A recent statement from China’s education bureau warned Chinese students about studying in Australia due to “racist incidents” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such statements, and further moves from China’s education agents threatening to redirect students towards international competitors such as the United Kingdom, can negatively affect Australia as a study destination. Australia’s universities are already reeling from the loss […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
‘I love Australia’: 3 things international students want Australians to know
Scientific breakthroughs: it takes a village
The greater prominence enjoyed by scientists during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to some individuals gaining a high profile – with the attendant praise and demonisation that this can bring. But these public figures are just the visible tip of a huge iceberg of effort taking place to combat the pandemic. To convert one bright […] … learn more→
Collaboration across disciplines makes it easier to solve problems (including COVID-19 )
In this time of hoaxes and false news we miss ideas. The “good ideas” arise from knowledge, from reflection, from argumentation and from counter-argumentation. This is why cooperative and shared knowledge is so important. The concept of interdisciplinary refers to the study or activity that is carried out with the cooperation of various disciplines . The cooperation between different disciplines allows analyzing […] … learn more→
Brain research shows the arts promote mental health
During self-isolation due to coronavirus, many are turning to the arts. Perhaps they seek a creative outlet or opportunity for expression; but it’s also possible that their attraction may be driven by an innate desire to use their brains in ways that make them feel good. As a professor and arts educator for over 20 years, I […] … learn more→
University students aren’t cogs in a market. They need more than a narrow focus on ‘skills’
Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently announced a revamp of the vocational education and training (VET) sector to focus more on skills needed for work. Providing training for people “who need to upskill or reskill” was also a recommendation of an interim Productivity Commission report released last week. The same emphasis on skills is evident when it comes to […] … learn more→
Why academic writing sucks (and how we can fix it)
My last post, where I called bullshit on the way we do the PhD seemed to hit a nerve. In fact, it got more hits in 24 hour period than I’ve ever seen before. Many people wrote in asking: how should I spend the remaining time in my PhD? Good question! I have a lot of thoughts. […] … learn more→
Online education can strand the disadvantaged on a Pacific island
In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, people still go to stores and touch everything. Hugs and handshakes are common. We have unprotected intimate interactions with door handles. Yet, even here, on this series of 29 small atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Covid-19 has raised issues for higher education that reverberate on […] … learn more→
Some ECR responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
Since February 2020 I have conducted Zoom conversations with eight early career researchers about their experiences. They all completed Humanities and Social Sciences PhDs from Australian universities in the last five years, and are citizens and/or residents of four different countries (Australia, Canada, Indonesia and the USA). Some are working as academics in universities, but […] … learn more→
Management: teaching collective action for ecological transition
In higher education, many voices have called for an ecological revival before the Covid-19 crisis. It is a question of students being able to understand in their training the challenges of the ecological transition imposed by climate change, the depletion of resources and biodiversity. More than 30,000 students signed the first call launched in 2018. A second collected more than […] … learn more→
Student teachers must pass a literacy and numeracy test before graduating – it’s unfair and costly
A recent media report noted student teachers are facing delays in sitting a literacy and numeracy test they need to pass to graduate, due to the pandemic. The report noted a group of student teachers have petitioned education minister Dan Tehan to scrap the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE) this year, and […] … learn more→
