Professor James A. McWha
Vice-Chancellor and President
Keynote Address to the AC21 International Forum
21 October 2010
World class universities
or a world class system:
which way for Australia?
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
World class universities
Oxford … Cambridge … Yale … Harvard …
University of Adelaide
Chemnitz University of Technology
University of Sydney
University of Freiburg
Gadjah Mada University
Huazhong University of Science &Technology
Jilin University
Nagoya University
Nanjing University
National University of Laos
Northeastern University
Stellenbosch University
Peking University
Chulalongkorn University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Kasetsart University
Tongji University
University of Warwick
University of Strasbourg
North Carolina State University
~17,000 higher education institutions world-wide
Slide 1
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Components of different ranking systems
THE
SJTU
 Teaching
 Research
 Citations
 Industry Income
 International Mix (Students/Staff)
 International Students  Nobel/Fields
 Academic Peer Review  Employer Review
 Faculty/Student Ratio  Citations
Slide 2
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Current emphases
Universal
•
quality, access; participation
Economic - developing
•
retaining students, building capacity
Economic - developed
•
demand-driven; student experience
Slide 3
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
University Characteristics
Traditional
Next Generation
Management
Academic Governance
Corporate
Activity Focus
Research
Teaching
Orientation
Staff
Students
Approach
Structured
Flexible
Presence
Local, physical
Global, digital
Major Income
Governments,
Benefactors
Student Fees
Slide 4
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Alternative Measures
• Higher Education participation rates
• % of population with degree
• % of students from disadvantaged backgrounds
• % of budget spent on outreach and community service
• % of contributions to economy
• % of partnerships with business and industry
• % of international partnerships
•
Environmentally sustainable practices, reductions in footprint
•
Diversity and integration of student population
•
Social responsibility and engagement – integration with local communities
•
Number of arts, cultural and/or community events held
•
Numbers of staff and students involved in international exchanges
•
% of partnerships with primary and secondary schools
Slide 5
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Sources of Revenue
•
Ranked in top 100 by Times but not in SJTU or QS:
– University of Alexandria
– Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
– Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
– Hong Kong Baptist University
– Royal Holloway University of London
Slide 6
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Declining Expenditure
•
Ranked in top 100 by Times but not in SJTU or QS:
– University of Alexandria
– Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
– Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
– Hong Kong Baptist University
– Royal Holloway University of London
Slide 7
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
‘We see [our universities] as the engine rooms of
innovation and economic and social progress …
As places to be respected and nurtured – in return
for their continuing cooperation and hard work.’
The Hon Julia Gillard,
then Minister for Education
March 2008
Slide 8
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Government Reform Package
• Student centred and demand driven.
• More graduates.
• National regulatory and quality agencies.
• Participation targets for under-represented students.
• Improve pathways.
• Concentrate research activity & resources in areas of excellence.
• Increased collaboration between universities and industry,
including international partnerships.
• Expectation of increased performance reporting.
Slide 9
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Performance Measures – The Compacts
Mission-based compacts will detail public funding commitments and
reciprocal university commitments
• greater collaboration and sectoral diversity
• increased participation by under-represented groups
• guide the distribution of performance-based funds
• alignment of institutional activity with national priorities
• increased student participation and inclusion
Slide 10
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
2010 Australian Federal Election – Cabinet Reshuffle
August 2010
Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research
Slide 11
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
2010 Australian Federal Election – Cabinet Reshuffle
August 2010
Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research
September 2010
Minister for Jobs, Skills, and Workplace Relations
Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
Slide 12
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
2010 Australian Federal Election – Cabinet Reshuffle
August 2010
Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research
September 2010
Minister for Jobs, Skills, and Workplace Relations
Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
September 2010 – one week on
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations
Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research
Slide 13
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
“… high quality tertiary education [is] more important
than ever before. The imperative for countries is to raise
higher-level employment skills, to sustain a globally
competitive research base and to improve knowledge
dissemination to the benefit of society.
OECD, 2008
Slide 14
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
International Developments
China
international reputation and influence; adapting to demographic
change; flexible entry; massive investment.
France
public investment; more autonomy; increasing numbers of poor and
disadvantaged students; performance-based funding
South Africa
National Student Financial Aid Scheme; increased public investment;
loans and bursaries
England
More investment; student choice; access and equity; student finance
and affordability.
Slide 15
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
The implications for Australian universities
To achieve the Australian Government’s objectives:
• An increase in commencing students of around 50,000 by 2013
– 37% on 2009 student numbers.
• Increased student number of 350,000 by 2025
– 90% increase on 2009 student numbers.
• An additional 18,000 staff.
Slide 16
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Measuring quality
• More than just access and equity
• Linking student learning and educational outcomes
• Bologna process
but …
• we have to convince Government and the public that these are
meaningful and valid measures
Slide 17
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
The challenge for Australian universities
• Do what the Government and the public wants (expects)
or …
•
•
•
•
•
Strike out boldly;
Embrace new concepts;
Promote philanthropy;
Gain international recognition;
Create the ability for self-determination and sustainability,
whether through increased investment or complete de-regulation.
and more …
Slide 18
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Questions
1. Is there a link between the excellence of an education
system and individual excellence, and if so, what is it?
Slide 19
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Questions
1. Is there a link between the excellence of an education
system and individual excellence, and if so, what is it?
2. If the system spreads resources ever more widely, and
world-class gives way to average, where do we go from
there?
Slide 20
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide
AC 21 International Forum 2010
Questions
1. Is there a link between the excellence of an education
system and individual excellence, and if so, what is it?
2. If the system spreads resources ever more widely, and
world-class gives way to average, where do we go from
there?
3. Is there a “third way” where Next Generation universities
focussed on teaching?
Slide 21
Life Impact | The University of Adelaide