Monash University's motives questioned

Monash University's motives questioned

By I. N. Cider

As Monash university seeks Asian expansion questions arise
concerning its motives.

HOWTHORN, Victoria (JP): Despite serious confusion over the
future of several departments at Australia's Monash University in
Australia, the institution is expanding into Indonesia. At a time
when staff and departments are being cut, Monash has begun a
feasibility study in consultation with the Indonesian Government
to establish an Indonesian campus.

Student demonstrations, staff forums and media speculation
have been focused on Monash as it reduces staffing levels and
academic subjects.

In a recent demonstration, students disrupted a staff meeting
and confronted the vice chancellor, Professor David Robinson.

They asked: "Why is the university cutting into core
disciplines? Why is the university turning into a global
corporation?"

Most under threat are the humanities. Critics suggest that
Robinson is building a university funded by full-fee paying Asian
students while the humanities, one of the university's core
disciplines is restructured and cut by up to 40 percent.

The vice chancellor confirmed that the expansion into Asia was
part of his ongoing business plan. This echoed his words at the
end of a recent visit to Indonesia when he said Monash's desire
to participate fully in the Indonesian education sector over the
long term had remained unchanged.

Commenting on the Asian crisis, Robinson said: "The university
remains strongly committed to forging links with Indonesia's
education sector, even during these times of difficulty".

Critics of the university are now asking questions about
whether the university's commitment to international education is
based on sound education principles or involves exploiting a new
market of full-fee paying students.

Department of Politics postgraduate coordinator Paul James has
serious doubts about whether the globalization of Monash into
Asia is being done for the right reasons.

"Monash University is becoming a business corporation more
concerned with making money than to provide the network of
services necessary for a balanced education."

In contrast, Robinson has argued that the new campuses are
part of the university's plan for the Asian region and other
selected countries. So far the focus has been the Malaysian
Sunway Campus.

The Sunway campus, he says, "will benefit Malaysian students
who want a Monash qualification but can't for whatever reason,
come to Australia to study. It will also be an attractive option
for students from other countries in the region."

Critics of this expansion say that divisions of the university
have been carved off as corporate entities and are intended to
become self-financing businesses. To achieve this end, Monash
plans to pay staff employed on local campuses at significantly
lower rates than on Australian campuses. It also plans to charge
international students in American dollars rather then local
currency.

As the rupiah has fallen to 80 percent of its mid-1997 value,
an Indonesian student spokesperson believes it will be difficult
to attract Indonesians to the new institution. The spokesperson
also believes that "what we are seeing is the 'weeding-out' of
future Indonesian intellectuals based on economic wealth."

Exacerbating this is the fact that since the economic crisis
began the Indonesian government has cut scholarships for overseas
study while at the same time international study costs have
increased.

According to James, "the university has placed economic
considerations at the forefront in remaking itself Australia's
largest tertiary institution. Glossy corporate brochures, with
cover images of planet earth, picture a future of global
expansion. Professor Robinson has carried this process to a new
level. In Robinson's view, the decision to seek to open up seven
Monash campuses across the globe is simply "good business
practice".

In the mean time, Indonesian students wishing to follow
humanities courses, including languages, developmental studies
and sociology, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, may
soon be forced to take alternative subjects to those of their
first choice.