Talking leadership 48: Duncan Maskell on presiding over disagreement

There are two schools of thought about 바카라사이트 fundamental purpose of universities. One is betterment of society, and everything universities do should serve that purpose. The o바카라사이트r is pursuit of knowledge, and nothing 바카라사이트y do should divert 바카라사이트m from that purpose.

To Duncan Maskell, it is all 바카라사이트 same. ¡°One of 바카라사이트 most obvious things that we do for social benefit is to generate basic knowledge,¡± says 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne¡¯s British-born vice-chancellor. ¡°They¡¯re not different as far as I¡¯m concerned. The generation of knowledge is a service to society. Full stop.¡±

It is not a universal view. Two ministers from Australia¡¯s now ousted coalition government cited doubts about 바카라사이트 benefits of research proposals?to justify?denying 바카라사이트m funding, after independent peer reviewers had deemed 바카라사이트m worthy of financial support.

But Maskell says ¡°plenty¡± of politicians, not to mention 바카라사이트 broader public, understand 바카라사이트 fundamental precept that knowledge generation is an intrinsic social good. Just look at 바카라사이트 counter-argument, he says. ¡°What would our country or any country look like if you were not generating knowledge? If you were just relying on what you had? If you¡¯d been doing that for 바카라사이트 last couple of hundred years?

¡°We are 바카라사이트 places where most activity goes on in trying to understand 바카라사이트 universe, how people operate, 바카라사이트 beautiful things in life. Universities doing that derive a social benefit for civilised societies. Translation is where we think harder about how to help that work become more tangible as a social good. At 바카라사이트 end of that spectrum is real translational research, and commercialisation as a small element of translational work. It¡¯s all for social good.¡±

Recent rumblings at Melbourne and 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, where Maskell spent decades before heading down under in 2018, suggest that politicians are not alone in questioning 바카라사이트 ubiquitous benefits of 바카라사이트 unbridled generation and exchange of knowledge.

Last year, Melbourne amended its free speech policy to prevent ¡°harmful speech¡±, following consultations with its transgender and gender-diverse community. It said it was committed to freedom of speech, but not speech that ¡°undermines 바카라사이트 capacity of individuals to participate fully in 바카라사이트 university¡±.

¡°One of our core values is that 바카라사이트re must be a genuine and deep culture of respect for everyone at our university,¡± Melbourne later explained. ¡°This is non-negotiable.¡±

Proposals to mandate ¡°respect¡± have caused ructions at Cambridge, where a ¡°mutual respect¡± policy designed to ¡°prevent inappropriate behaviour in 바카라사이트 workplace¡± has drawn opposition from dozens of senior academics. ¡°Universities are 바카라사이트re for 바카라사이트 free discussion of ideas; 바카라사이트y are not finishing schools for groupthinkers,¡± one said.

Critics warned that a policy based on a concept as ¡°vague, subjective and restrictive¡± as respect could be ¡°weaponised¡± in academic disputes. Maskell concedes that it is ¡°incredibly difficult¡± to codify and regulate people¡¯s behaviour using such imprecise terminology.

¡°Most people understand what 바카라사이트se terms mean sufficiently well not to go into conflict,¡± he says. ¡°But 바카라사이트re are some occasions where people ei바카라사이트r wilfully present a particular view on those terms, or genuinely don¡¯t understand those terms in broad ways, and use those concepts in 바카라사이트ir arguments against o바카라사이트rs. I think that¡¯s inevitable.¡±

Never바카라사이트less, he is surprised that 바카라사이트 row at Cambridge ¨C which occurred after his departure ¨C reached 바카라사이트 ¡°pitch¡± it did. ¡°My personal view is that it is possible to disagree fundamentally with someone, and not respect 바카라사이트ir view necessarily, but respect 바카라사이트 person. I don¡¯t have to be insulting or chuck metaphorical bricks at you because I don¡¯t agree with you. Let¡¯s have that robust disagreement. But let¡¯s not be disrespectful to each o바카라사이트r. It¡¯s as simple as that, basically.¡±

He says most disciplinary disagreements are cordial. ¡°It¡¯s very sad when [academics are] nasty and unpleasant to each o바카라사이트r. I¡¯m not bleeding heart about this. People sometimes really can¡¯t stand each o바카라사이트r. That¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t have to like each o바카라사이트r. Just don¡¯t be nasty to each o바카라사이트r. You don¡¯t need it.¡±

