Strong support for Asian Century

Universities have welcomed the government’s new international focus but have called for more funds to implement the bold plans. The federal government’s Australia in the Asian Century white paper sets out ambitious targets for the nation to embrace our neighbours as they grow in economic power. The paper does not hold back when it states that “the Asian century is an Australian opportunity” citing not only will Asia be the world’s largest producer of goods and services, it will also be the world’s largest consumer of them. “It is already the most populous region in the world.” For the university sector and schools, the paper proposes big cultural and structural changes advocating strongly for “significant exposure to studies of Asia across the curriculum to increase their cultural knowledge and skills” whilst engaging with at least one school in Asia. Asian studies are encouraged to become a core part of school education while “a continuous course of study in Asian language throughout their years of schooling” will be an opportunity afforded to all. “Just to implement the Asian studies and languages in schools will require thousands of teachers to be re-trained both in the system and coming through university courses,” says Professor William Purcell, deputy vice-chancellor (international and development) at the University of Technology. “It will require a lot of money and time from the government and also a major change in our ethos about how we view Asia.” Purcell, however, believes that the reasoning and direction of the white paper is sound and for universities it presents many opportunities. “We think this is a grand vision for Australia and it is feasible provided we are given ample lead time and sufficient resources to implement our capabilities,” he says. “Most Australian universities, if not all, have very good Asian capability and infrastructure already so it is a matter of building on the foundation. At UTS we already have a Bachelor of International Studies where students are required to spend one year in the country they are studying. If we are going to include Asian cultural and language studies for students studying any degree at university then it will require various different study and business models to be adapted. Overall, we see it as an exciting challenge.” The white paper calls for universities to substantially boost the number of Australian students studying in Asia by establishing closer links with regional institutions while also encouraging Australian universities to offer more Asian studies and languages. “The goal [of Australians studying in Asia] is well aligned with the goals of many universities, including the University of Melbourne, and their current trajectory,” says its deputy vice-chancellor (engagement), Professor Sue Elliott. “Already the university has one of Australia’s largest outbound mobility programs with more than 2500 students now taking some kind of international experience for credit [or hurdle requirement] annually. Numbers have grown by close to 10 per cent per annum over the last five years.” Elliott says that universities have been forging strong ties with their Asian counterparts through the membership of Universitas 21, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities network and involvement in the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education. But she admits there will be challenges regarding supporting students to undertake Asian studies and languages as part of their university education. “The number of students studying Asian languages at the University of Melbourne has increased following curriculum changes in 2008,” Elliott says. “Nonetheless, the cost of providing high quality Asian language education remains a challenge for all Australian universities; the low level of demand (because of low numbers of students studying Asian languages at school through to year 12) and volatility in that demand compound the challenges. “Universities look forward to implementing this recommendation, which will require a consistent long-term policy and funding environment to match the growth in supply of qualified language teachers and demand from students at school level before they reach university.” The white paper’s ambitious target of having 10 Australian universities in the top 100 worldwide by 2025 has also not passed without comment. “As many have pointed out, this would require a staggering investment in Australia’s research capability and may well be unachievable given the investment being made by other governments in their university systems,” Elliott says. “The investment of the Chinese government in their top tier universities is staggering and the climb of their highest ranked universities in the world rankings seems inevitable.” Australia’s desire to become more closely affiliated with Asian countries makes sense on many economic levels. For a start, despite Australia’s slow start developing financial relationships with our neighbours, it has grown in recent decades. In 1960, Asia accounted for only one-fifth of Australia’s goods trade, with Japan being our biggest regional trading partner. By 1980 that had risen to one-third, with Japan taking over one-quarter of Australia’s goods trade, by 2010 Asia accounted for two-thirds of our goods trade. The Chinese and Indian markets for Australia’s services exports have increased fivefold over the past decade. Australia now supplies about 40 per cent of Chinese demand for iron ore, accounting for two-thirds of Australia’s total iron ore production. China is a relatively small but growing market for Australian coal and natural gas. India, on