From the Vice-Chancellor

[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 3, No. 1  14 April - 12 May 2008 ]

Last week a journalist asked why there were so many academics among the 1000 participants chosen for the Australia 2020 Summit in Canberra later this month. The question carried a suggestion that academics are an homogeneous group – with one academic no different from another.

It is not surprising many Australian academics nominated, or were nominated by others, to take part in the Summit. The academic community is an extraordinarily valuable resource for our nation. These are people trained in generating, debating and disseminating ideas, and they bring ideas and experience in many areas crucial to our society.

Sadly, the journalist’s query on the involvement of Australia’s academics in a forum such as the Australia 2020 Summit shows that while universities are recognised and respected in our society for their teaching and research activities, their role in transferring knowledge to the wider community is less known.

Knowledge transfer is an integral activity for universities. Indeed, at the University of Melbourne, knowledge transfer now ranks equally with teaching and research as part of our tripartite mission.

Our academics regularly demonstrate the wider social value of knowledge developed and nurtured on campus.

For instance, over the past five years the University’s Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research has made a major contribution to Australia’s social and economic policy, bringing together Commonwealth and State ministers and shadow ministers, senior public servants, business, industry and community leaders together with leading University and Melbourne and other Australian academics to robustly examine and discuss Government and Opposition policy across major portfolios.

And the University’s Social Justice Initiative has recently explored climate change from a social justice perspective, including economic, ethical, scientific, health, environmental, social welfare, and political viewpoints.

Undoubtedly, the sheer breadth of interdisciplinary expertise of Australia’s academics will add to the rich mix of ideas debated and discussed at the Australian 2020 Summit.


Glyn Davis

* Professor Davis is co-chair of the Australia 2020 Summit.