HEDx

Professor Carolyn Evans VC of Griffith University and Chair of the Innovative Research Universities (IRU) group reflects on how having a new strategy coming into 2020 served her well in providing a true north to navigate the challenges of the disruptions of a pandemic. And as the IRU reflect on their distinctiveness as a group of universities, she reflects on how innovation has been made the necessity of the hour, and a means of guiding engaged staff in our universities through the cultural challenges of the current period, to serve a critically important broader community purpose.

Professor Jan Thomas VC for 5 years of Massey University and Chair of Universities New Zealand outlines the issues being faced in the different setting and context of NZ compared to her earlier experience of 5 years leading the University of Southern Queensland. She sees universities as beacons of hope if they can pull together, work in partnership with government, industry and communities, and work with people by engaging them in a positive and equitable agenda for the future. A great message of hope for universities across ANZ as we start 2022.

This episode sees a student join us in orientation week then again in week 12 of her first semester. She shares expectations coming into the course and how these are impacted by her understanding of brand and reputation. We join her again at the end of her first semester to learn of her positive experiences, that differ across parts of the university, and align with some of the expectations of the brand. What does this all mean for student evaluation, authenticity in brand and reputation, and culture in universities? and how do we create what students most want next year which is a sense of community?

Anthony Forster of Essex University in the UK joins the podcast as our first international VC. He describes the values that drive how his university seeks to differentiate and what made it UK University of the Year in 2018. He outlines the quite different issues of government funding for research and flow of international students, particularly from India, that UK universities are facing compared to those in Australia. And outlines the particular challenges that Brexit is bringing. And as a university with no gender pay gap for any groups of staff and a leader committed to leading differently, he outlines a compelling case for attracting and retaining staff being as important as students.

VC David Lloyd of the University of South Australia shares insights from running the first staff jam across his whole university in getting staff engagement to a strategy. And repeating it again 4 years later. He outlines how one unforeseen idea cost him $50m. He outlines the novel approach of leaving staff to decide how academic units should be organized only making the proviso it should be based on the products they offer students. And he describes a global partnership for skill development with a global big 4 consultancy from Adelaide. His message is of a philosophy of leadership and a university strategy, based on digital routes to enterprise.

Kent Anderson DVC at Newcastle joins us soon after a 2 year spell in Ministers' Tehan and Tudge's office guiding recent policy changes. He comments on the divide between chancelleries and ministry that has developed in recent years. He puts it down to the challenge of listening and who is in charge of the sandpit. The traverse of the landscape of policy changes concludes with an astute assessment of strategy options for those that listen best, and read the tea leaves quickest. This may come from those among the 40 universities with very different starting points and contexts, or from private providers, or the Edtech sector.

In this episode, Professor Jennifer Whyte of University of Sydney joins the HEDx podcast to reflect on culture, leadership and partnerships as an AUstralian Head of School in a Go8 compared to her experiences at Imperial College in the UK. She outlines opportunities for Australian universities to take advantage of new modes of connections, in particular a forthcoming Olympic Games in 2032, to reintegrate with the rest of the world by harnessing technology and global perspectives.

Denice Pitt CEO of online learning pioneers OES joins Karl and Martin to reflect on the 10 year journey of her company supporting universities in bringing high quality online learning to non-traditional students. She outlines the culture and technology combination, and novel approach to partnership, that makes it possible and has allowed student experience levels to be maintained through the disruption of the pandemic. And she shares a vision and forecasts to where our world of online learning is heading globally.

Professor Alwyn Louw joins HEDx as Vice Chancellor of Torrens University to tell of its growth to close to 20,000 students in seven years. As a US-owned private university operating across Australia, the Torrens story is one of fast growth, differentiated strategy, and a unique set up of governance and executive roles. It has a focus on innovation and growth with balanced ambitions for new domestic and international students, onshore, offshore and online. And with a model for funding research that is independent of government policy, is this the future for Australian higher education?

Sandra Harding, as Australia's current longest serving VC of a single Australian university at JCU in Townsville, joins the HEDx team. She reflects on how the sector's leaders and staff are feeling and of the culture change that is needed for a very different future than that she anticipated as UA Chair in 2013. She tells the story of how JCU was created and positioned to be unique as a university of the tropics. And she outlines ways in which differentiation could be possible for other new leaders and universities in the period ahead through pursuing teaching excellence and online opportunities. And she sees wisdom in turning these into the best of times and foolishness in thinking former times will ever return.