KPMG Talking Tertiary KPMG Australia

Stephen Parker is interviewed by Geraldine Doogue for a segment that originally appeared on ABC Radio National’s Saturday Extra program on 23 May 2020. 
 
Stephen and Geraldine discuss the challenges universities are facing and how this may signal the end of the golden age of university growth. They also explore the idea that the pandemic has accelerated the overdue structural reform the sector so desperately needs. 
 
Visit: KPMG.com/au/talkingtertiary or email us at talkingtertiary@kpmg.com.au

In this episode of Talking Tertiary, Stephen Parker is joined by Junyi Zhao, who is the National Undergraduate Officer for the Council of International Students Australia (CISA) as well as Bachelor of Accounting student at LaTrobe University in Victoria. CISA is the national peak student representative organisation for international students and advocates for the interests and needs of international students in Australia. 
Stephen and Junyi discuss the unique challenges faced by international students through the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the positive steps CISA has taken to support students through this challenging time while preparing them for the future. They also talk about the ways in which technology will change higher education delivery into the future as well as altering the expectations of the students of the future. 
For more information about the CISA, visit their website: cisa.edu.au  
If you would like further information about our series visit KPMG.com/au/talkingtertiary or email us at talkingtertiary@kpmg.com.au

In this episode of Talking Tertiary, Stephen Parker is joined by Molly Willmott, President of the National Union of Students (NUS). The NUS is the peak representative body advocating for the rights of students across Australia. The NUS aims to positively impact the lives of students by campaigning for an accessible and equitable education system that creates opportunities and expands job prospects for young people.
Stephen and Molly discuss the issues facing students generally but also the ways in which COVID-19 has disproportionately affected students and young people and what this disruption means for the short and long-term future of the student experience. As well as student welfare, Stephen and Molly discuss what the degree of the future might look like and how the definition of a typical degree may change with the evolving workforce requirements.
For more information about the NUS, visit their website: www.nus.asn.au
If you would like further information about our series visit KPMG.com/au/talkingtertiary or email us at talkingtertiary@kpmg.com.au

Stephen Parker is joined by Dr Sharlene Leroy-Dyer, Acting President of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association (NATSIPA) which is a national network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander postgraduate students, non-Indigenous student supporters and Indigenous Elders and Alumni. NATSIPA's objective is to ensure that Indigenous Australians can access postgraduate education in a fair and equitable manner and it enables this by valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders diverse cultures and histories and supporting their control over their own and their family’s education.
In this episode Sharlene discusses her lifelong commitment to learning, she has a PhD in management from the University of Newcastle and is currently completing a graduate certificate in tertiary education, management and governance, and the importance of advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander post-graduate students at a national level. Sharlene and Stephen touch on the ways in which COVID-19 has disproportionately disrupted students in remote and rural areas where access to digital technology can be unreliable as well as the pitfalls of online learning which can lead to students feeling disconnected and isolated. They also discuss the importance of increasing funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are the most disadvantaged group in Australian society. For more information about NATSIPA, visit their website.
If you would like further information about our series visit KPMG.com/au/talkingtertiary or email us at talkingtertiary@kpmg.com.au

Stephen Parker is joined by Bruce Lines, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Services & Resources at University of Adelaide to discuss the role of the modern COO when it comes to disruption. Prior to his current role at the University of Adelaide, Bruce held a range of generalist student and academic administrative roles which have shaped his career. Stephen and Bruce discuss how the role of the COO has evolved from the traditional senior professional staff of the past to today’s COOs who find themselves focusing more on the commercial aspects of the university business. Visit: KPMG.com/au/talkingtertiary or email us at talkingtertiary@kpmg.com.au

Stephen Parker is joined by Edwin Van Rest who is the CEO and co-founder and of Studyportals. As Australia is Studyportals' 5th biggest destination market, Stephen spoke to Edwin at the Universities Australia conference in Canberra in late February 2020. Edwin is an industrial engineer with a passion for education and travel who co-founded Studyportals 10 years ago.The mission of Studyportals is to ‘empower the world to choose education’ through global education transparency, choice, and access across borders. In 2019 the company had 37 million unique student users and 140,000 confirmed enrolments so the business is growing rapidly.This fascinating interview was recorded just prior to the coronavirus being declared a pandemic and as such Stephen and Edwin touch on this subject as well as other major disruptive forces which will displace students and interrupt the normal higher education processes.More information about Studyportals can be found on their website: www.studyportals.comVisit: KPMG.com/au/talkingtertiary or email us at talkingtertiary@kpmg.com.au