Cutting NSF Is Like Liquidating Your Finest Investment
Look closely at your mobile phone or tablet. Touch-screen technology, speech recognition, digital sound recording and the internet were all developed using […]
Reimagining Higher Education In Australia, From The Past To The Present
In the lead-up to the release of the final report of the University Accord next month, the author asks, ‘What is the current state of Australian higher education? And how did we get here?’
Our Academic-Industry ‘Research Sprints’ Can Solve Problems in 30 Days
Inspired by ‘design sprints’ a Google where projects could create a prototype in five days, the authors started doing ‘research sprints’ in 2015.
What May the Review into the Australian Research Council Bode for University Research?
After years of concerns about the ARC – about political interference and low success rates – the review is a welcome step. But will it tackle the big issues?
Exploring Myths about Casual Employment
Writing from Australia, which has one of the highest rates of casual employment in the world, the authors look at how employers’ quest for flexibility harms the so-called ‘casual’ workforce.
Australian Academics Criticize Political Meddling in Basic Research
In an open letter, 63 Australian Research Council laureate fellows complain vigorously to the minister and to the chief executive of the ARC about a recent instance of political interference in the funding of basic research.
With COVID and Climate Change Showing Social Science’s Value, Why Cut it Now?
What are the three biggest challenges Australia faces in the next five to ten years? What role will the social sciences play in resolving these challenges? The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia asked these questions in a discussion paper earlier this year. The backdrop to this review is cuts to social science disciplines around the country, with teaching taking priority over research.
Academic Freedom and University Relevance: A View from Australia
Academic freedom is widely championed as the foundation of a good university. It is seen as vital in speaking “truth to power” – […]
Aussie Study Argues Book Publishing Sidelined in Ranking Universities
Academic book publishing is under threat. Global university rankings and competition for funding and international student enrolments are reshaping the research landscape. […]
