News & Views item

News & Views item - May 2012

Three Comments on the Chief Scientist's Report on the Health of Australian Science. (May 24, 2012)

The Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate Chris Evans said of the Chief Scientist's report on the Health of Australian Science that it provided valuable insight into areas that will need further consideration from the federal government: ''The report notes opportunities such as tapping into the full talent pool of female and male students in the enabling sciences, mathematics and engineering. And the minister went on to say: ''The report will be a useful resource to inform the development of the National Research Investment Plan being undertaken by the Australian Research Committee, under the chairmanship of Professor Chubb.''

Below we reprint comments regarding the report by Dr Ian Dobson writing in The Conversation, Universities Australia Chief Executive, Belinda Robinson and Professor Michael Holland, President of Science & Technology Australia.

Ian Dobson Research Director, Higher Education Governance and Management at University of Helsinki	Belinda Robinson Universities Australia Chief Executive's media release	Professor Michael Holland, President of Science & Technology Australia's media release
Following is the final paragraph of Dr Dobson's article in The Conversation of May 24, 2012. Positive start The Health of Australian Science report is the start rather than the end of improving science learning and research in Australia. It identifies the need for further investigation, particularly into the possible impact of the decline in the skills base in agriculture and the enabling science disciplines on Australia’s food security and innovation. It also points to the need for research into the alignment of student choices with the national interest, the match between Australia’s areas of research excellence and the areas necessary for sustaining its position in global science, and finding the right balance between basic and applied research. The report’s finding that most fields in the natural and physical sciences demonstrate research performance at or above international standards is a positive one. But this is offset by declining participation in the enabling sciences and the ageing of the scientific research profile. The report tells us a lot about where Australian science has succeeded and where we need work. But it also shows that complacency is not a viable option.	Chief Scientist's report highlights risk of being left behind The Chief Scientist's comprehensive Health of Australian Science report outlines the crucial challenge we have as a nation in shifting our cultural view on the value of science, maths and engineering. "This landmark report shows that without attention, Australia runs the risk of being left behind in an increasingly competitive international environment," said Universities Australia Chief Executive, Belinda Robinson "This would leave Australia in the unfortunate position of being a knowledge and skills importer. "For us to begin our race to the front of the pack, we must first acknowledge the huge cultural shift that needs to take place. "Achieving this shift requires an all-in approach - an approach that involves not just our teachers and lecturers, but our industry captains and leading public figures. "Just as we must ensure that we have the best educators inspiring our students, we must ensure industry and business are standing ready to employ them. "As the Chief Scientist said, Australia has one of the lowest, if not the lowest, number of researchers employed in business enterprises. "As students have the right to choose what they want to study, the challenge is to provide the right incentives and create the desire to pursue these subjects. Employment opportunities will play a major role." Ms Robinson said that a report by Universities Australia, and commissioned by the Chief Scientist, found that less than half of all first year university students surveyed totally agreed that science was central to maintaining Australia's way of life. "If we want to keep pace in increasingly competitive world engaged in a race to the top, we must make it a priority to shift this view," Ms Robinson said. "We also recognise there are a variety of means and mechanisms available to help stimulate demand that would not come at the expense of limiting student choice. "Universities share the Chief Scientist's view that equipping our future workforce with the skills and talents necessary to secure the long-term well-being of Australia should be a national priority."	Health of Australian Science Report: decision makers can’t say they haven’t been warned Science & Technology Australia welcomes the Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb’s Health of Australian Science Report that outlines the strengths and vulnerabilities in Australia’s science system. “The comprehensive Health of Australian Science Report provides the evidence needed to drive policy decisions that can shape Australia’s science system strategically so as to meet the nation’s future economic and social needs” said Professor Michael Holland, President of Science & Technology Australia. “Decision makers, including politicians, education providers, the science sector, and industry leaders now have the information they need to make strategic decisions about how they each contribute to a strong science system. “Australia’s current demand driven education system may let the nation down in the long term, so attention and action is needed now to ensure crucial opportunities are not missed. “I urge political leaders to take a close look at the Health of Australian Science Report and embrace the opportunities it presents. “Australia cannot remain internationally competitive if it neglects to build stronger relationships between science and industry domestically and internationally. Nor will we reap the benefits of our world-class research if knowledge is not converted to technologies that improve all our lives. “Australia needs a total re-think on how we finance Australian research and innovation so that we can make good of Australian genius. “The Health of Australian Science Report gives us the information we need to develop a quality science education system which underpins a coherent innovation strategy. A coherent innovation strategy will include: measures to build a strong commercialisation environment; better collaboration between researchers and industry; measures to forge strategic partnership with our international counterparts; and diverse science financing mechanisms” Professor Holland concluded.

Professor Chubb concluded his address to the National Press Club as follows:

Let me re-emphasise that we have many strengths in our system. The HAS report has reviewed them in some depth and I have not had the time to cover them all.

For example, I could have spent all the time available on our international linkages. Between 2002 and 2010, the number of internationally co-authored publications in Australia more than tripled. Now just under half of all Australian scientific publications are co-authored with overseas collaborators.

Collaboration is important to us: we are few in number but big in performance. We learn from collaboration, and we educate through collaboration.

We must continue to be a player; we must never be content to be follower – outside the tent, hand out palm up and hoping that the fruits of the investments of other nations will drop in exactly what we need exactly when we need it.

The Health of Australian Science Report is not a story about rebuilding after a train wreck. We do not have a train wreck. But the Report is a signal: it encourages us to be alert; to be prudent while willing to take bold action when we need to.

To be blunt, we have to.

We cannot afford to be left behind and become supplicant importers of knowledge and skills in an environment where costs are high and competition is fierce, and with nothing to contribute in exchange.

Whether we like it or not, we are already competitors in what President Obama has described as the Race to the Top.

The Report I have released today is aimed at boosting our chances in the race – to get us somewhere near the top.

It is a high-level account of where our strengths and vulnerabilities lie.

We need to leap forward, but it is appropriate that we look carefully before we do. I hope that this report stimulates the discussions about the science, the engineering and the mathematics that our nation needs.

My Office will contribute to the discussion: we plan a series of Occasional Papers arising from the Report. We will start with one on deeper analysis of our International collaboration and another on the gender imbalance. We will write about why science and investment is important; and the pervasive impact of science on our every day lives (even every hour).

Good things won’t just happen because we are Australian. They will happen because of robust debate, our foresight and hard work – and our deliberate efforts to build the Australia we want – for us all. And we can’t do that without first class science, technology, engineering and mathematics.