The NSW state government has given three universities $10m to “undertake research on the pressing public policy issues facing NSW”

It’s new news: “Stuff,” you say (and quite possibly “nonsense”) – “CMM you are only now catching-up with the 2017 creation of the Newcastle, UNSW and Wollongong universities NUW partnership, launched with much fanfare by Premier Gladys Berejiklian,” (CMM July 17 2017).

Um no, this is a new alliance of universities in the Waratah State. The University of Sydney, UTS and Western Sydney University combine to establish a research institute working in three broad areas; “healthy and connected,” “smart and working” and “sustainable and prosperous.”

Apparently, “the institute will transform the relationship between the university and government sectors, policymakers, industry and community, generating rigorous public policy research to achieve far-reaching benefits for the people of NSW.”

So, what’s the news about NUW?: In August NUW Impact announced 540 000 in seed funding for five projects involving staff from all three unis on cyber security, cancer outcomes in rural areas, diet in metabolic disease, antimicrobial research, academic performance of children with hearing loss.

Research in, and/or for: So, it seems the two will not get in each other’s way, with NUW (which is now old) supporting research at universities in NSW while the new alliance works on research specifically to assist the state.

Which rather sounds like what NUW originally had in mind, “similar alliances internationally have delivered significant value for their communities through independent, research-intensive universities that are co-located in a geographic region, leveraging complementary strengths for public benefit,” (CMM May 31 2017).