Then follows the issue of education. There needs to be more of it. Areas such as curriculum, professional development, vocational counselling, challenging and innovative undergraduate courses, post graduate support and continuing education all need to be addressed and will be addressed within our policy documents. I do give credit to those, including the efforts of the Australian Academy of Science, who are promoting science in the schools and contributing to curriculum. The issue of the major institutions must also be addressed.
National pride demands jewels in the crown.
Australia has jewels of international standard but they are not being recognised nor nurtured. Beyond the major scientific institutions, research infrastructure in universities needs to be restored to internationally competitive levels. Whilst a broadening of the funding base is desirable it must in fact be a broadening and not a funding substitution. Paying for basic and strategic research will remain a predominantly public responsibility. If private sector funding is substituted , programs will be distorted towards short term goals and the opportunity to build new knowledge will be lost.