I recently heard the Commissioner for Jobs and Skills Australia, David Turvey, give a speech that began ‘How do we blow up the entire education system?’

As tempting as that may be, for some of us on some days (!), I thought I’d try to turn this around into a couple of positive aspirations; if we could do a few things just a little better, what might they be? A Head of School’s modest Christmas-season wish-list: 

• Could we be working to be incrementally better and fairer, individually and organisationally? What would that feel like?
• Might we engage deeply with Indigenous knowledge systems in both education and research, supporting fundamental reshaping and renewal of the nature of a University in Australia?
• I’d love to broaden engagement with student and alumni voices, bringing representative and progressive involvement with collaborative governance, course design, etc.
• Could we envision a School of HASS building a reputation as a progressive leader of social change?
• Would we develop an ability to engage critically and creatively with new technologies, including AI? Could we be thought-leaders in public discourse around such things?
• How would we better demonstrate to the wider society that their trust and (massive) investment in us as a university is worthwhile as a public good?

You’ll be able to add to this, no doubt!

In the meantime, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. And I thank you all for your tremendous work, kindness, and generosity of spirit and goodwill during this challenging past year.