Jason Bainbridge and Cathy Hope (Uni Canberra) speak this afternoon on Canberra,  “as a highly creative city.” CMM suspects they don’t mean Question Time.

In Features this morning

James Guthrie (Macquarie U) on what MU’s annual report reveals, a lack of cash and a reliance on debt.

plus Ryan Naylor (Uni Sydney) on student transition. Universities focus on transitioning into, and even out of, study. But what about undergrads who need help post (fingers crossed) COVID transitioning back to on-campus study? This week’s addition to Commissioning Editor Sally Kift’s celebrated series, Needed now in teaching and learning.

with Merlin Crossley (UNSW) celebrates the election process and outcome. “When the whole world is investing in knowledge in science, developing understanding via the humanities and social sciences, how on earth did our past government appear to think the biggest issues at Australian universities are free speech and foreign interference, not teaching and research?”

Many teacher education academics never much liked Alan Tudge when he was minister. His referring to their “ideological resistance” to teaching methods he approved of might have had some to do with that

But now that Mr Tudge is a shadow of his former self  he is more easily ignored and the teacher ed community appears keen to get their own agenda on the policy table for the government’s proposed universities accord.

Thus Michelle Simmons, (education dean, Western Sydney U) suggests, “recent reforms to the teaching profession, along with the resetting of research priorities, loom as challenges. Within this vital part of the higher education sector consensus across stakeholders has been difficult to find. How higher education is to equip future educators is a matter of national priority, and it requires funding and support in order to persist as a long-term research and teaching asset.”

by CLAIRE FIELD

Last week’s Clean Energy Showcase hosted by the University of Wollongong, the University of Newcastle, and business peak bodies Business Illawarra and Business Hunter, left me feeling both inspired and optimistic about the future

Optimistic not just about Australia’s transition to a low emissions future but also about the capacity of the communities of Wollongong and Newcastle to lead that transition, and equally importantly, optimistic also about the new political mood and what that means for universities, governments, business and communities.

Keynote speaker NSW Minister Rob Stokes warmly recognised newly elected Federal member for the Wollongong seat of Cunningham, Alison Byrnes, and then delivered his address without need for a written speech. His knowledge and passion for what can be done in the “city regions” and the role governments can play was impressive. No political point scoring, no talking points, instead a serious contribution on a critical issue.

It was not just the Federal and state governments which were represented – mayors and other local government representatives were in attendance too, along with major global and very local businesses, university leaders and leading academics – all with a common interest in the future of their regions and in reducing Australia’s emissions.

Some of you may be reading this with a sceptical eye and if I had not attended perhaps I might have had the same response.

This was something quite different from the usual “university-industry-community” event. Rather, it was a “new public square” for a critical conversation which will shape Australia’s future. It drew on the history and expertise embedded in the Illawarra and Hunter communities, recognising how their pasts as mining and manufacturing regions combined with their universities now serve to position these city regions as leaders in Australia’s low carbon transition.

Dr Saul Griffith, who spoke at the Forum, summed up the mood for optimism in this recent piece.

Finally, as someone who lives over the road from the social housing where our prime minister grew up, and with our new federal education minister recently sharing that he was the first in his family to finish Year 10 let alone attend university – it has been quite the month for inspiration and for reflecting on the power of education.

Claire Field is an adviser to the tertiary education sector. She thanks Uni Wollongong for the invitation to the Forum

AARNET announces new board appointments. Ian O’Connor (former VC of Griffith U and ex chair of the Higher Education Standards Panel) become chair. Alec Cameron (VC RMIT) and Anthony Molinia (Uni Newcastle) join the board.

Patricia Davidson (Uni Wollongong VC) is elected an honorary fellow by the Royal College of Nursing.

Alison Kitson will continue as ED of Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders U for five more years. She is also named a Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor.

Peter McDonald (Chief Investigator, ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research) receives the 2022 laureate award from the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population.

The state government announces the 2022 Queensland Greats, honoured for their “social, scientific, health, environmental and cultural contributions.” They include, Stuart Pegg – burns specialist, Uni Queensland emeritus professor. Else Shepherd – engineer, QUT. Gracelyn Smallwood – First Nations health and human rights advocate, James Cook U.  Peter Timms – koala conservation, Uni Sunshine Coast.