Allof these inventions came fromresearch conducted at Australianuniversities.
Right now,teams of researchersin university laboratoriesaround the countryare working tirelessly tostopthe COVID-19global pandemic in its tracks.Researchers aredeveloping better trackingof outbreaks, better protections for health workers andbetterpatienttreatments.Australians are part of the huge global effort to find a vaccine
Economists arebuilding modelstoprotect us from the worst of the downturn,AI expertsarebuildingnew industriesthatwillcreatenew jobsthat will be so desperately needed for national recovery.The nation’s researchers–university and industry workingtogether–have directed all their expertise,all their decades ofwork andknowledge, to the fight of our lives.
The majority of these breakthroughs comenot from “ah-ha” light bulbmomentsbut careful, sustained academic inquiry over months and years. The focused pursuit of understanding and certainty is what delivers tangible outcomes.
Investing in university research isan investment in the national economy. Accordingto recent Deloitte Access Economics modelling commissioned by ľӰԺ, for every $1 invested in higher education research, $5 is returned to GDP.
Thecollaborations between Australian businesses and universities generate $12.8 billion a year in revenueandin 2018-19supported38,500 full-time jobs across the country, according to Ernst and Young analysis.
Unfortunately, atthe verytime Australia needstoflatten the COVID-19 curve andhelp drive our post-pandemiceconomicrecovery, the funding that supportsuniversity researchis under threat.
Thesimplefact is,revenue from internationalstudentshasbecomeavitalsource of funding foruniversityresearchas well as teachingin Australia.
Australia needs research and development to prosper, economically and socially. But Australia’s investment in R&D is at its lowest level in 15 years.In 2017-18,Australia invested just 1.79 per cent of GDP. The OECD average is2.4per cent.Onthese trends,we can expectthese figures to be even lower in 2020for Australia.
Successive governmentsencourageduniversitiestodevelop education as an export sectorand a new source of revenue.
Which we did.Now,international educationhas grown to becomeAustralia’s fourth largest export, worth $39 billion per year.
The international educationsectorin Australia now faces unprecedented challenges, withborders closed and campuses quiet. International students, like their Australian colleagues, are studying online where they can, but some can’t, and some willstall enrolling untilface-to-face teaching resumes, and until they can get here.Some will have to defer or cancel study plans,as recession hits.
And it won’tbe anovernightrecovery.Internationalstudents will be conspicuousbytheir absencein 2021 andforyearsafter that.Students who didn’t start this year, will not be doing secondyearin 2021 andso on and so on.
The university sector is preparing for this enrolment shortfall to extendfortwo, three perhaps fiveyears. And that’s not something any industry canabsorb.
Particularly not universities, which have been excluded fromother broadscaleeconomicstimulus initiatives, including the JobKeeperpackage.
Recent modelling by UniversitiesAustraliaestimated the decline inuniversityrevenue wouldmean the loss of 21,000 jobs, or 16 per cent ofthe totaluniversity workforce.
Butbecauseof theway research isnowfunded,researchstaff are likely to be atevengreater risk.New modelling by Professor Chris Moran here atCurtin University estimates theloss of international student incomecould be as high as$2.5 billionnationallyin 2020, putting38 percent ofresearchsalaries at risk.
It’s not just these jobs that are at risk.It’s alsothe future medical breakthroughs, the new technologies,and thestart-upsand spin–offs that will employ hundredsof thousandsof Australians.
WithAustralia’s post-pandemiceconomicrecovery at stake,we’re askingthe Commonwealthto prioritiseand strengtheninvestmentinresearch.We must work together to build a bridge to the future.
Professor Deborah TerryAOis the Chair of ľӰԺand Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University.
As published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 7 May 2020.
