Campus Review Podcasts

In contrast to previous academic years, it’s doubtful many would have described their 2020 university year as ‘fun’ in many ways. Perhaps ‘challenging’ or even ‘stressful’ would be more likely descriptors. But as the 2021 academic year begins, it seems likely university staff and students will face the same sorts of challenges. However, whatever the conditions may be, Dr Stuart Middleton, Senior Lecturer in Strategy at the University of Queensland Business School, believes we must bring the fun back to university and motivate and engage students. Middleton was recently awarded the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management ‘Innovative Management Educator of the Year’ award for 2020 and joined me to discuss this important topic.For Middleton, ensuring fun and engagement on campus in 2021 will be critical for a generation he describes as facing multiple challenges - demographic, the blurring of public and private worlds and, of course, the pandemic.He also underscores the importance of connections on campu

After being released in China in 2016 and globally the following year, TikTok has quickly become a social media phenomenon.With its ability to create quirky, short-form videos incorporating dancing and comedy, the platform has a devoted audience, particularly young people. But it’s not all good news for TikTok and several countries are taking the company to task on a number of concerns.Today I’m talking to Susan McLean, widely known as the ‘cyber cop’ and founder of Cyber Safety Solutions to learn more about these concerns.While McLean acknowledges there is lots of fun stuff on the app, it's the refusal to take down inappropriate content and accounts in a more timely way concerns her."They don't focus on child safety," she summed up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This HEDx podcast sees Karl and Martin joined by Chris Eigeland the Chief Revenue Officer of GO1 an Edtech start-up.The episode explores how new entrants are moving at warp speed to disrupt business models for lifelong learning as a route to democratising access to education and knowledge.The implications to universities are profound with the clearest argument yet that the days of expensive four-year degrees are numbered. The case is made for the need to be prepared to give up the short term gains of current offerings if long term benefits from a disrupting business model are to be secured before new entrants do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of HEDx Karl and Martin are joined by Sarah*, a second year student at Monash University. She applauds the way they helped her through the challenges of 2020 and looks forward to some greater social interaction and some return to campus for 2021. The episode raises the prospect of the sleeping giant of disrupted value propositions in all of our universities for both international and domestic students and the need for third horizon planning to focus on the new business models that will be required. The clearest picture yet of the challenge the sector is facing.* Not her real name.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The HEDx team talk with Professor Duncan Bentley after his first 90 days as Vice Chancellor at Federation University in regional Victoria. He shares his thoughts about how to get to know a new place, its culture and its staff, students and partners, in trying times. He also focusses on the need for care for all in a university community. Duncan speculates about the role of regional universities in 2021 and how a focus on their external communities can set them apart. He presents this as a differentiated strategy, at times when some think all universities look the same.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first episode of 2021, Karl and Martin are joined on HEDx by Professor John Germov, the Acting VC of Charles Sturt University in NSW. Together they reflect on how all universities are positioned to start a new year in our universities. They discuss how a new year strategic health check that universities are starting to use around the country can help leaders ask the right questions to set them, their staff, and their students for success in this year of opportunity. What will yours and your university's new year's resolution be?Previous HEDx talks, which include some of Australia's most and experienced and respected academics, can be found at hedx.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's podcast allows Karl and Martin of HEDx to discuss the importance of data analytics and finding ways of monitoring and forecasting market changes. John Griffiths, as CEO of one of our state Tertiary Admissions Centres, shares current market data of applications and offers for next year's intake. He confirms trends towards online study and micro credentials in future student demand, and innovative admissions practices by universities in response, which he believes are here to stay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australians are known for their colourful language; indeed, it’s been called part of our national identity. But why are we considered a lover of swearwords and from where does this emanate?To discuss these issues, Campus Review is talking to Australian National Dictionary Centre’s chief editor, Dr Amanda Laugesen. Her new book, Rooted, an Australian history of bad language is out now and charts the history of swearing in Australia. Laugesen contends colonial Australia provided fertile ground for a whole host of swear words to be created to describe the harsh environments in which convicts found themselves, even though they were generally frowned upon by upper society. By the end of the 19th century, however, a shift towards the attitudes and types of swear words used reflected not only Australia’s involvement in war, but the country’s love of the bush ranger and the bullock driver, working long and hard hours. It was at that time, “that bad language became more justifiable”.During the second-wave feminist mov

