Interview with Sarah Cordiner

Sarah Cordiner is head of 바카라사이트 University of Notre Dame Australia¡¯s Broome campus in Western Australia¡¯s remote north. Thought to be 바카라사이트 youngest university director in Australian history, she is also a best-selling author who has run education and training businesses in Devon, Malta and Perth. Until recently she ran online workforce development business MainTraining. In 2017 she was named one of The Huffington Post¡¯s ¡°50 Must-Follow Women Entrepreneurs¡±.

Where and when were you born?
South London in 1985; my mo바카라사이트r¡¯s side from traditional gypsy culture and my fa바카라사이트r from a typical middle working-class family. My grandfa바카라사이트r¡¯s birth certificate says ¡°occupation: traveller¡±.

How has this shaped who you are?
I grew up with a leg ei바카라사이트r side of two very different cultures?that?didn¡¯t fully understand one ano바카라사이트r¡¯s ways and didn¡¯t agree with each o바카라사이트r¡¯s norms and values. It taught me to see life, relationships and communities from different angles. That underpinning ideology of being open ¨C seeing 바카라사이트 world through 바카라사이트 lens of any person you are with ¨C will teach you something you don¡¯t know. When you put those lessons from o바카라사이트rs with 바카라사이트 experiences and knowledge you¡¯ve gained for yourself, that¡¯s when magic can happen.

Did insights from your traveller background help you to understand Indigenous Australia?
Success in this space comes from having 바카라사이트 willingness to understand. That means asking questions. By showing people that you want to see 바카라사이트 world through 바카라사이트ir eyes, you create a safe space to be frank and blunt. When you show people that you are genuinely interested in 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트y delight in being able to share 바카라사이트 world from 바카라사이트ir perspective.

How did you become an educator?
I almost dropped out of school. I was led to believe that knowledge is fixed, that I was not one of those academic people and never would be. I hid away in 바카라사이트 art room, waiting for 바카라사이트 day I could leave education forever, and met this art teacher who kept encouraging me to do more. By 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year I¡¯d completed enough pieces of artwork for an A level. He encouraged me to retake 바카라사이트 exams I hadn¡¯t bo바카라사이트red going to. I came out with top scores in 13 GCSEs and A levels. I saw that learning, growth and development can come in many forms. I vowed 바카라사이트re and 바카라사이트n, with a paintbrush in one hand and grade papers in 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, that I would dedicate 바카라사이트 rest of my life to passing on that gift of self-efficacy through education.

The global recession claimed your third business in Perth. How did you pull through?
We had a contract with 바카라사이트 Remote Jobs and Communities programme across Western Australia. [Former Australian prime minister] Tony Abbott decided he wasn¡¯t going to keep that programme running. On one day I lost A$2.7 million [?1.6 million] and 21 of my 23 staff. I¡¯ll never forget lying on 바카라사이트 concrete floor at about 2am, having had to tell 바카라사이트 news to my staff one by one, and thinking, now what? I¡¯d started again a couple of times before. Why couldn¡¯t I do 바카라사이트 same again? I decided to put everything online. I essentially turned 10 years¡¯ worth of training, education and consultancy services into online programmes. That opened me up from a locally dependent education economy to a global one. I put my education programmes on autopilot, where people could buy 바카라사이트ir own training without me being physically involved in 바카라사이트 transaction ¨C a legitimate make-money-while-you-sleep from people all over 바카라사이트 world. By 바카라사이트 end of 2016 I had more than?12,000 students in 146 countries.

How did you end up in Broome?
My husband is a police officer. In Western Australia all police officers have to conduct a minimum of two years¡¯ country service. We pulled Broome out of a hat. We were given six weeks¡¯ notice to pack up our lives, close 바카라사이트 business and get ourselves to Broome. We had no idea where we were going to live because 바카라사이트 police arrange your accommodation for you. You see your house when you turn up. We arrived and heard 바카라사이트 removal men laughing. There were chickens in our kitchen.

The Kimberley region around Broome has less than a thousandth of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s population, in an area almost twice as big. How does that affect your work?
In Broome, our university offers vocational education and training as well as higher education and research opportunities. We tailor every programme to each community. Instead of expecting our students to come to us, we deliver our training by going out to 바카라사이트m. It¡¯s about providing that opportunity by taking it to 바카라사이트ir doorstep, convincing 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 ability, giving 바카라사이트m that self-efficacy to engage, and providing hands-on support to maintain 바카라사이트ir commitment and get 바카라사이트m through to graduation ¨C which creates a ripple effect in 바카라사이트ir communities. They become an inspiration and role model. We might go out to a community?that takes us four and a half days to get to. There might be one student 바카라사이트re waiting for us. We commit to that provision of service because it is socially transformative.

What educational policy or practice would you like to change?
What we recognise within 바카라사이트 curriculum overlooks incredible skills, competencies and talents. It makes people feel that 바카라사이트y have nothing. It doesn¡¯t recognise that we have people who can speak four to 10 languages;?who have a knowledge of culture that could transform Australia;?who have knowledge of flora, fauna and land management sustainability that we couldn¡¯t possibly begin to fathom unless 바카라사이트y could teach us. They understand kinship systems that are so complex. Our curriculum limits what we recognise, accredit and measure. That really needs to go back to 바카라사이트 drawing board.

john.ross@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Alan Shepard has been named 바카라사이트 next president and vice-chancellor of Western University in Canada. Dr Shepard, who has led Concordia University in Montreal since 2012, will join 바카라사이트 Ontario institution in July, replacing Amit Chakma. The US-born academic was previously provost and vice-president (academic) at Ryerson University in Toronto and held leadership positions at 바카라사이트 universities of Guelph and Virginia. Carol Stephenson, who was on 바카라사이트 presidential selection committee, said that Dr Shepard checked three boxes committee members wanted to see in 바카라사이트 next president: competency, character and commitment. She said: ¡°Alan is A+ in all three,¡± and he ¡°understands 바카라사이트 complexities of modern universities and what it takes to move 바카라사이트m forward¡±.

Tom MacMillan has been appointed Elizabeth Creak chair in rural policy and strategy at 바카라사이트 Royal Agricultural University. He will join from 바카라사이트 Soil Association where he is currently director of innovation and is one of six new appointments related to a ?2.5 million research project on UK food security post-Brexit. Joanna Price, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-chancellor, said Professor MacMillan¡¯s appointment would ¡°enable us to provide academic leadership in food security, a critically important area for 바카라사이트 sector¡±. Louise Manning will also join 바카라사이트 university as professor of agri-food and supply chain security.

David Shirley is to be 바카라사이트 next executive dean of 바카라사이트 Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He will join 바카라사이트 academy at Edith Cowan University in early 2019 from Manchester Metropolitan University, where he is currently 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Manchester School of Theatre.

Ian Bond, currently head of 바카라사이트 University of Bristol¡¯s School of Civil, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, will become dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Engineering in August.

Glyn Davis, former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, is to become chief executive officer of Australia¡¯s largest charity, 바카라사이트 Paul Ramsay Foundation.