A week ago the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop, addressed the Australia China Business and Trade Foundation where she spoke about "the education and science relationship between Australia and China and opportunities for the future," and noted, "Not only is there a strong and growing business relationship between Australia and China but increasingly this is underpinned by our expanding academic, cultural and personal linkages."

With regard to academic "linkages" she referred to the 81,184 enrolments of Chinese students recorded with Australian education and training providers within Australia's borders in 2005. Next highest is India with about 21,000 enrolments.

She went on to tell her audience that "the Australian Government is engaged in a number of initiatives to deepen and enrich the growing collaborative relationship between the Australian and Chinese science communities [, and] it is this strategic science relationship that I would particularly like to focus on tonight."

Ms Bishop enumerated "four sectors in which Australia faces significant scientific challenges in coming decades", and added, "If we can collaborate with some of China’s best minds, which are also focussed on finding clever scientific solutions to these challenges then we are both better off, as nations and as members of the global community."

• energy,

• water and mineral resources,

• environment and

• agriculture

And then elaborated on "energy" by subdividing it into:

• renewable energy,

• clean coal technology,

• hydrogen energy production and storage,

• fuel cells and

• improved coal mining technologies.

Special mention was made of Australia's $2 million per annum contribution to the Australia-China Special Fund for Scientific and Technological Cooperation which is designed to specifically support research collaborations between Australian and Chinese scientists. China also contributes $2 million per annum.

To put this sum in perspective the overall cost (including overheads) of funding one Australian Federal Fellow is over $500,000 per annum.

Interestingly the minister also referred to the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) which is currently considering a report tabled on June 2, 2006 of a working group* which investigated the challenges, opportunities and threats to Australia from the economic emergence of China (and India), but made no reference to what findings or recommendations the working group made to PMSEIC) or what action, if any, the Council or the Prime Minister might consider taking. The Council's next meeting is scheduled for December 2006.

The three primary recommendations of the working group are:

Focusing on the third of the recommendations the working group had this to say:

Australia needs to urgently re-invest in higher education, particularly in science and engineering research, and challenge our universities to use these additional funds to improve their international standing. We need to press on with reforms to raise the quality of Australia’s education system to generate the skills needed to take a global leadership role in science, technology and engineering and support our schools and teachers to meet this challenge (my emphasis).

 

The increase in investment in Australia’s best universities should focus on reducing staff-student ratios and attracting lead researchers from overseas, and creating world class research facilities. The working group believes that this investment will ensure that they remain internationally competitive in science and engineering.

Attracting the highest quality Australian students into science and engineering will help strengthen Australia’s science and engineering capability. This can be accomplished by increasing entry level requirements for science and engineering courses, providing scholarships and HECS incentives at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In addition, support cadetships and interns in industry on graduation.

Strengthening science and maths curricula and teaching capability in Australian schools is also critically important. Raising the quality of science and maths teaching in secondary schools can be achieved through scholarships for science and maths teacher education, supporting the development of science secondary schools linked to major research facilities, and encouraging the academies and professional societies to assist secondary schools in building enthusiasm for science.

Attracting the best (from the top 2 per cent) postgraduates and post doctoral researchers/fellows from China and India into Australian research organisations and universities will further strengthen Australia’s research capability. This will create opportunities for Australian students and researchers to work alongside some of the best in the world and to develop networks for future collaboration. It can be accomplished by offering scholarships and exchanges to both Australian and overseas students, linking with the best global institutions, supporting alumni links and providing courses where part of the study is done in Australia and part in China/India. To facilitate this process, immigration barriers to the best students and researchers travelling to and working and living in Australia should be removed.

One of the paramount difficulties for Australia is the lack of understanding by the Coalition government with regard not only to what Australia brings to the table when it seeks international scientific and technological collaborations but what it is perceived to bring.

*Members of the working group

Mr Hutch Ranck Managing Director, DuPont (Australia) Limited (CHAIR)
 

Dr John Bell Associate Director, The Allen Consulting Group
 

Dr Graeme Blackman Managing Director, Institute of Drug Technology
 

Ms Mara Bún former Director, CSIRO Business Development
 

Dr Megan Clark Vice-President Technology, BHP Billiton
 

Professor Suzanne Crowe Head, AIDS Pathogenesis and Clinical Research Programme, Macfarlane Burnet

    Institute for Medical Research and Public Health
 

Professor Stephanie Fahey Deputy Vice Chancellor (International), Monash University
 

Dr James Fox Managing Director, Vision Systems Limited
 

Mr Bruce Grey Managing Director, Bishop Technology Group
 

Dr Tony Haymet Director, Science and Policy, CSIRO
 

Professor Peter Høj Chief Executive Officer, Australian Research Council
 

Mr Tony Pensebene Associate Director, Economics and Research, Australian Industry Group
 

Professor Peter Sheehan Director, Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University of Technology
 

Professor Ah Chung Tsoi former Executive Director, Australian Research Council
 

Professor Jonathan West Professor of Management, University of Tasmania

Alex Reisner

The Funneled Web