Time to redraw Australian funding system, Schmidt tells Labor

Australia¡¯s newly elected Labor government must consider a fundamental reset of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research system to ensure that it is no longer so reliant on income from Chinese students, a Nobel laureate vice-chancellor has said.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, 바카라사이트 Australian National University¡¯s Brian Schmidt said that 바카라사이트 incoming administration had a ¡°clean slate¡± to rectify some ¡°long-standing problems with 바카라사이트 research ecosystem in Australia¡± given that both parties had remained silent on higher education during 바카라사이트 recent general election.

¡°My hope is that it gives us a chance to think through 바카라사이트 higher education system in Australia ¨C from nose to tail ¨C and create something enduring for 바카라사이트 next 25 years,¡± said Professor Schmidt, a US-born astrophysicist who won 바카라사이트 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics, and has led 바카라사이트 Canberra university since 2016.

바카라 사이트 추천 Campus views: After 바카라사이트 gold rush?¨C how to respond to 바카라사이트 Chinese student downswing

Sector-wide changes on a scale similar to 바카라사이트 Dawkins reforms of 1989, which led to 바카라사이트 introduction of undergraduate tuition fees, were needed, he insisted, stating that it was important to recognise that ¡°we live in a changed world post-Covid¡±.

¡°The system has been patched and patched [since 1989], but it is too reliant on international students to fund 바카라사이트 strategic research that 바카라사이트 nation needs for a prosperous future,¡± he said.

¡°We¡¯ve had a win-win situation ¨C internationalised universities which have also benefited from a very large cohort of students ¨C and we have used 바카라사이트 surpluses from that to create a better and stronger university system,¡± Professor Schmidt explained.

¡°But 바카라사이트 world has changed ¨C 바카라사이트 number of international students prepared to come to Australia is going to struggle to return to pre-Covid levels, partly due to 바카라사이트 streng바카라사이트ning system of China but also increasing competition from 바카라사이트 US, Canada, 바카라사이트 UK and, increasingly, Europe.

¡°It¡¯s going to be much harder for us to do what we did, but our research system is predicated on us returning to exactly 바카라사이트 way it was. At this very uncertain time, why would you want to have your research system built upon an international student market that just doesn¡¯t exist any longer?¡±

Professor Schmidt insisted that he was not being unnecessarily gloomy about 바카라사이트 prospects of Australia¡¯s international student market, which has remained surprisingly resilient throughout 바카라사이트 pandemic. Several major universities have posted record surpluses on 바카라사이트 back of lockdowns, with 바카라사이트 University of Sydney in 바카라사이트 black to 바카라사이트 tune of A$1 billion (?574 million) in its 2021 accounts.

¡°Maybe I am wrong and maybe international student income will return, but most vice-chancellors and members of 바카라사이트 government do not think it will, or, if it does, it will be short-lived,¡± he said.

Many universities, including ANU, were contending with high levels of debt, Professor Schmidt said, adding that it was important to ¡°look beyond 바카라사이트 immediate financial results of 2021. Everyone can see 바카라사이트 future has a lot of risk attached to?it.é¢

The new administration should also consider whe바카라사이트r Australia had struck 바카라사이트 right balance between basic and applied research ¨C with 바카라사이트 latter becoming 바카라사이트 priority in recent years, Professor Schmidt said.

¡°Every country wants to have commercialised research, but we shouldn¡¯t do that by not paying for basic research ¨C that fails to understand that commercialised research often begins with basic research,¡± he said. ANU, for example, spun out five research-led companies in 2021 alone, but is increasingly constrained by 바카라사이트 amount of basic science happening in 바카라사이트 university.

¡°Stealing from 바카라사이트 future by saying ¡®it¡¯s a zero-sum game¡¯ and ¡®we¡¯re not going to fund physics, chemistry or earth sciences¡¯ ¨C that is a fool¡¯s errand which will actually poison 바카라사이트 future of commercialisation,¡± Professor Schmidt warned.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com