The Bradley Review, Innovation, Reconciliation

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday, the Bradley Review discussion paper was released. The paper is deliberately designed to generate discussion and ideas from the sector, with a clear focus on delivering a world class higher education system for Australia. This is important as this ambition contrasts with the idea of merely focusing on building one or two world class universities – trophies that would not touch most students or communities in our country.

The focus, however, is not just on universities. It is on the whole of post-secondary education, higher education and the tertiary education sector. As Bradley points out, while participation in higher education in Australia compares well against other OECD nations, our participation in VET compares much less favorably. The tenor of the discussion paper is to urge a full-blooded discussion of the whole range of issues affecting higher education, without presuming any particular outcome. As usual, our University will engage positively with the review process. Responses to the paper are being sought by 31 July 2008.

In other good news, the Federal Government has determined to kick off the HEEF funding round for 2009. Universities are being asked to submit expressions of interest by mid August, describing projects that might be funded from this source. You may recall that the recent Federal Budget indicated an intention to roll the HEEF funds into a new Education Investment Fund, almost doubling the size of the Fund to a total of $11 billion. The EIF will be broader in scope, but for now the Federal Government had committed to provide just over $300 million to universities under the HEEF conditions and to be distributed on July 1 2009. Of course, JCU will seek to be involved in this opportunity to fund research infrastructure.

Last week, JCU hosted Dr Terry Cutler and the Innovation Review panel and secretariat members, both in Townsville and in Cairns. In Townsville, it was a very full day, but one where the opportunity for innovation in Tropical Australia was fully canvassed. As well as local luminaries, representing AIMS, CSIRO, GBRMPA, and major industry reps, colleagues from WA and the Northern Territory were present, including representatives from Murdoch University, UWA and Charles Darwin University, along with WA’s and Queensland’s Chief Scientists. Australia’s Chief Scientist was also present as a Review Panel member. In Cairns, the focus was on indigenous, traditional knowledge and innovation. This, too, was an excellent consultation. Dr Cutler told me that he was delighted with the events and with what he and fellow panel members learned. Of course, we were pleased to host the Panel and secretariat and my thanks in particular to Vanessa Cannon, my Executive Officer, who made it all happen in an organizational sense.

The last week or so also saw the launch of JCU’s reconciliation statement in Mackay, Mt Isa and Cairns. All were terrific events with their own character. We will be launching the statement on Thursday Island later this month. I am very grateful that local communities, particularly the indigenous communities, have come along to recognize and support our intention as expressed through the statement. No doubt, they, like us, will look to ensure the intention translates into action. It will.

Cheers,
Sandra