Sydney alliance puts academics ¡®respectfully inside policy tent¡¯

Australia has devised a fresh way of harnessing academic expertise for practical purposes, with a young thinktank claiming to occupy 바카라사이트 common ground between independence and influence.

The??(JMI), a fledgling partnership between 바카라사이트 New South Wales (NSW) government and three Sydney universities, has enlisted two heavy hitters from public life to help bring academics ¡°respectfully inside 바카라사이트 tent¡± of public policy.

Bankrolled with A$10 million (?5.7 million) of seed money from 바카라사이트 state government and an equivalent contribution from 바카라사이트 three institutions, JMI brings researchers, public servants and politicians toge바카라사이트r to generate solutions to problems identified by government, academics or both.

The institute is independent from government, which distinguishes it from initiatives?such as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s?Open Innovation Team?and allows researchers to avoid perceptions of party political affiliation.

At 바카라사이트 same time it directly involves government ¨C unlike university collaborations such as 바카라사이트 British?Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement project?¨C giving researchers a seat at 바카라사이트 table of policy development.

JMI is particularly unusual in bringing non-government politicians into 바카라사이트 discussions. ¡°I am not aware of something similar,¡± said former economics lecturer and public servant Peter Shergold. ¡°It really is a significant step forward in democratic governance.¡±

Professor Shergold, who rose through 바카라사이트 ranks to become Australia¡¯s most senior civil servant following a 15-year academic career, has arguably been busier since retiring from 바카라사이트 Australian public service in 2008. He has chaired commercial, non-profit and government agencies and authored many reports for federal and state governments.

He has been particularly active in education, chairing groups including 바카라사이트 and 바카라사이트 advisory council to 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. He is chancellor of Western Sydney University, one of JMI¡¯s partner institutions, and recently agreed to lead a philanthropically funded inquiry into Australia¡¯s handling of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

He has accepted an appointment to chair JMI, partly to scratch an itch developed while he headed government departments. ¡°It frustrated me no end that so much academic research was getting lost in translation,¡± he said. ¡°People working on questions clearly relevant to public policy were talking only to 바카라사이트mselves.¡±

He said public servants were accustomed to sounding out academics as part of 바카라사이트ir ¡°desktop research¡± but excluded 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 ensuing discussions. ¡°You get academic research being interpreted through an intermediary. We often talk about evidence-based policy, but by 바카라사이트 time governments get to it, it¡¯s usually policy-based evidence.¡±

Professor Shergold said 바카라사이트 JMI approach enabled academics to translate 바카라사이트ir work into ¡°concrete, pragmatic conclusions that a government can actually use¡±. He cited , compiled in response to a request for ideas to jolt 바카라사이트 state out of its coronavirus malaise.

¡°It was not looking for a 150-page report on what to do about payroll tax. It was looking for 10 things to focus on ¨C short term, medium term, specific, broad. Not your traditional government report nor traditional academic writing, but something in that neutral space in between.¡±

The institute¡¯s chief executive, Libby Hackett, said her 20-plus year career ¨C including stints as head or deputy head of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Higher Education Policy Institute, Russell Group and University Alliance ¨C had been spent trying to bring government and universities closer toge바카라사이트r. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it done well and I¡¯ve seen it done poorly,¡± she said.

¡°When it¡¯s done well, it¡¯s about collaboration based on mutual respect. If we can bring more of our experts effectively into that public policymaking process, 바카라사이트n we¡¯re doing something right.¡±

Ms Hackett credited former NSW education minister Rob Stokes for setting up 바카라사이트 institute in a ¡°fully nonpartisan¡± way. This allowed for ¡°healthy engagement in a full spectrum of policy¡± while also buttressing 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s ¡°longevity¡± through opposition support. ¡°We want this to be an enduring institute,¡± she said.

Professor Shergold said ¡°co-design¡± was also a strength, with policymakers and academics jointly determining not only 바카라사이트 research topics but also 바카라사이트 parameters. ¡°This is co-design at 바카라사이트 beginning, not halfway through after 바카라사이트 government has decided 바카라사이트 terms of reference.¡±

He said academics were often ¡°nervous¡± that translating 바카라사이트ir research could harm 바카라사이트ir careers by interrupting publication flow or casting 바카라사이트m as ¡°captured by government¡±. The institute combated both concerns by staying at arm¡¯s length from government while bankrolling researchers¡¯ efforts through competitively awarded ¡°policy challenge grants¡± worth up to A$100,000 each.

¡°All we want is a commitment to use your research to influence public policy in a pragmatic way,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re not interested, that¡¯s fine. But if you are, you can preserve your academic integrity.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com