the other hand, is the second-biggest importer of Australian coking coal (behind Japan). “There are many reasons why Asian countries are keen to work closely with Australia,” says Justin Bokor, executive director in Ernst & Young’s education practice and author of the report University of the Future. “We have an advanced economy and comparable time zone, a strong rule of law, transparent financial system, low pollution and clean environment. It makes sense for both business and universities to become more engaged with each other,” he says. Bokor, however, does point out that a strong Australian dollar will impact upon both business and universities in the future. “About five years ago the Australian dollar was about 80 to 90 US cents and now it has risen as high as $US1.05,” he says. “That represents as much as 30 per cent extra. But I think the biggest challenge for Australian universities will be adapting their business model and replacing an ageing workforce. “They will have to compete heavily with other industries to attract the best talent. That won’t be easy especially as entering the higher echelons of university positions usually requires a lot of training in the form of PhDs.” While the white paper has stated objectives and aspirations there are a lot of barriers to remove before they can be reached. Funding will be a key area. Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake says that while the paper is sound in principle, it makes it hard to determine what costing would be to achieve its goals. “The goals are a mixture of process initiatives (further strategic work and planning), which are entirely feasible, through to more aspirational statements,” he says. “There are intermediate strategies, which involve working with universities to improve study abroad opportunities, build partnerships with the region, and increase language provision. These are feasible and desirable goals, but their implementation will rely on robust and consistent support and resourcing.” Coaldrake also has his reservations as to what it will take to have 10 Australian universities in the top 100 by 2025. “The goal is entirely laudable,” he says, “however, there is no way of assessing what would be needed to achieve such a goal, and it is unlikely that it would be achievable given the current and likely future distribution of research resources globally. “Given that the goals are not precisely formulated – referring for example to ‘broadening and strengthening’ partnerships – it is not possible to estimate how much funding would be required. Further development of the relevant strategies in consultation with the sector should clarify the parameters involved.” QUT offers a range of specific Asian studies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, particularly in business, creative industries, education and justice studies. It has developed an arrangement with the University of Queensland and Griffith University to share resources to enable students to access a wider range of language subjects, including a range of Asian languages. “Encouragement of Asian studies is not the same as mandating such study, nor should it imply the offering of standardised subjects across all areas,” Coaldrake says. “However, the arguments put forward in the Asian Century paper do offer compelling reasons for all students to consider the context in which they will be working in the future, and to improve their understanding of the issues involved.” What will help university students become more actively involved is a $37 million AsiaBound Grants Program that will help up to 10,000 Australian students take up study opportunities in Asia. Each year, 3400 university students would be offered a $2000 grant for short-term study in Asia for up to six months. There would be 500 places, each with a $5000 grant, for university students to do semester-long exchanges, and 500 places with a $2000 grant for vocational education students. Students could take up a variety of study options in the region, including clinical placements, and would not be limited to universities in Asia. The pro-vice chancellor (international) at the University of Adelaide, Professor Kent Anderson, says the biggest challenge they face in Adelaide is for the public and students to get on board with the Asian focus but he thinks that will happen. “With the federal government offering incentives to study in Asia it will encourage a lot more students to look at the opportunity.” Anderson says that out of 25,000 students at his university, only 242 studied abroad last year and most of those went to either the US and/or the UK. He is impressed, however, at the overall direction of the white paper. “What I really like about this paper is that it consolidates a lot of where we are heading already. It is aligning Australian businesses and universities to pull together and that can only be good.” Ultimately, however, the challenge of incorporating Asian studies and languages into universities will rest with the students. If they see that undertaking subjects in these fields will increase their job prospects, then they will seek to study in these areas. “The paper makes a cogent argument for the study of Asian Studies,” says Professor Elliott. “Students will make their own choices according to personal preference, career aspirations and the advice that they receive from key informants. “If employment prospects are increased by proficiency in an Asian language and/or Asian literacy and experience, this will provide students with the incentive to choose Asian studies. The University of Melbourne seeks to ensure students make informed choices about their study programs.”