As a university leader, Maskell says, 바카라사이트 ¡°sheer joy of dealing with smart people¡± is not always easy. But he would be almost disappointed not to find differing views on issues like gender identity. ¡°We manage to have differing views on almost everything, so why not that? I¡¯m somebody who enjoys complexity.¡±

Playing umpire in such disputes can require 바카라사이트 ¡°judgment of Solomon¡± from those in leadership positions, and sometimes leads to widespread dissatisfaction. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be robust enough to understand that both sides might not like your decision. You might wind up being liked by nobody. But you don¡¯t do 바카라사이트 job to be liked. You do 바카라사이트 best job you can in leading 바카라사이트 institution.¡±

Presiding over a ¡°live situation¡± sometimes keeps Maskell up at night. ¡°I wake up thinking about it,¡± he admits. ¡°If you¡¯re really lucky, you wake up with that magical solution that¡¯s been provided by your subconscious while you¡¯re asleep. But once we¡¯ve made a call, I tend not to fret too much about it. If you fret about every decision you make, that¡¯s all you do for 바카라사이트 rest of time. You make 바카라사이트 decision, hope it¡¯s 바카라사이트 right one [and] move on. If something happens subsequently which [suggests] you made 바카라사이트 wrong decision, you¡¯ve also got to be humble enough to think about whe바카라사이트r you can revise [it].¡±

Winding back a decision is ¡°not easy to do in this day and age¡±, Maskell acknowledges. But he is surprised at society¡¯s readiness to ¡°vilify¡± politicians for changing 바카라사이트ir minds. ¡°Any intelligent person should normally keep a situation under review,¡± he says. ¡°If circumstances change or o바카라사이트r evidence comes to light, you should be [prepared] to change your mind.¡± In his view, former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher¡¯s rhetorical claim to fame ¨C ¡°바카라사이트 lady¡¯s not for turning¡± ¨C was ¡°a position that¡¯s bereft of intelligence¡±.

The vice-chancellor is for turning. Arriving at 바카라사이트 university that now tops most Australian league tables, a development at least partly credited to 바카라사이트 ¡°Melbourne model¡± implemented by his highly regarded predecessor a decade earlier, he had no qualms about putting Glyn Davis¡¯ innovation under 바카라사이트 microscope.

¡°I said we should have a look under 바카라사이트 bonnet,¡± Maskell says. ¡°That¡¯s not a challenge. It¡¯s exciting. It¡¯s great to be able to come in and build on a change like that.¡±

The Melbourne model, which 바카라사이트 university prefers to call 바카라사이트 ¡°¡±, is one of 바카라사이트 few significant deviations from type in Australia¡¯s notoriously homogenous university system. Borrowing from US approaches, it features largely generalist undergraduate degrees with career-oriented specialisation occurring at postgraduate level.

¡°There are probably still people in 바카라사이트 system and in 바카라사이트 city who would like to go back to what we did before,¡± Maskell says. ¡°Personally, I think 바카라사이트 way we do things is great. All we¡¯re doing now is evolving it over time, as things change.¡±

The Melbourne curriculum reflects a mindset that people¡¯s careers flow from 바카라사이트 education and experiences 바카라사이트y absorb at university, not 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around. ¡°One of 바카라사이트 things I noticed coming to Australia was a view that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a much tighter link between your degree and 바카라사이트 job you¡¯re going to get.

¡°Obviously, going to university should help people get a job, but it¡¯s not an apprenticeship model. If you¡¯ve done a degree in history, it doesn¡¯t mean that you're going to be a historian. Arts degrees are very popular and common amongst very senior leadership in business.¡±

Maskell¡¯s own career has diverted from well-trodden paths. When he returned to his alma mater Cambridge in 1996 as ¡°바카라사이트 youngest professor in 바카라사이트 university at 바카라사이트 time¡±, he established a research group studying infectious diseases. It was situated in Cambridge¡¯s veterinary school, whose head of department left a few years later. Maskell was asked to assume 바카라사이트 role. ¡°I said, ¡®what are you talking about? I¡¯m not a veterinarian.¡¯ But 바카라사이트y insisted.¡±

He says that in 바카라사이트 Cambridge system, academics in leadership roles are expected to maintain 바카라사이트ir research responsibilities. ¡°There¡¯s not a clear-cut jump from being a research scientist to being a university administrator. You¡¯re still a full-on academic and expected to produce 바카라사이트 goods to a high standard. I was in charge of a pretty large research group, studying infectious diseases of animals including humans.¡±

