Blog
Higher Education; what’s in store for 2024!
Higher education is undergoing profound transformations, shaped by economic, health, technological, and social influences. Despite the anticipation of a return to normalcy in 2023, the past year posed challenges; necessitating heightened adaptability and resilience. As we embark upon 2024, we face ...
Higher Education; what’s in store for 2024!
Higher education is undergoing profound transformations, shaped by economic, health, technological, and social influences. Despite the anticipation of a return to normalcy in 2023, the past year posed challenges; necessitating heightened adaptability and resilience. As we embark upon 2024, we face ...
Conversation: Professor Jim McCluskey AO; Australian research leader
Professor James McCluskey is one of Australia’s foremost researchers and research leaders. He has been at the University of Melbourne for more than 20 years, becoming Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) in 2011 and continuing in the role until this year. He was also Provost for most of 2021. Now, ...
Conversation: Professor Dan Hunter; Executive Dean, The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London
Professor Dan Hunter was appointed as Executive Dean of The Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London in 2022. Australian by background, he is an expert in technology and the law. On his recent visit to Melbourne, we asked about the UK’s higher education environment as well as his views ...
Conversation: Martine Letts; Group CEO Asialink
Martine Letts is Group CEO of Asialink. Hosted by The University of Melbourne, Asialink is Australia’s leading centre for creative engagement with Asia. With many years’ experience in public policy development, formation and promotion in Australia and internationally, Martine shared her thoughts ...
Leadership recruitment in a post-pandemic world
The identification and attraction of leadership talent is fundamental to the success of any and all organisations; never more so than in times of change and uncertainty. The pandemic has impacted so much of our personal and professional lives and although the fundamentals of leadership recruitment ...
Conversation: Professor John Wilson; Asia, STEM and beyond
Professor John Wilson is an experienced academic leader. Most recently he was Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Swinburne Sarawak, Swinburne University’s Malaysian campus, and he continues as a Board member. John was also Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Strategy Implementation) ...
Conversation: The Hon. Lisa Singh, CEO, Australia India Institute
Lisa Singh is a former Australian Senator and was the first woman of South Asian heritage to be elected to the Australian Parliament. She is currently the CEO of the Australia India Institute, a leading research and policy think tank advancing Australia-India relations at the government, business, ...
Pandemic leadership: Secrets of success!
The past two pandemic-years have required rapid and lasting change to organisational leadership. Leaders have been called on to not only adapt, but also to reimagine the way they lead and the skills and attributes they draw upon. With a shifting work environment; health, social and economic ...
Conversation: Professor Shaun Ewen, PVC (Place and Indigenous), The University of Melbourne
Professor Shaun Ewen is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Place & Indigenous) at the University of Melbourne and was Foundation Director of the Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health. Shaun is one of the most senior and respected Indigenous academic leaders in Australia and will soon join Griffith ...
Conversation: Dr Sally Eastoe, Executive Director Human Resources, The University of Melbourne
The human resource function within higher education institutions has been at the forefront of leading and managing the pandemic response. As the Executive Director of Human Resources at The University of Melbourne, this country’s highest ranking university, Dr Sally Eastoe has a unique view of the ...
Higher education in 2021 – the people landscape
The impact of changes to the Australian higher education sector brought about by the global pandemic are far reaching. But what are the effects on the sector’s fundamental strength – its people? Is Australia different to other countries? Given the international reach of our search assignments ...
Educational leadership in a post-COVID world
The past six months has been challenging for all within the higher education sector. Leaders have had to respond rapidly, adapt to change and lead teams remotely. And as ANU’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Brian Schmidt recently noted, “We don’t expect to ever return to business as usual post COVID”. ...
Conversation: Stephen Connelly, Director, i-graduate Australia & GlobalEd Services
International education is one of Australia’s greatest export successes of recent years. But it was also one of the earliest and most significantly impacted industries of the pandemic crisis. We talked with one of the most experienced participants in sector, Stephen Connelly to get a sense of ...
Conversation: Professor Kevin Ashford-Rowe, PVC (Digital Learning) QUT
With students around the world effectively locked out of school and university campuses as a result of the Covid pandemic, institutions had to move quickly to ensure that student learning could continue. Spear-heading QUT’s rapid online transformation was Professor Kevin Ashford-Rowe, one of ...
Conversation: Kathy Nunn, Director, Elite Woodhams Relocation
The easy movement of people, taken largely for granted over the past few decades, has been totally upended by the coronavirus pandemic. How is this situation affecting offshore candidates considering positions in Australia? What might be the longer-term implications? We speak with leading ...
Conversation: Professor Christopher Barner-Kowollik, DVC, Research and Innovation, QUT
Professor Barner-Kowollik is an ARC Laureate Fellow and distinguished international researcher in the area of polymer chemistry. Having led global research teams at three universities in Australia and Germany, he has recently taken up the role of Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation at ...
Conversation: Barry Conyngham AM, Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne
Australia has a vibrant and internationally recognised arts culture and The University of Melbourne, incorporating the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, is a key participant. The new arts precinct at Southbank is a world class environment for students, staff, ...
