More 'linkage', rather than research quality assessment, seems to be the White Paper s 'panacea' which will lead simultaneously to industrial innovation and a smooth diversification of the higher education system. Clearly, closer links between universities and industry are valuable to the nation. But the greatly enhanced emphasis on linkage in the White Paper is too central to the funding formulae. It risks further destruction of Australia s academic creativity through a focus on short-term goals. The experience of the last ten years shows that a simplistic vision behind funding formulae produces uniformity and mediocrity.
Universities already have many possibilities to generate links to industry.
What is needed now to add to the 'university pull' to industry is greater 'industry pull' to universities. Part of this may come from the Government s recent changes to tax law, but there is a lot of ground to make up if the nation s industrial spend on research is to match that of comparable OECD countries. The global economy will find the most valuable intellectual property worldwide. Australia s university heritage places us well in that market and we must reinvest to stay that way. As surely, our economic and cultural future will depend ultimately on open and unfettered though accountable enquiry by the most creative of our scholars.