News & Views item - July 2007

 

 

University of Wollongong Deputy Vice-chancellor Margaret Shiel Takes Over as ARC's CEO. (July 11, 2007)

      Professor Margaret Shiel will become chief executive office of the Australian Research Council on August 17 for a five-year term taking over from acting CEO Greg Harper who kept the chair warm after Peter Høj left to become vice-chancellor of The University of South Australia.

 

Whether or not Professor Shiel will, from the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop's viewpoint, be what Sir Humphrey Appleby would consider a "sound choice" remains to be seen.

 

Professor Shiel has told The Australian: "[The ARC is] funding half a billion dollars in research each year but its profile in the general public and even in the universities isn't as great as the CSIRO and the NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council). It's a matter of making sure that researchers are aware that they should be acknowledged and having the university media outlets getting out more good news stories. The ARC should be a good news story."

 

And according to The Australian: "Professor Shiel would not be drawn on previous difficulties [between her processor and DEST's Ministers], except to say that she would take up with federal Education Minister Julie Bishop a proposal to establish an advisory committee in lieu of a board" which was sacked by Brendan Nelson.

 

DEST supplies the following table as Professor Shiel's "CV"