The change in the relationship between universities and students has been revolutionary – but its benefits are many. I was honoured to be asked to speak recently at the Universities Australia annual conference about a topic that sits at the ...
More »At the edges of respectability
Anthropologist Lisa Wynn talks predatory publishing and the study of love, sex and desire. What is your name, where are you based and what do you do? I’m Lisa Wynn, but I publish as L.L. Wynn, and I am an associate professor ...
More »Australia’s global standing: How do we stack up?
Australia has a mixed report card when it comes to its achievements in international education Brazil recently played host to a meeting of international education associations from around the globe to debate challenges currently impacting on the international education sector. In ...
More »The University of Toxicity: Managerialism and the rise of Professor Toxic (part 2)
The rise of managerialism and academic capitalism in modern universities. In our first instalment, we described how universities now operate along capitalist competitive lines, and have adapted their behaviours accordingly. Managerialism is the dominant organisational mantra, and the professoriate is ...
More »Data scientists unleash power of ‘big data’
Businesses around the globe are seeking a competitive advantage from the use of 'big data' – and the data scientists who can unlock its secrets are reaping the benefits of this growing demand. Nearly all key business processes and systems ...
More »The choices we make matter
Why governments and universities should reconsider their dependence on international students as a major means of funding. I recently mentioned to a group of newly arrived students that Australia once offered free education to international university students. They looked at me ...
More »Blockchain and the disruption of higher education: Opinion
I recently wrote about why business leaders should embrace blockchain technology. As CEO of RMIT Online, I would be remiss if I didn’t heed my own advice and look at how this new technology could benefit higher education’s existing services ...
More »Time to re-think higher education assessments: Column
Measuring an elephant Delivering higher education assessments online will transform efficiencies in a system already estimated to cost into the billions. Student assessment is a pillar of higher education. It bookends who gets in and gets out, signposts achievement, gatekeeps ...
More »Australia’s day after: have universities lost sight of their core mission?
How are we preparing graduates for these times and the next? How are we preparing our polity, our economy, our society for these times and the next? Some time ago now, in a discussion about why China is investing heavily in ...
More »Skills versus knowledge: Column
The recent university funding debate belies a deeper issue affecting the sector: What is the point of a university degree? For government, it’s treated as a gateway to employment; for some academics, the goal is to identify and develop the ...
More »