There’s a new bromance in town, with veteran IEAA CEO and former State Liberal Minister Phil Honeywood receiving lengthy praise from Education Minister Jason Clare as he took to the AIEC conference stage this week.
Phil has apparently forgotten more than the Education Minister will ever know about the sector, according to Mr Clare, which may scare those awaiting evidence-based strategy for the future; and Mr Clare was lavish in his praise for his ‘friend’ and ‘mate’ and acknowledging that while times were tough in international education at the moment, “it would have been a lot tougher if it wasn’t for Phil.” A sign of détente or has Mr Clare’s speech writer been reading Sun Tzu?
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With around 1,000 university staff set to lose their contract or ongoing jobs (not to mention an uncounted number of sessional staff), bystanders are in a race to apportion blame, with Universities Australia citing Labour’s maintenance of the hated JRG funding formula and university caps as key hits to revenue, while Education Minister Jason Clare is seeking to divert attention from revenue restraints and instead focus on spending, reportedly promising an Expert Council on University Governance would start work before Christmas.
The University of Canberra this week flagged it will cut 200 jobs and significantly reduce its executive numbers after revealing a $50 million fiscal black hole.
Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker, appointed to tidy up before Albanese Government Minister Bill Shorten ascends to the UC helm in February, announced that around 200 jobs would have to go as the University had allowed spending to balloon beyond its means.
“The University itself is responsible for this unsustainable position. We cannot expect any external assistance and must take urgent and significant measures to re-balance the institution. There is no point in blaming others,” Professor Parker said.
Staff cuts would be implemented this year and in the first half of 2025, through a combination of not filling vacancies, expiring contracts and redundancies. The cuts come hot on the heels of 650 proposed job losses at ANU, and at least 50 job losses at James Cook University in Townsville.
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Springer Nature has retracted 75 papers from University of Salamanca rector Juan Manuel Corchado, following a lengthy investigation, raising concerns about manipulation of citation metrics and the fallibility of highly variable peer review processes.
The story was broken by Spanish newspaper El Pais in March, alleging that the University head had inflated his citations artificially to boost his career. After investigating the allegations, Springer Nature has issued retractions to 75 papers.
“An investigation by the publisher found that a number of chapters, including this one, from multiple conference proceedings raise various concerns, including but not limited to compromised editorial handling, inappropriate or unusual citation behavior and undisclosed competing interests,” Springer Nature noted in the retraction.
“Based on the findings of the investigation, the Series Editor and the publisher no longer have confidence in the results and conclusions of this chapter.”
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ACU’s graduation walkout on Monday attracted national headlines that likely sent shivers through the ranks of the university’s beancounters who had previously been assuming a solid 2025 enrolment yield. However, a combined statement by the ACU NTEU branch, LGBTIQ+ Staff Ally Network, National Student Association, St Patrick’s Student Association and the ACU Melbourne LGBTIQ+ Society indicated the depths of internal concern over the decision to hand the graduation address to Joe de Bruyn. The statement cited staff reports that ACU counselling staff were organised to be on hand at the Graduation in advance of the ceremony and that a year before, staff were instructed to remove rainbow flags from the library.
The coalition of groups went well beyond industrial – citing last month’s 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome where the Catholic Church recognised the damage of “using doctrine as stones to be hurled.”
“Far from defending Catholic teaching, ACU has allowed de Bryun to hurl Church teaching at staff and students so as to cause harm and scandal. This is counter to the Catholic intellectual tradition and a betrayal of the richness of ACU’s identity as both public and Catholic.”
This is a thoughtful statement, worth noting for other groups seeking a voice. Far from rejecting Catholicism or ACU; staff and students are seeking to reclaim and redefine the university brand. “We stand for the ACU Mission – for ‘the dignity of the human person and the common good.’”
The University wrote to students apologising for the distress caused and offering a refund of the $165 graduation fee to attendees as well as free counselling to all students. The university confirmed that it was aware of Mr de Bruyn’s speech in advance and asked him to reconsider it prior to delivery.
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UQ’s James Ward is the inaugural winner of the Australian Academy of Health &* Medical Science’s Outstanding First Nations Researcher Medal.
