Australian Higher Education - What the Public Thinks

11 September 2008

Professor Ian Chubb AC

The second ANU Poll measures public opinion towards higher education. With the Australian Government's promise of an ‘Education Revolution' and the current review of higher education in full swing, what does the Australian public really think about our university system? How does the public perceive the availability of access to universities and the role of universities in preparing young Australians for the world of work? Is there public support for more Government funding for universities and how is their performance rated in comparison to other educational institutions?  Is a university education worth it in the eyes of Australians and how do Australian attitudes to higher education compare with other countries? ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb AC addresses the key findings from the poll and identifies policy options that would enable effective Government responses to a number of public concerns.

Broad Topics: Business and Economics, Campus Life

Sub-topics: Statistics, The University

Areas: University

Professor Ian Chubb is the Vice-Chancellor and President of The Australian National University.  His career includes six years as Vice-Chancellor of Flinders University and senior executive appointments at Monash University and the University of Wollongong. Chubb has served in various capacities on a number of peak bodies -- Higher Education Council and the National Board of Employment, Education and Training, the National Committee for Quality in Higher Education, the NHMRC and ARC, as well as a Ministerial Task Force and the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council. He was Chair of the Australian Vice-Chancellor's Committee in 2000, and from 2004 - 2005 was Chair of the Group of Eight Universities. In 2006, Professor Chubb was elected the President of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) for a two-year term. Most recently, as Chair of the Go8 he played a significant part in moderating some of the impact of the 2003 Higher Education Reform Bill.