Ensuring universities are free to flourish

AUSTRALIAN universities are the engine room of our economy. They educate the next generation and they enable workers to upgrade their knowledge. There are 190,000 more students in higher education today than there were when Labor came to office.

In this country, universities also carry the bulk of the research effort in every field from nanotechnology to pure mathematics.

Together, these contributions lay the basis for the kind of modern, prosperous, sustainable and equitable society that Australia can and should be.

Ours is a society in rapid transition, in a world of constant change. With every passing year, we rely ever more on these great powerhouses of knowledge and innovation. This is the basis of the contract between the people and the universities. The government provides the best resources affordable, in terms of equipment and support for our researchers. In return, we expect the universities to help us deal with the big problems and pursue the big opportunities society confronts.

But all that begs the question, how can we ensure our universities are free to flourish, yet open to proper scrutiny? How can we be confident they are serving the communities that sustain them?

The Coalition takes the view that regulation is red tape, and by default a burden. It is not a view I share. Universities must be accountable for the monies they receive, just as we expect of public agencies or car companies or politicians or any other carriers of the public's trust.

The real question is whether the requirements we establish help universities do their job. That is a conversation I am always willing to have.

Over the weekend the government received the final report of a review of red tape in higher education. It makes for sobering but encouraging reading. I have decided to release it immediately, to give the sector plenty of time to consider it before a government response is formulated. This must be a partnership between us if it is to achieve its purpose.

The review was conducted by professor Kwong Lee Dow, a former vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, and professor Valerie Braithwaite, an expert on regulatory regimes from the Australian National University.

I believe they have delivered a fair, judicious and balanced appraisal of the challenges confronting higher education providers in Australia.

To be frank, they are formidable. The report speaks about the complexity of regulatory arrangements in multiple levels of government, and with multiple agencies within governments. It highlights the failure of many agencies to interact as parts of a regulatory ecosystem, choosing instead to impose requirements as though they were operating in isolation.

Importantly, professors Lee Dow and Braithwaite emphasise the pivotal role of autonomy and responsibility to the operation of our universities. These institutions are among the most trusted in our society, and yet at times the various regulatory players have been treating them as though they need to prove themselves worthy time and again.

I believe we ought to take this trust seriously, and promote the ability of universities to run their own show, in response to the needs of their own communities, industries and regions.

Far from compromising on quality, I take the view that freedom within reasonable bounds actually favours innovation, creativity and excellence.

As the report points out, the compacts process initiated by the Labor government is an effective way to achieve this kind of partnership between the public and universities. It allows us to achieve a deep understanding of the unique challenges of each university, and to tailor our expectations and support accordingly.

If Labor is returned at the September 7 election, I intend to increase the significance of the compacts discussions, to give universities greater autonomy, flexibility - and responsibility.

It is in the same spirit I welcome this report on red tape. It is not about governments vacating the field, as the Coalition seems to promote (barring, of course, the regular interventions they saw fit to make when universities dared to waste their funds on such dubious fields as climate change).

It is an informative, evidence-based response and it seeks to promote the sector's aspirations and interests, within the bounds of the public's expectations.

This review is another indication the government is listening. We welcome debate on the future of our country, and there is no better place to centre that discussion than on our universities.

Senator Kim Carr is Higher Education Minister.