In this episode of the Higher Education Experience, Barney Glover VC at Western Sydney University outlines his assessment of where the sector is up to and how WSU is looking to sharpen its approach to respond to the needs of partners and its communities. He also pays tribute to the extraordinary efforts of WSU staff in the most challenging of years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study conducted by Oxford University Press surveyed 1000 recent graduates and found that 88 per cent of them believed “soft skills” were necessary to their future career success.Even as these graduates prepare to enter an increasingly automated workforce, a substantial 78 per cent said such “soft skills will give them an advantage” in the workplace. Indeed, upskilling in soft skills in the workplace is predicted to be a new trend, with more than one third (38 per cent) believing that upskilling in this area will be an ongoing practice throughout their professional lives.But what, exactly, are “soft skills”, and have they always been viewed as being critical in the labour market? To discuss the importance of “soft skills” both now and in the future, Education Review spoke to Dr Alexia Maddox of Deakin University, one of the authors of the study.Maddox emphasised that "soft skills" compliment technical skills, and encompass how "we think, communicate, cooperate and collaborate and innovate". Within the do

Leading commentator on the changing perspectives of young Australians and the future of work Jan Owen AM joins Martin and Karl to reflect on the acceleration that has occurred in trends for young people and their work futures and the implications for our universities. The winners will be those that adapt quickest and develop their staff capabilities and connections with partners that allow them to be 21st Century fit.Previous HEDx podcasts, featuring some of the sector's most respected and strategic leaders, can be accessed through Spotify and Apple Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although little credibility has been given to President Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was a fraud, he obstinately holds on to office, delaying the transition of power. But, given the president’s penchant for litigation and the denials flying around in the Republican camp, can we be sure Trump will finally get his marching orders and move on?To answer this important question and more, Campus Review spoke to journalist and Professor of Australian Studies at ANU, Mark Kenny, about this transfer of power, as well as the accuracy and complexity of polling in 2020. He also discussed Biden’s likely domestic and international policies, as well as how a Biden administration will approach an increasingly aggressive China.Kenny said that, based on all reports, “ there is no systemised voter fraud that has been going on”. While he conceded that some errors may have occurred, the journalist stated that this is not uncommon in elections around the world.“All the evidence seems to point to these attempts by the Trum

Pascale Quester of Swinburne University of Technology joins the HEDx podcast at the end of her first 100 days as Vice Chancellor. She reflects on how all universities have the chance to leave the peloton and make the run to their own finish line based on an assessment of how they are shaped for the competition they want to compete in. The HEDx Health Check is also launched to help each university in the sector measure how it is placed to compete.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Campus Review is pleased to be bringing you the first of many weekly podcast episodes and exclusive opinion pieces in partnership with HEDx, a thought leadership and advisory service to the higher education sector. HEDx was founded by Emeritus Professor and former deputy VC of Griffith University Martin Betts and Karl Treacher, CEO of The Brand Institute. This first episode being brought to you in partnership with Campus Review covers the needs and capability of the sector to reset strategy and Professor Betts talks with the sector's well-known commentator and policy analyst Andrew Norton. Previous HEDx podcasts, featuring some of the sector's most respected and strategic leaders, can be accessed through Spotify and Apple Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before an internal government report recently revealed that the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) was causing significant concern among pres-service teachers and universities, nine focus groups were created to brainstorm concerns about the test and possible changes to how it would be administered in the future and by whom.Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Education at Southern Cross University David Zyngier was invited to participate in one of these focus groups by a group of education students who had been agitating online for change. However, after the report was released, Zyngier called it "flawed", saying the whole process appeared to have one pre-determined outcome: shifting the LANTITE test so it would be an entry requirement for undergraduate education courses. As an experienced researcher, he felt the process involved in developing the report lacked rigour,But, according to Zyngier, the report eschewed other important concerns that students and other experts

