Opening of Charles Sturt University canberra office

Official opening of Charles Sturt University Canberra Office

Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security

Charles Sturt University

2.30 pm, Tuesday 22 July 2014

Acknowledgments

• Members of the diplomatic corps
• Chancellor Lawrence Willett, CSU
• Professor Sue Thomas, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
• Professor Mick Keelty, Associate Professor, Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security
• Associate Professor Nick O’Brien – Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security
• Professor David Widdowson – Centre for Customs and Excise Studies
• Professor Suzanne Uniacke – Centre for Applied Philosophy and Excise Studies.
• Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

Introduction

It’s a pleasure to join you to formally open this Canberra Office of Charles Sturt University.

This new office is a natural and very welcome expansion of the university’s activities, and one which reflects the progress of a thriving institution, flexible and ready to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

I feel able to comment on this because I had the good fortune to visit the Dubbo and Wagga Wagga campuses of CSU a few weeks ago, including meeting with Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Vann. Professor Vann has, in his two and half years as Vice-Chancellor, encouraged the University’s expansion and growth while carefully maintaining and nurturing its strong sense of community and collegiality.

As you celebrate the milestone of a quarter of a century of operation, I warmly congratulate you on your impressive achievements during that relatively short space of time.

You should be proud of your track record in teaching and research.

CSU now holds the honour of being Australia’s largest regionally based university, and the university’s growing presence in Canberra reflects that impressive reach.

Canberra is a formidable university town, and I admire CSU for being an expanding element of that presence.

Today, we are launching the Canberra Office comprising the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security, the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies and the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics.

These are specialised and unique activities but are nevertheless in demand in both the teaching and research spheres, and each constituent institution has enviable achievements to its name.

Today’s opening demonstrates that CSU is adept at building partnerships that deliver benefits for both students and the nation. These will put it in good stead to take advantage of the Government’s budget reforms.

Today we mark the union of three organisations, each with an enviable track record.

The Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security

The Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security has grown to become the world’s largest provider of university education for law enforcement, with courses attracting students from around the globe.

Its global reputation as a leading provider of postgraduate research and education for professionals in law enforcement, regulation, emergency management and security provides many benefits for students, researchers and for Australia.

I know the school continues to deliver a major training programme to senior Indian police officers against strong competition from the US and the UK.

I look forward to its further expansion as you continue your close collaboration with law enforcement, regulators, universities, research bodies, private industry and emergency services providers in Australia and overseas.

The Centre for Customs and Excise Studies

The Centre for Customs and Excise Studies is a natural adjunct to the School of Policing and Security.

I applaud the close working relationship the Centre has with the World Customs Organization, and understand the Centre was recently presented with a Certificate of Recognition for its continued support of customs development and the establishment of the International Network of Customs Universities, presided over by Professor David Widdowson.

I am impressed the centre’s client base includes organisations and private companies in more than 180 countries.

This is an extraordinary global reach, given the United Nations recognises only slightly more than 200 sovereign states.

I wish you well as you work to keep pace with very high levels of growth in demand for your services.

The Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics

The Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics is also a remarkable institution – an Australian Research Council Special Research Centre which brings together the expertise of Charles Sturt University, the University of Melbourne, and others, and comprises what may well be the world’s largest concentrations of applied philosophers.

The centre is supported by an extraordinary array of leading researchers, working in six research areas of:

• Emerging and Converging Technologies
• Poverty
• Health
• Ecology
• Economy
• Security.

I have no doubt the interplay between these different elements improves the quality and relevance of the research and its impact on public life, and I wish you every future success along with your colleagues in this new Canberra office of the CSU.

Higher education reforms

Ladies and gentlemen

The range of courses and research being delivered by the units that comprise the CSU Canberra Office form an excellent example of the diversity I want to encourage through our recently announced higher education reforms.

Under the reforms, deregulation of the higher education system will make possible the diversity of choices for students and the quality of courses that we need.

Universities and colleges will have to compete for students, and it’s the students who will win – on choice, on quality, and on value for money.

At the heart of this freedom and competition will be a massive expansion of opportunity through access to Government-supported higher education.

We are extending Government-funded places to all students in undergraduate courses including higher education diplomas, advanced diplomas and associate degrees with all registered higher education institutions.

This expansion will see the Government supporting more than 80 000 additional students in higher education by 2018 – including some 48 000 in sub-degree courses, and 35 000 in bachelor courses.

The benefits for regional students and regional universities are clear.

Amongst other opportunities, the higher education reforms will allow CSU (and other universities) to develop further innovative partnerships with other education institutions to deliver more courses to more students.

I am well aware CSU already has a number of active partnerships delivering courses to students, including a partnership with the North Coast TAFE and Wodonga TAFE to establish two regional university centres in the mid-north coast of New South Wales and Northern Victoria.

These innovations place CSU very well to take advantage of our higher education reforms.

Students studying undergraduate courses like diplomas, advanced diplomas and associate degrees will be among the big winners from these reforms.

Diplomas are ideal for students who are not fully prepared for university study but who ultimately want to get into a university.

We know that students who enter university with a diploma often do better than many less-prepared students who go from school straight to university and might then drop out.

So the expansion of support for diplomas should also help to reduce the drop-out rate in universities.

Conclusion

When I visited the Dubbo and Wagga campuses of CSU earlier this month, I was engaged in a tour of regional centres.

I visited seven universities and six electorates and did other events over three days to listen to what people wanted in a higher education system and also explain the benefits of the higher education reforms for regional areas.

It’s my view that if you are a university leader in regional Australia, you will be able to offer a package to students, wherever they are, which includes a great lifestyle, a lower cost of living, and a high quality university degree.

I think this makes regional universities extremely competitive against other universities, and the many existing strengths of CSU make you better placed than most to take advantage of these opportunities.

With this in mind, I look forward very much to seeing Charles Sturt University continue to flourish and expand.

I am delighted to formally open the Canberra Office of Charles Sturt University and I ask you all to think of the many thousands of students and others who will benefit from the work undertaken in this place.

ENDS