Places of higher education have always been the nursery for modern progressive societies. This is why e.g. Scotland produced so many innovators and allied industries to translate theory into production.
The problem is Australia has the institutions and a pedigree gene pool of inventors and innovators, but few means of prototyping production, let alone retail production. Well sell our ideas for instant wealth and gratification. This is where nationalism comes into play, where taxpayer money is invested, with payback, to provide production houses, skills training, marketing and preferential govt purchasing.
Using universities to churn out psychology degrees for women wanting a job in govt so they can deliver PD programs anyone could do is not value adding anything worthwhile.... merely adding more anxiety to the workforce who can't keep up with their core delegated tasks. Our university schools should be focusing on hard stuff for the locals and maintain the easy stuff for overseas students who pay for theirs and the avatars who sit their exams.
