SANDSTONE OR SANDBOX:
BUILDING BITE INTO WORLD CLASS AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH
This essay compares and contrasts risks and benefits between strategic policies focus on a few research institutions versus a national innovation system in Australia. “The Sandstones” (Go8) loom over Australia’s Capacity (2008) seeking to solidify already leading positions in Australia’s research landscape. Speed and concentration of improvement might prove the best choice. But smaller institutions would wither upon the regional vine. A new innovation system by contrast would require more diluted terms of regional engagement. Recalibration of a complex set of recommendations costs and takes more time to achieve which both Cutler and Carr appear to endorse. An egalitarian strategy seated in quality is preferred and advocated by the Review of Higher Education (Bradley et. alii.) but research among prestigious institutions could stall due to slow process change. In either direction a failure to grow successes quickly and economically enough in ensuring Australia’s quality of research is not currently an option. Australia’s GDP growth depends upon still greater innovation reform, access and participation. But what is world class?
No comments:
Post a Comment