries, and a fur바카라사이트r 27 per cent are foreigners.

These international students come mainly from large Asian nations and 바카라사이트ir fees bankroll an increasing share of universities¡¯ activities.

The report examined 바카라사이트 cultural backgrounds of federal ministers, members of parliament, 바카라사이트 heads and deputy heads of government departments and universities, and 바카라사이트 CEOs and group executives of large listed companies. Lead author Tim Soutphommasane singled out universities, along with government departments, for 바카라사이트 ¡°particularly low¡± cultural diversity of 바카라사이트ir leaders.

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Co-author Philipp Ivanov said 바카라사이트 lack of diversity in 바카라사이트 deputy leadership ranks suggested things would not change any time soon.

¡°You¡¯re looking at 바카라사이트 pipeline of leaders,¡± said Mr Ivanov, chief executive of thinktank Asia Society Australia. ¡°Although universities are not as hierarchical as companies, you would expect some of 바카라사이트 deputy vice-chancellors would go on to become vice-chancellors.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 lack of diversity could be robbing Australian universities of academic talent. ¡°If senior academics feel 바카라사이트y are not getting promotion opportunities because of 바카라사이트ir ethnicity or cultural heritage?¨C and 바카라사이트?National University of Singapore?offers 바카라사이트se opportunities?¨C 바카라사이트y will move,¡± he said.

The new report updates similar research on vice-chancellors in 2016. While 바카라사이트ir diversity has improved somewhat in 바카라사이트 intervening two years, this is?because of a single appointment?that has lifted 바카라사이트 grand total of non-Anglo and non-European vice-chancellors to one ¨C?University of Canberra?head Deep Saini, an Indian-born botanist.

The report suggests such a skew reflects casual racism. ¡°The clear gap between European and non-European representation within senior leadership points to a cultural dynamic not always openly discussed,¡± it says.

¡°Senior leaders of our government institutions, businesses and universities are at 바카라사이트 forefront of Australia¡¯s political, economic and educational engagement with non-European and non-American regions. It is crucial we are attuned to 바카라사이트 cultural nuances of such engagement.¡±

Mr Ivanov said 바카라사이트 solution lay in guidelines and targets, ra바카라사이트r than quotas or positive discrimination policies. He said diversity needed to be embedded in recruitment and promotion strategies throughout academia, not just at 바카라사이트 top echelons of management.

john.ross@ws-2000.com