Content
Travel to secure USC's future
17 May 2008
The next three to four weeks is one of those periods in the year when international and interstate travel is essential in this role.
Our international student numbers are growing and currently represent 13 percent of our 6000 student population. Increasing numbers of students from Northern Europe, in particular, are interested in USC, so my first port of call is to visit my counterpart Rector and senior staff at Kassel University in Germany. Our links with German universities for staff and student exchanges, as well as joint research are getting annually stronger and visits such as this match those of our German partner visits to USC. Many European students are turning away from the U.S. and are instead preferring Australia, with the Sunshine Coast being one of the preferred destinations. We need to encourage that flow.
The other major involvement overseas will be participation in an OECD conference in Limerick where we have to gauge our participation in phase two of ‘higher education and regions’. Phase 1 was the subject of an OECD publication last September. We need Phase 2 to work to the maximal advantage of the University, the State, and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council in advancing the innovation agenda, so the planning and the players will need to be determined at the Conference. I will be delivering a paper to outline the expectations of USC if we are to participate in Phase 2.
I will return on a Sunday and on the Tuesday join the Chancellor interstate for the joint meeting of national Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors in Sydney, where it is planned to have the Prime Minister as a guest speaker.
At that time there may well be further clarification of the Budget proposals for higher education which have been a major outcome of this week in Parliament. At present, there seems to be money being made available for immediate use from a $500 million fund and then there’s the $11 billion Education Investment Fund, seemingly awaiting the outcomes of reviews that will span most of this year.
Much needs to be done this year to further strengthen USC into the future and ensure it continues to be Australia’s fastest growing University for both international and domestic students.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor at the University of the Sunshine Coast.