Academy of Social Sciences in Australia
Download this issue of Dialogue [PDF: Filesize
1.91 MB]
President's Report
Leon Mann
After the Federal Election and meeting the new Minister
There is at present a deep sense of malaise in the political and intellectual life of the nation. Perhaps the bitter, bruising national election of November 2001, fought mainly in terms of personalities, anxieties and prejudices rather than a policy debate in the core areas of health, environment, education, welfare, economy, and employment, has left the country tired and dispirited. The continual revelations of failure of government, public service and defence force leadership in regard to the 'Children Overboard' scandal together with the Governor General's difficulties in regard to his leadership credibility have created a moral vacuum at the centre of the Australian community and made many people cynical and disillusioned. There is a sense among many in the higher education and research community that the vision and promise contained in the Prime Minister's Backing Australia's Ability program and in Labor's Agenda for the Knowledge Nation may have been intended more for election year fanfare than as serious long term solutions for Australia's declining position in science, technology, innovation, education and training. The report produced by last year's Senate Enquiry into Higher Education gathers dust in the archives. It is easy to feel despondent.
In this arid political and intellectual environment, critical analysis and opposing viewpoints are discouraged. Scholars, writers and public intellectuals who take positions contrary to the dominant or preferred line are dismissed as the 'chattering classes', the 'chardonnay set', and the 'café latte set'. The ranks of critics of the present state of affairs (many of whom are in the Academy) dwindle as their opinions are met with stony silence, rebuff and even ridicule.
One can only hope that the malaise is a passing phase because Australia as a small, geographically isolated country is in urgent need of fresh, creative ideas about its future across many areas: its people, politics, society, and culture, its population and natural environment, its education and training, its science, technology and innovation. Above all, we need wider reflection on who we are and where we should be heading as a nation. It is crucial in this climate that the Academy, as an independent source of knowledge and new ideas, maintains and reinforces the objective listed in its charter 'to comment on national needs and priorities in the area of the social sciences'. As a modest contribution towards that objective, this issue of Dialogue has the theme 'Refugees: where to now?'.
Members of the Academy's Executive Standing Committee (Professors Sue Richardson and Gavin Jones, Dr John Beaton and myself - see photo overleaf) had a very cordial and productive meeting on 21 February with Dr Brendan Nelson, the new Minister for Education, Science and Training. In our meeting with the Minister we canvassed several topics, two of which relate directly to finding ways to stimulate innovative thinking on key issues of vital importance for building Australia's education, research and knowledge capability. We proposed the establishment of a Minister's Summer Thinktank to help develop ideas, options and scenarios on five or six key issues that are on (or should be considered for) the Minister's education, science and training agenda. The key issues we suggested as potential Thinktank topics included science, technology and society; education, training and employment; promotion of knowledge and innovation; organisational and inter-agency design for research collaboration; and prevention of an underclass in growth-dominated economies. The Thinktank, meeting in Canberra, would take the form of a residential week-long program of panel discussions involving 35-40 leading scholars and opinion leaders from all sectors (including leading overseas thinkers) to brainstorm and map out alternatives and solutions, and identify future issues and opportunities. The Minister's Thinktank would be an opportunity to produce deeper analysis of key issues and provide an independent yet integrated set of alternatives to assist government in shaping new policy initiatives and solutions. We purposely recommended a Summer Thinktank to ensure that the participants were committed and gave their full attention, free from the distractions of their regular work.
A second suggestion raised with the Minister was the idea of a form of Academy ExpertiseNetwork comprising a 'spider-web' of social science scholars available to provide independent, expert advice to the Minister and his Department on specific topics. The Academy ExpertiseNetwork could be deployed to provide background briefings to the Minister and others to help define pertinent questions and enrich thinking on policy issues.
Other topics discussed with the Minister included social science involvement in national research priority setting and soliciting the Minister's support for a mentoring program to be added to the newly established ASSA Indigenous Postgraduate Research Students Workshop program.
The Executive Standing Committee had a good exchange of ideas and views with the Minister and he encouraged the Committee to further develop and submit to him the proposals for each of the three programs.
Leon Mann
2002
Last modified: 2 November 2009.