The 'golden goose' of international student enrollments looks unlikely to fly back and save Australian universities revenue in the short term.However, chief academic officer at Studiosity and former Provost Macquarie University Professor Judyth Sachs says domestic students enrolments look strong for next year, based on universities she has spoken to. The same applies to postgraduate domestic enrollments. But while this is a promising development in some ways - and adheres to the notion that young people caught in recessions will typically bunker down in education and training - Sachs believes the caps on domestic university students must be lifted in order for more revenue to be generated for the sector.The professor also believes that, after the disruptive experience of 2020, domestic school leavers will be expecting a lot from their respective institutions. Sachs also predicts that mental health issues - stemming from traumatic events in 2020 such as the summer bushfires and the current pandemic - means suc

When UNSW Economics Professor Gigi Foster appeared on ABC’s Q & A program in late July, she triggered a storm of criticism. Sitting alongside medical experts, Foster advanced the argument that lockdown measures would hurt the economy and individuals’ mental health so much that it would – in the longer term – lead to poorer quality lives, reduced labour productivity and health complications that could burden the health system and lead to early death. In short, the situation could be worse and a particular number of people may have to die to avoid this scenario.Unsurprisingly, some panelists and community members interpreted Foster’s argument as an attack on the sanctity of human lives, with one panelist calling her argument "abhorrent".To explore this debate further, Campus Review spoke to another economist about this highly controversial issue - Glyn Wittwer, a professor at the Centre of Public Policy at Victoria University. While he acknowledges that locking the economy down for a period of time will ine

An education and wellbeing expert is concerned that the future for young people will as challenging, if not more so, than what they experienced after the Global Financial Crisis. For Professor Peter Kelly at RMIT's School of Education, this is a consequence of years of employment instability, poor work conditions and “predatory business behaviours” and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. As Kelly says, young people are more vulnerable “largely because the sorts of work young people do". This includes hospitality, retail and gig work. But In his interview with Campus Review, Kelly mentioned that it’s not just the financial situation young people may find concerning: he described the current period as a sort of “existential crisis”, a time when many vulnerable young people are asking: “What does life look like next?” “They are trying to map out the next stage of their lives,” Kelly said, “and are also seeking all those things that mark an adult life – independence, autonomy.”Kelly has criticised the governments

2020 has been a challenging and disruptive year for everyone with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but one group that is often thought about is students – particularly those completing Year 12 this year. To explore this issue more, Campus Review spoke to Professor John Hattie from the University of Melbourne.Although he acknowledges that many Year 12s might be suffering socially this year as the final year of schooling is considered “a rite of passage”, Hattie sees many benefits associated with a remote or online model of learning. Firstly, he points out that thousands of students across Australia have studied online successfully for years. Hattie also adds that students learn to “self-regulate and own their learning” while learning remotely. The Visible Learning founder also refers to a recent study that found many Year 12s felt that could learn more efficiently in a remote learning context.Also, in light of many higher and vocational education courses being delivered online, Hattie sees the remote lea

A new study, led by Australian National University(ANU)PhD researcher Daniela Espinoza Oyarce has recently been published in The Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. The study examined the brains of more than 10,000 people to find out the effect of both conditions on brain volume.Oyarce and her colleagues found that the brains of individuals with depression only lost brain volume, with their hippocampus area - linked to sleep appetite and movement - having shrunk. The researchers do not yet know why this occurs, but Oryace hypothesises that it could be linked to chronic stress that "creates a toxic environment" in the brain and is harmful to brain cell.Interestingly, however, the research team discovered that the brains of people with both anxiety and depression had increases in brain volume, particularly in an area called the amygdala. While treatments exists for both depression and anxiety, Orayce believes a more complex understanding of the brain is required, especially for individuals who have been tre