Professor Ward was recognised for his pioneering work on adolescent health. He began working as a men’s health educator 25 years ago and completed his PhD in 2016, now focusing on adolescent health outcomes in the areas of sexual health, HIV, and alcohol and other drugs.
“Each bit of research builds on the last bit. Even if we don’t hit that end goal, we are moving towards liberation from inequity,” Professor Ward said.
As Director of UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, Professor Ward is hoping to build a focus on a new national First Nations urban research agenda,
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The Academy also announced 31 new Fellows elected through a competitive process, recognising their contributions to health and medical sciences.
“Our new Fellows have a truly exceptional body of work, with each of them considered international leaders in their respective fields,” Academy President Professor Louise Baur said.
The new Australian Academy Of Health & Medical Sciences Fellows are:
- Professor Scott Bell FAHMS, Translational Research Institute
- Professor Dawn Bessarab FAHMS, The University of Western Australia
- Professor Christopher Blyth FAHMS, The University of Western Australia/The Kids Research Institute Australia
- Professor Asha Bowen OAM FAHMS, Perth Children’s Hospital/The Kids Research Institute Australia
- Dr Christopher Burns FAHMS, Amplia Therapeutics Ltd
- Professor Patricia Davidson FAHMS, UNSW Sydney
- Professor Kim Delbaere FAHMS, Neuroscience Research Australia
- Professor Linda Denehy FAHMS, The University of Melbourne
- Professor Jane Fisher AO FAHMS, Monash University
- Professor Sharon Goldfeld AM FAHMS, Royal Children’s Hospital/Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Professor Justin Gooding FAA FTSE FAHMS, UNSW Sydney
- Professor Daniel Green FAHMS, The University of Western Australia
- Professor Elizabeth Hartland AM FAHMS, Hudson Institute of Medical Research
- Professor Vanessa Hayes FAHMS, The University of Sydney
- Professor Livia Hool FAHMS, The University of Western Australia
- Professor Paul James FAHMS, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
- Professor Raymond Lovett FAHMS, Australian National University
- Professor Deborah Lupton FASSA FAHMS, UNSW Sydney
- Professor Stuart MacGregor FAHMS, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Professor Raina MacIntyre FAHMS, UNSW Sydney
- Professor Robert Newton FAHMS, Edith Cowan University
- Professor Andreas Obermair FAHMS, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital/The University of Queensland
- Deakin Distinguished Professor Anna Peeters AM FAHMS, Deakin University
- Professor Sarath Ranganathan FAHMS, The University of Melbourne
- Adjunct Professor Craig Rayner FAHMS FTSE, Moderna
- Professor Julie Simpson FAHMS, The University of Melbourne
- Cojoint Professor Stephen Tong FAHMS, The University of Melbourne
- Professor James Ward FAHMS, The University of Queensland
- Professor Anthony Weiss AM FTSE FAHMS, The University of Sydney
- Professor James Whisstock FAHMS, Monash University
- Professor Steve Wilton AO FAHMS, Murdoch University
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There has been a great response to our plans for two Future Campus conferences next year – one in the first half of the year focused on workforce (HE WORKFORCE 25) and one in the back half of 2025, focused on marketing, communications, strategy and advancement (HE FEST 25). We are also planning a one-day summit in Canberra in February.
Last call to have your say on how, when and where the conferences will be run – we are really keen to base them on what the sector wants:
Tell us what you want at HE FEST 25
Tell us what you want at HE WORKFORCE 25
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The 2024 IEAA Excellence Awards were announced this week:
- Best Practice in International Education – Shaping the Future: The World’s First Homestay Quality Standards by Study NSW and NEAS Australia
- Distinguished Contribution to International Education – Steve Nerlich
- Excellence in Leadership in International Education – Professor James Adonopoulos, Sarah Lightfoot
- Innovation in International Education Award – Job Shop by StudyAdelaide
- Excellence in Professional Commentary Related to International Education – Dirk Mulder
- Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis – Dr Manaia Chou-Lee
- Tony Adams Rising Star Award – Dr Belle Lim
