Monash University's motives questioned<\/p>\n
By I. N. Cider<\/p>\n
As Monash university seeks Asian expansion questions arise
\nconcerning its motives.<\/p>\n
HOWTHORN, Victoria (JP): Despite serious confusion over the
\nfuture of several departments at Australia's Monash University in
\nAustralia, the institution is expanding into Indonesia. At a time
\nwhen staff and departments are being cut, Monash has begun a
\nfeasibility study in consultation with the Indonesian Government
\nto establish an Indonesian campus.<\/p>\n
Student demonstrations, staff forums and media speculation
\nhave been focused on Monash as it reduces staffing levels and
\nacademic subjects.<\/p>\n
In a recent demonstration, students disrupted a staff meeting
\nand confronted the vice chancellor, Professor David Robinson.<\/p>\n
They asked: \"Why is the university cutting into core
\ndisciplines? Why is the university turning into a global
\ncorporation?\"<\/p>\n
Most under threat are the humanities. Critics suggest that
\nRobinson is building a university funded by full-fee paying Asian
\nstudents while the humanities, one of the university's core
\ndisciplines is restructured and cut by up to 40 percent.<\/p>\n
The vice chancellor confirmed that the expansion into Asia was
\npart of his ongoing business plan. This echoed his words at the
\nend of a recent visit to Indonesia when he said Monash's desire
\nto participate fully in the Indonesian education sector over the
\nlong term had remained unchanged.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the Asian crisis, Robinson said: \"The university
\nremains strongly committed to forging links with Indonesia's
\neducation sector, even during these times of difficulty\".<\/p>\n
Critics of the university are now asking questions about
\nwhether the university's commitment to international education is
\nbased on sound education principles or involves exploiting a new
\nmarket of full-fee paying students.<\/p>\n
Department of Politics postgraduate coordinator Paul James has
\nserious doubts about whether the globalization of Monash into
\nAsia is being done for the right reasons.<\/p>\n
\"Monash University is becoming a business corporation more
\nconcerned with making money than to provide the network of
\nservices necessary for a balanced education.\"<\/p>\n
In contrast, Robinson has argued that the new campuses are
\npart of the university's plan for the Asian region and other
\nselected countries. So far the focus has been the Malaysian
\nSunway Campus.<\/p>\n
The Sunway campus, he says, \"will benefit Malaysian students
\nwho want a Monash qualification but can't for whatever reason,
\ncome to Australia to study. It will also be an attractive option
\nfor students from other countries in the region.\"<\/p>\n
Critics of this expansion say that divisions of the university
\nhave been carved off as corporate entities and are intended to
\nbecome self-financing businesses. To achieve this end, Monash
\nplans to pay staff employed on local campuses at significantly
\nlower rates than on Australian campuses. It also plans to charge
\ninternational students in American dollars rather then local
\ncurrency.<\/p>\n
As the rupiah has fallen to 80 percent of its mid-1997 value,
\nan Indonesian student spokesperson believes it will be difficult
\nto attract Indonesians to the new institution. The spokesperson
\nalso believes that \"what we are seeing is the 'weeding-out' of
\nfuture Indonesian intellectuals based on economic wealth.\"<\/p>\n
Exacerbating this is the fact that since the economic crisis
\nbegan the Indonesian government has cut scholarships for overseas
\nstudy while at the same time international study costs have
\nincreased.<\/p>\n
According to James, \"the university has placed economic
\nconsiderations at the forefront in remaking itself Australia's
\nlargest tertiary institution. Glossy corporate brochures, with
\ncover images of planet earth, picture a future of global
\nexpansion. Professor Robinson has carried this process to a new
\nlevel. In Robinson's view, the decision to seek to open up seven
\nMonash campuses across the globe is simply \"good business
\npractice\".<\/p>\n
In the mean time, Indonesian students wishing to follow
\nhumanities courses, including languages, developmental studies
\nand sociology, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, may
\nsoon be forced to take alternative subjects to those of their
\nfirst choice.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/monash-universitys-motives-questioned-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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