International Student conference questions Universitas 21
13 February 2001
Australian Student Organisations have returned from a conference attended by student representatives worldwide, looking at the strategic directions being taken by the Universitas 21 group of universities. Universitas 21 is an international body that includes the Universities of Melbourne, NSW, and Queensland. Its secretariat is based in Melbourne.
The conference was a meeting of the Universitas 21 Student Network in Hong Kong. It has issued a statement questioning the strategic directions of Universitas 21. The Student Network has also established a secretariat in Melbourne.
Universitas 21 is currently negotiating a joint venture with Thomson Learning to establish a transnational \'E-education\' virtual university that would target fee paying students in China, India, and elsewhere. This joint venture company is to be called Campus Global. The Universitas 21 Student Network has agreed on a list of 35 questions about the details of the Campus Global joint venture.
The Student Network is concerned to ensure the academic integrity of Campus Global. The Hong Kong statement says, \"as a speculative venture, Campus Global would be risking the reputation of not just its members [the U21 universities] but of their students and alumni. Because of this, the quality assurance mechanisms employed by Campus Global must be exceptionally stringent.\"
The statement also notes that \"students are without any official representation within the governance of either the corporate or academic structures of U21. This stands in direct contrast to the students\' role as a primary stakeholder in U21.\" Thomson Learning and Universitas 21 have both publicly acknowledged that the students of Universitas 21 universities are an essential component of the Campus Global brand.
The statement recognises that a failure of government policy has made it imperative for many universities to enter into often risky commercial activities: \"We acknowledge the financial crisis imposed upon many of our member institutions by governments abandoning their responsibility to higher education.\"
The Student Network is also concerned that Campus Global may further undermine public funding of universities, stating \"Refocusing on a heavily commercialised funding structure appears to legitimise the removal of public funding from higher education.\"
The Student Network is seeking assurances from Universitas 21 that its original mission of international academic exchange remains at the heart of its strategic directions. The Hong Kong statement hails the collegial aspects of Universitas21 as providing \"significant advantage over individual institutions in addressing…challenges through international collaboration.\"
The full text of the Hong Kong statement is available at http://www.umpa.unimelb.edu.au/pages/hot/hotissues.html
For further information or comment, contact:
Emmaline Bexley, University of Melbourne Postgraduate Association President, 0419390243
Eve Bodsworth, University of Melbourne Student Union President, 0416064315
Dave Boyd, UNSW Student Guild President, 0417881189
Juliana Virine, University of Queensland Union President, 0438025883