Is It the Economy Stupid … Or Is It Culture, Identity and Sharing the Vision?

TRANSFORM IS IT THE ECONOMY STUPID … OR IS IT CULTURE, IDENTITY AND SHARING THE VISION? IS IT THE ECONOMY STUPID … OR IS IT CULTURE, IDENTITY AND SHARING THE VISION? INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR MARGARET GARDNER AO 41 Professor Margaret Gardner and was recently made a 21st Century ultimately depends on how successfully it advances a culture of AO became President and Vice- member of the Prime Minister innovation. Universities, as engines of Chancellor of Monash University and Cabinet Inclusion and innovation and knowledge translation, on September 1, 2014. Diversity Committee. Professor are core to this enterprise. But while they contribute the vast array of advances in Prior to joining Monash, Gardner has previously been these areas, universities’ contributions are Professor Gardner was Vice- chair of Museum Victoria and often invisible to those not closely involved in them. Chancellor and President of chaired the Strategic Advisory Committee and the Expert Panel Today’s environment demands more RMIT from April 2005 until than ever universities that are capable of August 2014. She has extensive of the Office of Learning and sharing their vision with others to help academic experience, having Teaching (Federal Government ensure that those ambitions are realised. Department of Education and They must be capable of meeting the held various leadership positions demanding cultural challenges that are in Australian universities Training). She has also been a inherent in communicating and advancing throughout her career, including member of various other boards our education, research and innovation and committees, including the endeavours to the public and industry. at the University of Queensland To do this, we must ground universities and Griffith University. Armed Australian-American Fulbright in public engagement as anchors and with a first class honours degree Commission, the ANZAC magnets for the exchange of ideas and Centenary Advisory Board and expertise; incubating and accelerating in Economics and a PhD from innovations; supporting start-ups and the University of Sydney, in 1988 the International Education stimulating local industry, and exploring she was a Fulbright Postdoctoral Advisory Committee, which led and articulating the challenges facing our to the Chaney Report. In 2007, communities from many perspectives, Fellow spending time at the economic, social, scientific and Massachusetts Institute of Professor Gardner was made an technological. Technology, Cornell University, Officer of the Order of Australia 2 and the University of California, in recognition of service to Berkeley. Professor Gardner was tertiary education, particularly YOU HAVE MENTIONED THAT UNIVERSITIES NEED TO BE PRECISE appointed Chair of Universities in the areas of university governance and gender equity, ABOUT DEFINING THE COMMUNITIES Australia in 2017 and she is THEY SERVE THROUGH THEIR a Director of the Group of and to industrial relations in EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. COULD Eight Universities. She is also Queensland. YOU ELABORATE ON THIS? a Director of Infrastructure 1 Australia’s industry structure is different Victoria and the Australia from the major economic blocs where HOW SHOULD WE RE-IMAGINE THE other world-class research institutions and and New Zealand School of ENGAGED UNIVERSITY? major industry research collaborations Government (ANZSOG), Australia’s economic prosperity in the are based. Our universities therefore TRANSFORM IS IT THE ECONOMY STUPID … OR IS IT CULTURE, IDENTITY AND SHARING THE VISION? face challenges of scale, population and solutions in our media. This has coincided of immigration, border security and location that affect how they are able with a rise in populism where expertise and national sovereignty over the past year to engage with industry and partners. evidence-based reasoning are cast as elitist or two threatens to corrode the tolerance Engagement of the depth and kind and obfuscatory rather than as vehicles on which greater understanding and to which we aspire for international for advancing the public good. The public engagement are built. Brexit and Trump impact often requires decisions to be arena is a contested, fragmented and may be the most obvious examples, but made from overseas and the relevant distracting space but also a space where these issues have resonance that extends industry engagement community to be the populist ‘game’ is to deny the arena the well beyond the United Kingdom and international or global rather than local. full spectrum of ideas and the full range of the United States, with anti-immigrant To be successful, Australian universities debate by making all opinion equally valid. sentiment energising political groups must be capable of demonstrating their These