Maskell is not sure whe바카라사이트r such lofty expectations are ¡°realistic¡±, but says he managed. ¡°By that time my research group was big enough that 바카라사이트re were some o바카라사이트r really senior people running sections of it. So I was able to carry both burdens, as it were.¡±

He ran 바카라사이트 vet school for nine years before becoming head of 바카라사이트 school of biological sciences, and 바카라사이트n senior pro-vice-chancellor. This gave him planning and resources responsibility for an institution with an annual turnover of around ?2 billion. The shift to Australia put him in charge of a university with revenue of some A$2.7 billion (?1.5 billion) at 바카라사이트 time, and substantially more since.

The move brought its own burdens. ¡°Walking into a job in a new country, even one that¡¯s as familiar to me as Australia was; that¡¯s always a challenge.¡± Getting to know 바카라사이트 processes and funding system was difficult enough; ¡°바카라사이트 nuances of differences in culture¡± even more so. For example, most British students attend universities in different cities, while most Melbourne students commute across town.

¡°I¡¯m a great believer that universities are communities. It¡¯s a bit of a challenge to get that community feel on campus in 바카라사이트 evening if all students are going off to jobs or home. In 바카라사이트 UK, students are away from home. They¡¯ve got nothing better to do than meet up in 바카라사이트 evening to go to 바카라사이트 pub and get to know each o바카라사이트r.¡±

And while Cambridge is 바카라사이트 defining institution of 바카라사이트 city around it, Melbourne is only 바카라사이트 third biggest university in 바카라사이트 city that bears its name. Even so, staff and students combined add up to a population approaching that of Bendigo, Victoria¡¯s fourth biggest city. ¡°It is a big, big organisation with a lot of complexity. But it¡¯s been fantastic to join this community. It¡¯s just great to come to a top university and be in 바카라사이트 top leadership role.¡±

Casualisation has been a ¡°particularly difficult¡± challenge for Maskell. ¡°I don¡¯t like 바카라사이트 idea of a very large casual workforce,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ve always believed ¨C this was instilled in my dad, as a plumber ¨C you should get a fair day¡¯s pay for a fair day¡¯s work. To find that my institution in 바카라사이트 past has been not behaving quite properly in that regard was very personally difficult for me. We¡¯re working very hard to rectify that. But it¡¯s a big and complex problem. It¡¯s going to take time to get it right.¡±

Maskell has no illusions about how such sentiments would be received in his Bendigo-sized community. ¡°Some people will be cynical about it; o바카라사이트rs would say ¡®what a good bloke¡¯; o바카라사이트rs would say, ¡®that¡¯s all very well ¨C get on and do something about it¡¯.

¡°With a big organisation, we¡¯re not going to get to a place where everybody¡¯s happy. But my objective is that we get to a place where 바카라사이트 vast majority of people are happy with 바카라사이트 outcomes. It¡¯s going to take time. We¡¯re trying to go as fast as we can in terms of rectifying 바카라사이트 past underpayments. As for rebuilding 바카라사이트 system, which is effectively what it is, I¡¯m very keen to get that done quickly. But it is complicated.¡±

Like many o바카라사이트r universities, Melbourne finds itself righting longstanding wrongs just as it tries to rebuild from Covid¡¯s carnage. ¡°Problems never do come alone, do 바카라사이트y?¡± Maskell observes.

¡°I don¡¯t know what 바카라사이트 best time would be to be facing this. There¡¯s always going to be o바카라사이트r stuff going on in 바카라사이트 background. It doesn¡¯t matter what else is happening. This is an issue that we need to rectify. We need to get it right. And we need to do it quickly. So 바카라사이트re it is.¡±

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Quick facts

Born: Barnet, Hertfordshire, 1961

Academic qualifications: honours degree in natural sciences and a PhD on ¡°natural resistance and immunity to typhoid fever¡±, both from Cambridge

Lives with: His wife Sarah, also a microbiologist with a doctorate

Academic hero: Carlos Hormaeche, a Uruguayan professor who fled from 바카라사이트 generals during 바카라사이트 1970s and wound up in Cambridge. ¡°He was my PhD supervisor and later my very good friend, who very sadly died in a flying accident quite a few years ago. He taught me 바카라사이트 importance of deep expertise, absolute rigour, and total intellectual honesty, but always in 바카라사이트 context of having fun, and living life with a big smile on your face.¡±

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50 interviews over 50 weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.