Conversation: Angela Barney-Leitch, Pro Vice Chancellor, Indigenous Strategy, QUT
Ms Angela Barney-Leitch joined QUT at the start of this year in the new position of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy). She is responsible for providing leadership in developing the strategic direction of the university regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters. We recently ...
Australia Remains a Top Talent Destination
The ability of Australia to compete internationally, particularly in higher education and research, is highly dependent on our capacity to attract and retain top talent from offshore. A recent and comprehensive OECD study ‘Indicators of Talent Attractiveness’ (May 2019) concludes that Australia ...
Leading in a Transformational Age: An Indian Perspective.
Mr Prashant Tandon is the founder and CEO of 1mg, India's largest digital health platform. As a visionary healthcare entrepreneur, Tandon has been listed as one of India's top 40 most influential people under 40 years of age (Economic Times: 40 under 40). Mr Tandon was the keynote speaker at IRC ...
2019 Higher education talent trends.
The higher education sector not only shapes the world in which we live but also is shaped by it. While Australian universities undoubtedly punch above their weight internationally, they remain highly susceptible to global events; be they opportunities or challenges. This will no doubt continue in ...
Conversation: Professor Pookong Kee, BHP Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University
Professor Pookong Kee, currently Director of the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute has recently been appointed as the next BHP Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University. Professor Kee brings a unique perspective with his extensive experience at senior levels both in Australia and ...
Higher Education in Africa – A Changing Landscape
One of the benefits of membership of our global executive search alliance is a deeper understanding of the dynamics of education sectors around the world. We recently spoke with Tracy Dawson, a Partner with our sister firm in South Africa, about some of the trends she is witnessing within higher ...
School Boards: Understanding the role is key to avoiding mistakes
During a recent speech, the Victorian education minister, James Merlino, nominated leadership together with teacher education as the two most important issues currently facing schools. School Boards play an essential role in school leadership. They can be the backbone of a successful school but ...
Leadership Transformation in a Digital Age
At a recent IRC leadership event in Singapore Mr Vivek Bhatia, the Asia Pacific Regional CEO of engineering giant Thyssen Krupp, spoke on leadership transformation. Specifically, he explored the key requirements of successful leadership within the 4th industrial revolution; the digital age. As ...
Conversation: Professor Zeger Degraeve, former Dean, Melbourne Business School
Professor Zeger Degraeve recently retired as Dean of Melbourne Business School following a highly successfully six year term. His achievements include maintaining and enhancing the international standing of the School, modernising the degree programs, expanding executive education and developing a ...
Disruption in Education
Within the education sector 2017 has undoubtably been a year of continued disruption, both domestically and internationally. In the video below, filmed at our recent global conference, Rohan Carr reflects on the implications of this disruption, particularly from a talent perspective. Rohan A. Carr ...
China’s education revolution: more questions than answers
During a recent visit to Shanghai to attend our global IRC conference, it was interesting to observe the rapidly changing Chinese economic, social and political environment and the impact on the education sector. China’s higher education system is expanding at an astonishing rate. With 8 million ...
Brexit, Trump and Visas
Brexit, the Trump ascendency and the more restrictive Australian visa regime are illustrative of the significant changes in the global political landscape. They also have the potential to impact the movement of academic talent internationally. So what trends are emerging? There is little doubt ...
Put yourself in their shoes: ‘Why would I join?’
The recruitment process requires significant time and resource investment by the hiring organisation, whether or not a recruitment firm is used. Organisations focus on preparing a position description, analysing the candidate attributes sought and the ideal candidate experience required. They may ...
Talent Retention in Education: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Over the holiday break I came across a reprint of the first edition of the publication Campus Review, which was published some 25 years ago (August 1991), and then called Australian Campus Review Weekly. Although the publication had a different name and somewhat less stylish layout, the most ...
Global Trends in Higher Education
As consultants to the higher education sector we gain remarkable insights into the challenges facing leaders at both a local and international level. In the video below, filmed at our recent global conference, Rohan Carr reflects on 3 key issues impacting higher education. Rohan A. Carr December ...
Maximising Human Potential: an Organisation’s Dilemma.
At our recent IRC Global Executive Search Partners conference, Mr Jan Muehlfeit, former Chairman Europe of Microsoft Corporation, discussed the challenges faced by organisations in maximising human potential. These challenges stand in the way of unlocking true people capability. Such capability is ...
Leadership and the changing world of work
“Up to 40% of current Australian jobs could disappear within the next 15 to 20 years as robots and computers continue their unstoppable advance.” This headline (ABC, 4 July 2016) does not herald anything new, but rather serves to highlight the changing nature of work. Some change is obvious, some ...
University talent: it’s not just academic!
One of the consequences of the focus on global rankings in the Higher Education sector has been the importance that Australian universities place on the attraction of research intensive academics, often from offshore institutions. Notwithstanding this, as we reflect on the past 15 plus years ...
Global Education Practice Group
For the past seven years The Insight Group has been the proud Australian member firm of IRC Global Executive Search Partners. A key part of IRC’s success has been the development of eleven Global Practice Groups. One of these groups is focused exclusively on the education sector. Global Education ...