developments have occurred amid in continental Europe as well as the re- capability for adding value to industry a backdrop of global challenges ranging emergence of such views in Australia. partners above and beyond what other across climate change and issues of However, we also know from longitudinal universities closer to that head office can national security to workforce disruption research conducted by Monash that provide. caused by automation. In this context multiculturalism and immigration are Conversely, the local community around the task of scholars to engage with the accepted by the overwhelming majority a campus is also important. The impact broader public and the role of universities of Australians as a benefit. There are of the university on the immediate to advance solutions that deliver real opportunities for Australian universities precinct in offering amenities cultural and benefit to the community have become to attract talent from universities in the sporting enhancing local environments; more important than ever. US, the UK and other nations who share Engagement with and contributions to our commitment to the free exchange the key community issues, whether health, 4 of information and recognise that the environment in Australia might be more education or environmental; Attraction MIGRANCY AND POPULATION attractive than the climate they are and encouragement of the local economy MOVEMENTS ARE UNSETTLING are important but different sets of currently working within. VAST SWATHES OF THE DEVELOPED engagement. WORLD, AS WELL AS MANY PARTS 5 3 OF THE DEVELOPING WORLD ... HOW DOES THE VOLATILITY OF POLITICAL OPINIONS WHICH ARE CURRENT IN WE ARE ENTERING THE SHOULD UNIVERSITIES RESPOND TO THE USA, IN EUROPE, IN THE UK, IN ‘ANTHROPOCENE’ (NO LONGER A THE CHALLENGES THIS PRESENTS? ASIA AND IN AUSTRALIA IMPACT PASSIVE, STABLE AND CLEMENT National borders are irrelevant to the free exchange of ideas that is vital to education ON OUR CAPACITY TO PROVIDE WORLD) ERA…IT IS A FRACTIOUS, and research, and the internationalisation CONTINUITY AND STABILITY? CHAOTIC AND UNPREDICTABLE of both these elements is fundamental A consistent, long-term government WORLD NOW. HOW DO YOU SEE THE to Australian universities’ reputation vision and plan for education and research ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES IN RELATION for excellence. Our higher education is fundamental to creating a healthy, sector this year welcomed more than TO ENGAGEMENT IN THIS UNKNOWN world class and sustainable tertiary 300,000 international students from over AND DANGEROUS WORLD? education sector. In recent years such a 190 countries, making up some 26% of vision has been less than prominent, and In recent years we have witnessed a university students in Australia. surge in the prominence of false claims, budget priorities, when announced, have The deepening of discord around matters fake news, flawed predictions and faux- seemed, at times, at odds with Australia’s 43 innovation agenda and the importance of the recognition of its solution and the Similarly, some universities have sought growing our knowledge industry. These acceptance of solutions are all matters that more than others to focus on growing factors make it difficult for Australian require engagement – with communities, and diversifying their international universities to plan long term in the way with government and with industry. And at student cohort. At Monash University, that is needed for a healthy, world class times that engagement means “speaking for example, 26% of students come from and sustainable tertiary education sector truth to power” by contesting the views or a country other than Australia; this is vital to Australia’s economic future. criticising the decisions of leaders and policy considerably higher than a great many At the international level, the Executive makers, where these fall short. It is not always other universities, particularly regional Order announced earlier this year by US comfortable, but it is an essential feature of universities where the international cohort President Donald Trump, which restricted the public good role of universities in Western is generally smaller as a proportion of citizens of various countries from entering democracies. the student population, and where the the United States, provoked doubt about 7 university’s mission is likely to be tied more the ability of some of Australia’s most directly to the interests of the region in talented researchers, students and staff HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN which it is based. to engage with their peers in the United AUTHENTIC VARIETY OF UNIVERSITY States. Academic activities of Monash MISSIONS WITHIN CONDITIONS 8 University were certainly affected by that WHICH DEMAND CONFORMITY? WHAT ARE THE FRAMEWORKS Executive

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