51³Ô¹Ï

A conversation on the purpose of universities

In a wide-ranging interview on the Broken Education Podcast, 51³Ô¹Ï Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Zlatko Skrbis reflects on the challenges facing the higher education sector.

Earlier this year I joined Joel Di Trapani on the Broken Education Podcast for a conversation about the questions that matter deeply to me: the role that universities play in enabling flourishing lives, thriving communities and an ethical future.

It was a genuine pleasure to sit down with Joel. We discussed how 51³Ô¹Ï’s strategic plan places mission at the heart of everything we do, and why we invested such care in articulating it.

We also spoke candidly about the challenges ahead: the troubling devaluation of higher education in public discourse, and why universities must help to shape the future of artificial intelligence and knowledge creation, rather than allowing it to simply happen to us.

I remain convinced that the promise of higher education, tested over centuries, is one we cannot afford to give up on.

I hope you’ll take the time to listen.

This article is part of the Vice Chancellor’s Blog, which highlights stories, insights and perspectives from across the university.