Philanthropy, Innovation & Higher Education

The title and many of the ideas in this posting are credited to The Hon. Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Education, Science and Training and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues. Julie Bishop is a cabinet minister in the government of John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia and on this occasion was as invited speaker at the AICC(WA)'s Curtin Zernike Dell Innovation Series 2006 with events partner The West Australian.

This being the first AICC event that I had attended I was suitably impressed by the quality of organisation, the introduction and thank you by the various speakers that framed lunch and the main event, Julie Bishop's talk. My reasons for attending are very good ones: I have an interest in technology and innovation from a business perspective, and in higher education from a professional view of giving back to the community that has given me so much more than a career.

The timing of this talk melds with my recent invitation onto the Engineering Industry Advisory Committee (EIAC) of Murdoch University. The discussion about philanthropy in higher education and the importance of lower-school and secondary education also struck deep chords with me. It was also my pleasure to meet up with some old friends and make some new acquaintances.

Prof. Jeanette Hackett, Vice Chancellor, Curtin University of Technology made the introductory remarks and painted the picture of an extraordinarily successful local university, of particular interest to myself, having five streams of engineering and having strong Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that is closely associated with Technology Park. Tellingly, Prof. Hackett notes that at $10B per annum higher education is Australia's fourth largest export industry and is fundamentally important as a contributor to the social and cultural capital of society.

The Hon. Julie Bishop opened with a little joke about a recent presentation to cabinet that felt a bit like having 17 education ministers in this country. She identified several critical capabilities to compete:

• Global engagement. International collaboration, partnerships with India, China and France are in place and identified US, UK, Israel and Singapore as others where attention should be paid.
• Quality of research. The Research Quality Framework (RQF) has been proposed as a world leading initiative in international benchmarking of the quality and impact of research.
• Leading edge, high calibre infrastructure. National Infrastructure Strategy.
• Astronomy is an area of Australian excellence. $20M has been earmarked on new tech demonstrator. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) needs open space, no noise and Western Australia is ideal (shortlisted with South Africa). $2B international, collaborative project.
• Diversity in higher education. 37 public, comprehensive universities need to change as standing still is no longer good enough. End of Dawkins mediocrity.
• Primary and secondary education standards. Teaching as a profession needs teachers to be highly regarded and valued, paid on performance and great teachers should be treasured.
• Connections and pathways between universities and industry, eg. CRC (Cooperative Research Centres) or mingling, estimated to have contributed over $1B to the economy.
• Backing Australia's Ability has an extra $8.3B towards science and innovation over eight years (about $1B this financial year).
• Development and retention of skills.
• OECD cash not accrual basis distorts real government spending increase if 25% over 10 years.

Business and education funding, one way through philanthropy towards revenue of higher education.

• Alumni networks where, for example, USA about $100B contributes about 20% of total funding compared to 2% in Australia.
• Contribute to excellence not to core funding.
• Almost 1M people at university.
• David Murray, Chair of Future Fund, encourages culture of philanthropy.
• Ian Thorpe Foundation is a charitable trust funding schools in remote locations, eg. south of Katherine, Northern Territory, run by Jeff McMullan formerly of 60 Minutes.
• Honoured to award Certificates of Attendance to students between the ages of 5 and 13 years old for attending school for the first time.

Julie Bishop closed the formal speech with the words that education is the building block how a cohesive and productive society is founded.

Several questions from the audience elicited replies that are gems and memorable in themselves:

• Changes in university funding in 1974 as part of the Whitlam reforms made one mistake, among many, to provide university funding but not for the states to cede control, a historical quirk that leads, for instance, to state audit of federal funding.
• Small research projects are poorly supported under current regime, answering a question about possibly missing funding an innovative and successful tinnitus project she confidently spoke of Helicobacter Pylori and our local Nobel prize winners unconventional research.
• Noted that NH&MRC and ARC grants are exempted from RQF.
• Disastrous implementation of OBE is one reason to reform education system.
• Need a strong public education system.
• Reward teachers working in disadvantaged areas.

The highly regarded founder and Executive Chairman of Azure Capital John Poynton, who has held appointments to the ASX and Reserve Bank of Australia, in formerly thanking Julie Bishop remarked on her passion for the gig, having embraced public service at the highest level after Harvard Business School. In reference to our universities, he exhorts us that as alumni or as individuals to give back to those institutions.

I enjoyed the coverage and depth of Julie Bishop's considered words as invited speaker about what are effectively impediments in our education system that detract from innovation and economic performance. The closing words ring true that there are issues in education of concern to all of us that need leadership and our active participation to set right.