Review of Area Studies Final Report
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Review of Area Studies A Vice‐Chancellor’s Work Slate Project Final Report October 2009 2 Contents 1. Letter from the Chair of the Review Panel .............................................................. 5 2. Terms of Reference ........................................................................................................... 6 3. Panel membership ............................................................................................................. 6 4. Executive summary and recommendations ........................................................... 7 5. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 11 5.1 Why Area Studies? ........................................................................................................................... 11 5.1.1 What are Area Studies? ................................................................................................... 11 5.1.2 The activities of Area Studies centres .............................................................................. 11 5.1.3 Reasons for the Review .................................................................................................... 12 5.1.4 Academic support for an Area Studies strategy at Sydney .............................................. 13 5.1.5 Objectives for an Area Studies strategy at Sydney .......................................................... 17 5.2 Obstacles to success ........................................................................................................................ 18 5.2.1 Obstacles to collaboration between units within the University .................................... 18 5.2.2 Limited opportunities for ‘in‐country’ placements and programs .................................. 21 5.2.3 Workload constraints faced by staff and students .......................................................... 22 5.3 Assessment of models .................................................................................................................... 23 5.3.1 Physical location and size ................................................................................................. 24 5.3.2 Administrative support .................................................................................................... 25 5.3.3 Reporting lines ................................................................................................................. 26 5.3.4 Management structure .................................................................................................... 27 5.3.5 Academic staffing ............................................................................................................. 28 5.3.6 Focus of centres ............................................................................................................... 30 5.3.7 Funding............................................................................................................................. 31 5.3.8 A preferred model for Sydney ......................................................................................... 34 5.4 Assessment of areas ........................................................................................................................ 35 5.4.1 Africa ................................................................................................................................ 35 5.4.2 Australia ........................................................................................................................... 37 5.4.3 China ................................................................................................................................ 38 5.4.4 Europe .............................................................................................................................. 39 5.4.5 Japan ................................................................................................................................ 40 5.4.6 Korea ................................................................................................................................ 41 5.4.7 Middle East ...................................................................................................................... 41 3 5.4.8 Latin America ................................................................................................................... 42 5.4.9 North America .................................................................................................................. 43 5.4.10 South Asia ........................................................................................................................ 44 5.4.11 Southeast Asia .................................................................................................................. 45 5.4.12 The Pacific ........................................................................................................................ 47 5.4.13 Selection of areas ............................................................................................................. 47 5.5 Keys to success .................................................................................................................................. 48 5.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 49 6. Appendix .............................................................................................................................. 50 6.1 Summary of the Review process ................................................................................................ 50 6.1.1 Project initiation ............................................................................................................... 50 6.1.2 Phase 1: Written consultation ......................................................................................... 51 6.1.3 Phase 2: Face‐to‐face consultations ................................................................................ 51 6.1.4 Process of mapping existing strengths and weaknesses ................................................. 53 6.1.5 Models referred to during the consultation phases ........................................................ 54 6.1.6 Phase 3: Preparation of this report to the Vice‐Chancellor ............................................. 57 6.2 Summary of consultation discussions ..................................................................................... 58 6.2.1 Faculty of Economics and Business, 6 August 2009 ......................................................... 58 6.2.2 Faculties of Arts, Education & Social Work and Law, 19 August 2009 ............................ 62 6.2.3 Postgraduate research students, 24 August 2009 ........................................................... 67 6.2.4 Health Faculties, 26 August 2009 ..................................................................................... 71 6.3 Mapping of Area Studies strengths ........................................................................................... 74 6.3.1 List of relevant centres, networks, and programs at the University of Sydney ............... 74 6.3.2 List of researchers with an Area interest, as elicited during the Review ......................... 80 6.4 The factors that will ensure success ......................................................................................... 88 6.5 List of submissions to the Review ............................................................................................. 93 4 1. Letter from the Chair of the Review Panel Office of the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Garton FAHA FASSA FRAHS Room L2.22 Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Main Quadrangle (A14) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 AUSTRALIA Telephone: +61 2 9036 5027 Facsimile: +61 2 9036 5031 Email: [email protected] Web: www.usyd.edu.au/provost Dr Michael Spence Vice-Chancellor The University of Sydney Dear Vice-Chancellor, It is my pleasure to present for your consideration the report of the Review of Area Studies Work Slate Project. The Review Panel has consulted widely over the last five months. We have found there to be overwhelming support among academic staff and students who participated in the Review for the University to pursue a considered strategy to support the development of Area Studies at the University of Sydney. Our report makes 11 recommendations which we believe, if implemented and pursued with sustained rigour by the University’s leadership, will ensure the success of the Area Studies strategy we have proposed. This includes a recommended model for the establishment, funding and operation of new Area Studies centres at Sydney that we are confident will, critically, have the broad support of the University’s academic community. The Panel believes that there is great potential for Sydney to enhance its international reputation for excellence in education and research through an approach to Area Studies that seeks, initially, to build on the University’s existing disciplinary and area strengths. We recommend that as a first step the University invest in the establishment of centres focused on two areas of significant current strength and strategic importance to Australia - Southeast Asia and China. We further recommend that the University leadership, in particular the Provost and DVC International, monitor the development