On December 20th the eight most prominent
Australian Universities, the Group of Eight (Go8) issued a twenty-nine page
paper, Research
and Innovation in Australia .
The bottom line of their argument is: In
summary the additional investment [in research and development] required
over five years (2001-02 to 2005-06) is $4.2 billion from business, $6.75
billion from the Commonwealth and $2.7 billion from other non-Commonwealth
sources. This increase in R&D investment could be phased in so that, for
example, the Commonwealth contribution would start at $450 million in 2001-02
and rise to $2.25 billion in 2005-06.
As a
reminder, the total sum earmarked by the government's five year Backing
Australia's Ability is $2.9
billion. So how was the Prime Minister's announcement greeted by the Go8 in its press
release of January 29?
"The Group of Eight, Australia's leading universities,
today applauded the Federal Government's $2.9 billion Innovation Action Plan for
the Future, Backing Australia’s Ability, as a significant commitment to
Australia's across the board research and development effort, and particularly
welcomes the Prime Minister's strong personal commitment to the implementation
process." A strong endorsement or a carefully worded statement designed not
to offend the current leadership?
How "...significant [a]commitment to Australia's
across the board research and development effort" is $2.9 billion? As a
quick calculation perhaps 43%, i.e. 2.9/6.75.
The Go8's press release went on to say, "As a tangible
demonstration of its support for maximizing the return on the Government's
investment, the Group of Eight universities is hosting a
forum, "Stimulating Innovation in Australia: People for the New
Economy" on 16 February 2001. The forum, which will bring together
Vice-Chancellors, leaders from government, business and the research sector,
will promote the vital links and connections between the key players which are
critically important to a high performing national innovation system."
The forum
did indeed take place and involved
some sixty participants including the eight V-Cs and three politicians, David
Kemp (Lib), Michael Lee (LP) and Natasha Stott Despoja (AD). As one might expect
Dr. Kemp in his opening of
the forum was self congratulatory with respect to Backing Australia's Ability.
Michael Lee's* contribution has not been made available on the Web but according
to Gavin Brown, V-C
University of Sydney, "Michael Lee was playing his cards pretty close to
his chest, and blaming John Howard for having played his cards close to his
chest in 1996. This, I suppose, is fair tactics. He did, however, smile happily
when I summed up to him, privately, his address, as having said that they would
do everything that the government has promised, plus 20 per cent. And he said,
'not only that Gavin, but we will deliver it faster'. So you all heard
that!"
Well, that gets us from $2.9 billion to $3.5 billion or
about 52% of what the Group of Eight recommends. As to the Australian Democrats,
Senator Stott Despoja
made the opening observation, "Does anyone still doubt that innovation and
research and development are the keys to Australia's future social and economic
prosperity?
This
has been long standing Democrat policy so it is with a combination of
frustration and wry amusement that we listen to the rhetoric of 'can-do
country', 'knowledge nation', and Howard's latest mantra, 'having a go'.
"The key point I want to make this afternoon is
developing a culture of innovation is first and foremost, a political issue.
"Let us be quite clear
about this. No innovation strategy will be credible until the defunding of
Higher Education is properly addressed and reversed."
Senator Stott Despoja was in fact strongly critical of both
the Coalition and Labor as regards their support of science and education.
However, it must be said, the Australian Democrats have never set down chapter
and verse of their policy on science and education. Until they do, they are no
better than those they censure. Hand waving is not promulgating policy.
Well so much for the political representation at the forum.
Only Nine of the twenty-nine individuals who spoke allowed their contributions
to be published on the Web.
Of those that did the most refreshingly forthright came from the Vice-Chancellor
of the Australian National University.
Ian Chubb made the point, "...I also want to tell you
that because we've so far taken just those important first steps [in Backing
Australia's Ability], we are not yet in a truly sound position to meet the
challenges ahead of us in the economy, the new economy. She won't be all right
on the day unless we do something more now to make it all right on the day. And
having told you that, I hope to enlist your support as we as a community; indeed
I hope [to] encourage the Government, the Opposition, politicians in general and the
community, that it's time to renew our universities."
Obviously Professor Chubb doesn't equate $2.9 billion with
$6.75 billion let alone finding the mechanisms to obtain the additional $6.9
billion from non-Commonwealth sources. And if anyone in power happened to
be listening, "Being average is not going to be good enough. Getting an
average number of average ability into universities of average quality supported
at average levels with average staff to average research would be a simply
appalling outcome. Being in the middle of the OECD expenditure tables on
education and on research and on development is simply to fail, especially when
those around us are improving their position. But it will fail, not just us, but
all those who will inherit this country from us."
Now although the Howard Government has been in power just
over five years, it may be pertinent to quote from Donald Kennedy's Science
editorial of March 23rd, regarding the US science budget. "The
Battle of the Budget has scarcely been joined, ...and the advocates for more of
this and that are treading carefully. They have abundant reasons for their
caution: Although it is a brand-new White House, it has already proven to be
hard to move and willing to punish."
A number of the public statements made by Australia's key
scientific and educational administrators bring Donald Kennedy's comment to
mind.
Credit: Science (23
March 2001)
=====================================================================
The Group of Eight has given the following account
-
The
Group of Eight is a coalition of Australia's leading universities. Membership
comprises the Vice-Chancellors of: Adelaide University, The Australian National
University, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, The University of
New South Wales, The University of Queensland, The University of Sydney and The
University of Western Australia.
The coalition was formed through consensus on the principle
that Australia both needs and deserves universities of world class. The Group of
Eight universities
undertake 70% of all research conducted in Australian universities and over half
of all basic research conducted throughout Australia. They also produce between
60% and 80% of internationally recognised Australian research publications in
every field of research and over 80% of
internationally cited university research from Australia.
The Group of Eight secretariat was established in Canberra in
June 2000.
*Michael
Lee, Labor Shadow Minister for Education, has kindly made available to TFW his contribution
to The Go8 Forum.
Alex Reisner
The Funneled Web