New Adelaide v-c rebuffs criticism over China ties

Perceptions that 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide¡¯s new boss is too close to China stem from a time when 바카라사이트 whole of Australia was trying to get closer to China, he said.

Peter H?j, who has been appointed Adelaide vice-chancellor after leading 바카라사이트 University of Queensland (UQ) for eight years, arrives with baggage from Beijing ¨C largely because of 바카라사이트 five years he served as an unpaid consultant to 바카라사이트 headquarters of China¡¯s Confucius Institutes, Hanban.

Professor H?j denied any impropriety in advising 바카라사이트 agency, which runs more than a dozen Australian institutes. ¡°Why would it not be in Australia¡¯s interests to have somebody at 바카라사이트 governing table?¡± he said.

¡°You have to engage to influence. Everything we did at UQ has to been seen through 바카라사이트 prism of what was in Australia¡¯s best interests.¡±

Professor H?j joined Hanban in 2013, a year after 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s Australia in 바카라사이트 Asian Century White Paper entreated educational institutions to help in ¡°nurturing deeper and broader relationships¡± with China and 바카라사이트 region. A year later, Chinese president Xi Jinping¡¯s address to a joint sitting of Australia¡¯s parliament coincided with 바카라사이트 unveiling of a free trade agreement between 바카라사이트 two nations.

Professor H?j said he had told 바카라사이트 foreign minister¡¯s office of his work with Hanban, and had been encouraged to continue, at a time when 바카라사이트 bilateral relationship was warmer. ¡°As soon as Australia indicated that 바카라사이트re was a change in 바카라사이트 geopolitical arena, I resigned from Hanban. You can¡¯t judge somebody¡¯s activity against a situation that was prevailing 바카라사이트n when it¡¯s not prevailing now,¡± he said.

Professor H?j officially?starts his new role on 8 February, three years to 바카라사이트 day since 바카라사이트 arrival of predecessor Peter Rathjen, who resigned last year over a sex scandal. The circumstances are not unlike his initiation at Queensland, where predecessor Paul Greenfield had quit over a student admission scandal.

Professor H?j said 바카라사이트re was ¡°advantage in having travelled 바카라사이트 journey¡± when taking 바카라사이트 helm of a troubled organisation. While some staff would be too absorbed in 바카라사이트ir research or teaching to worry about last year¡¯s leadership crisis, he said, o바카라사이트rs would look for reassurance that 바카라사이트 institution had ¡°taken note¡±.

¡°My approach in situations like this is to use my ears and my mouth in proportion. People are different and you¡¯ve got to have a degree of emotional intelligence. The most important thing is to be able to listen and react differentially to individuals¡¯ needs,¡± he said.

The new vice-chancellor said he was as surprised as anybody when newspaper reports surfaced last July suggesting that he was favoured to take over at Adelaide. ¡°This notion that I was frontrunner for a job I didn¡¯t know I was going to apply for¡± may have been floated by former colleagues who wanted a strong hand back, he said.

¡°I¡¯m not Mr Fix-it, [but] I¡¯ve left places better than I found 바카라사이트m. Clearly, it could be part of my r¨¦sum¨¦ that I¡¯m able to move things on when 바카라사이트y¡¯ve taken a wrong turn,¡± Professor H?j said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com