CRUCH hosts the universities of the Group of Eight of Australia to define a common work agenda

16/03/2012
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Academic authorities from both countries discussed the similarities between their education sectors. Michael Spence, Chancellor of the University of Sydney, stated that “higher education in Australia and Chile share challenges related to economic development and the demands of social inclusion.”.

Within the framework of the meeting held between the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) and the Group of Eight (Go8) Australian, which brings together the main universities of that country, Michael Spence discussed with the Chilean academics the similarities between Chile and Australia that allow for the development of a joint work plan between their main higher education institutions, aimed at making the most of the economic opportunities offered by the Asia-Pacific area.

The sociocultural challenges posed by a strong mining industry presence, the need to boost agricultural development, the population distributed between densely populated urban areas and vast rural regions, and demands for social inclusion are some of the challenges shared by higher education in Australia and Chile, according to Michael Spence, Rector of the University of Sydney. The academic led a delegation of academics from Australia's "Go8" group who participated in a meeting with representatives of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) to outline a joint work strategy.

The meeting took place in Santiago, at the Pontifical Catholic University, and the Australian delegation, comprised of representatives from the universities of Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney (including its Kolling Institute for Medical Research), New South Wales, Queensland, and Monash, learned about the Chilean higher education system and its challenges through a comprehensive presentation by the Rector of the Austral University of Chile, Víctor Cubillos. Following this, Vice-Rector Spence shared his perspective on the challenges faced by both educational systems, elaborating on some details of the Australian experience.

“In Australia’s Go8, we have more than six universities with over 50,000 students. Students develop their own study programs. We conduct intensive research, and 20 to 25% of our students come from abroad,” explained Spence. Regarding funding, undergraduate students primarily receive government support, with the difference paid directly by the student or through an interest-free government loan, which begins to be repaid once the student reaches a certain income level.

However, despite these differences with the Chilean system, Spence emphasized the challenges common to the university system of both countries: “We have similar challenges regarding what to do about mining and agriculture, about innovation, about the inclusion of indigenous students, and about how to ensure that students graduating from our institutions have the necessary skills to thrive in today's world.”.

Finally, Spence highlighted Australia's experience and its long-standing partnership with the Chinese education system: “We have a 40-year deep commitment to China, developing joint curricula that result in professionals with a distinctive 'flavor.' Starting to work with Chile is exciting, as we need to figure out how to capitalize on the economic opportunities presented by the Asia-Pacific region.‘.