Ramsay’s great books ‘broaden the mind’, says Brewer

The “great books” courses in the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation will help students in the 21st century workplace

Ann Brewer will be joining the board of the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation. Picture: John Feder

The “great books” courses supported by the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation will help students develop the skills needed for the 21st-century workplace, ­says the newest member of the centre’s 10-person board.

Academic Ann Brewer, dean of the University of Newcastle’s Sydney campus, has been appointed as a non-executive director of the Ramsay Centre.

Professor Brewer said the “great books” courses supported by the Ramsay Centre — the first of which will start at the Univer­sity of Wollongong next year — would be highly beneficial in ­preparing students for jobs in a disrupted economy.

She said that studying the “great books” required students to engage actively and independently in their thinking.

“As the concept of disruption takes hold in both its positive and negative ways, this approach is highly relevant for innovation, ­entrepreneurship and applying wisdom in any field of pursuit,” Professor Brewer said.

“It builds capability for independence of mind, reflection and, most importantly, the capability to question.”

Professor Brewer’s academic field was originally health administration, before she moved to public policy and business.

She is a qualified executive coach and has worked extensively in applying behavioural science in organisations. From 2004 to 2014, she was a deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Sydney.

Professor Brewer said the Ramsay-supported courses were a “genuine transdisciplinary opportunity for students to engage with the great books and illuminate their study in other disciplines”.

“The Socratic method (used in teaching the Ramsay courses) is very useful in terms of 21st-­century learning,” she said.

Professor Brewer has served on other boards including the Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, the Music and Opera Singers Trust and the Westmead Millennium Institute.

Ramsay Centre chairman John Howard said Professor Brewer was passionate about higher education and educational opportunity.

“We will benefit greatly from her knowledge and insights into the tertiary education sector, as well as her broad business and ­organisational mindset, and leadership skills,” he said.