The Challenge of Australia's Future

As we enter the year 2002, we need to look at the future challenges facing the University sector.

In 2001, Murdoch had an exciting year in research, rapidly increasing collaboration across all areas of the campus and boosting our links with the industry, government and university sectors in research consultancies.

We have always been, and intend to remain, a community-based university. In this role we conduct basic research, and also provide high calibre consultancy work for government and industry.

Over the past year we have further defined our areas of research strength: mining processing; the environment and sustainability; contemporary Asia; agricultural, veterinary and biomedical biotechnology; and the very important area of social change and social justice (how do we solve today’s and tomorrow’s social problems affecting our whole community). These are areas where Murdoch has developed strengths over the years. We are also developing strength in bioinformatics and software engineering.

On campus, we have two Federal Cooperative Research Centres and seven State Centres of Excellence.

We also have major facilities such as the State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (used by universities, State government bodies and industry), our state-of-the-art separation science centre, and the cutting edge media arts centre with an interactive television focus. The importance of this very new area was highlighted recently by the national award for Professor Duane Varan who heads Murdoch’s research in the area.

But outside of our own backyard, there are very large issues facing the tertiary sector in 2002.

We have a relatively new State government with a commitment to science and education, a secure Federal government with a new minister Dr Brendan Nelson in the revamped department of education science and training (DEST), which now links education to science.

This is a vital time for Australia as it seeks to decide its place in the future international scene.

The appalling international events of 2001 and the continuing aftermath must change the way Australia sees itself in the world.

With the wonderful mix of races living here, we have the opportunity to mould a country afresh without the long and often bitter disputes that cause so much trouble in the rest of the world such as Afghanistan, the middle east, the Balkans and Ireland. We should use our migrants’ talents to the full to move Australia into a new era.

I am sure we do not want to just be considered as a nation of sporting heroes and a tourist destination (not that there is anything wrong with these).

However, Australia is one of the only nations in the world that can be totally self-sufficient if required, and has an opportunity to make a much more significant impact on the world.

Our racial mix provides a fertile ground for new ideas, and we must make the best of our talents. Our researchers are sought after overseas as independent thinkers.

This is the time for a non-partisan, community and political debate about where Australia sees its future in education and research.

We need to decide how many young people should expect to go to university, whether it should be free, and how we can make the transitions backwards and forwards between high school, TAFE and universities fluid and easy.

Australia also needs to develop ways to assist more mature people in the population to upskill, and join in the education and innovation scene if they have missed out earlier.

We need to look at ways to grow our local industry, especially Small to Medium Enterprises, or face a future as subsections of multinationals.

Secondary school students must be persuaded that science and mathematics are not only exciting to study, but can also lead to an enormous range of career options.

We need to restore the confidence of our humanities researchers so that they can use their talents to assist in solving Australia’s problems, and stop our brain drain especially of senior people and those of the highest calibre.

Finally, we need to make Australia a place where able researchers, industry and venture capitalists want to work.

Unless this debate is engaged at a serious level, away from the media hype, Australia may fail to grasp wonderful opportunities.

I wish you all a happy, successful and thoughtful year.