Fix this text
UNIKEN
Fix this textTHE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Fix this textThe oldest
Fix this textresident
Fix this textsee
Fix this textp. 3
Fix this textNo. 4 of 1981
Fix this text3 April
Fix this textRegistered for posting as a publication: Category B
Fix this textEngineers
Fix this texturged to
Fix this textleave the
Fix this textbackroom
Fix this textThe first student to take up a lecturer's chal-
Fix this textlenge to address fellow freshers on the subject of
Fix this textengineers in society, Rebecca Peters (Industrial
Fix this textEngineering 1) said engineers should stop seeing
Fix this textthemselves as technicians and become more
Fix this textsocially conscious.
Fix this textDr Alex Churches, Senior Lecturer in the
Fix this textSchool of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
Fix this textwho organized the talk, calls his students 'these
Fix this textretiring, backroom engineers'. 'Many young
Fix this textengineers lack dedication and take the course
Fix this textalmost by default, an attitude we have been fight-
Fix this texting against. It is very heartening that somebody
Fix this textwas prepared to come forward, and I hope others
Fix this textwill have ideas and put them forward too,’ he
Fix this textsays.
Fix this textSpeaking to an audience of about 400 in
Fix this textone of the Mathews Lecture Theatres, Ms Peters
Fix this textsaid: 'Before I decided to take engineering, I got
Fix this textto know some engineers. With the exception of
Fix this textyour relatives, engineers are boring people. They
Fix this texttend not to be able to talk outside their own
Fix this textnarrow sphere , , . they tend not to have outside
Fix this textinterests or have strong feelings about things.
Fix this text'But engineers have power (cheers from
Fix this textthe audience). They are the ones who have
Fix this textthe training to effect changes .. . but they
Fix this textprefer to let someone else make the decisions, to
Fix this textuse the power, so engineers just follow orders and
Fix this textdo not take social responsibility'.
Fix this textShe went on to criticize the attitude that
Fix this textengineers, as technicians, could get on with the
Fix this textjob without concerning themselves with the
Fix this textworld outside. In their own field, she said,
Fix this textengineers should question what they were taught
Fix this textand seek to create 'appropriate technology, a
Fix this texttechnology which suits the people, the environ-
Fix this textment and the situation' and does not just do
Fix this textsomething bigger or faster.
Fix this textMs Peters, 22, comes from Costa Rica. After
Fix this texttravelling for several years she decided to study
Fix this textengineering at an Australian university. She chose
Fix this textengineering because 'technology has a very direct
Fix this texteffect on people and many engineers are not
Fix this textacting responsibly. I thought I could contribute
Fix this textsomething.'
Fix this textComputer link with Antarctica
Fix this textA physicist in Antarctica has logged into a
Fix this textUniversity computer via amateur radio in what
Fix this textthe president of the UNSW Amateur Radio Soc-
Fix this textiety, Michael Katzmann thinks is the first such
Fix this textlink.
Fix this textDavid Robinson, a UNSW postgraduate
Fix this textstudent and physicist with the Australian
Fix this textAntarctic Research Expedition at Mawson,
Fix this textsuccessfuly logged into the PDPII-70 computer in
Fix this textthe Computer Science Department using the 21
Fix this textMHz high frequency amateur radio band. The
Fix this textsignals from amateur radio station VKOSJ in
Fix this textAntarctica were received by the UNSW amateur
Fix this textradio station VK2BUV, operated by Mr
Fix this textKatzmann (Electrical Engineering-4).
Fix this textA 6800 microprocessor handled the data
Fix this textbuffering and transmitter switching so total con-
Fix this texttrol was exercised from Antarctica. Perry Brown
Fix this text(Computer Science 3) wrote the microprocessor
Fix this textprogram. He is pictured with Michael Katzmann
Fix this text(right) in the 'radio shack' in the Electrical
Fix this textEngineering building, with the gear used in the
Fix this textlink.
Fix this textTight funding will
Fix this textcontinue until 1984
Fix this textThe prospects for universities are a continuation of the tight funding which has
Fix this textkept them to a no-growth situation in recent years.
Fix this textThis is the broad conclusion from the long-awaited report and recommendations
Fix this textof the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) for the 1982—84 Triennium which was
Fix this texttabled in Federal Parliament on Thursday 26 March. While the Government has yet to
Fix this textindicate its response the Report's recommendations indicate the highest levels of fund-
Fix this texting the tertiary education sector can expect for the next three years.
Fix this textThe Technical and Further Education
Fix this text(TAFE) sector has benefited from a significant,
Fix this textsteady increase in funding. The Universities and
Fix this textCAE's, however, are to be held to the same level
Fix this textof recurrent grants throughout the Triennium.
Fix this text(Because the TEC recemmondations for univer-
Fix this textsities and CAE's are grouped together, it is pot
Fix this textpossible to ascertain exactly how the nineteen
Fix this textuniversities will fare in comparison with CAE's.
Fix this textUNSW, for example, will not know where it
Fix this textstands for the Triennium, in any detail, for many
Fix this textmonths.)
Fix this textCapital grants for universities and CAE’s
Fix this textare also to remain constant tor the Triennium.
Fix this textThere will, however, be a small increase in grants
Fix this textfor equipment these will be provided on a
Fix this texttriennial basis to assist in planning.
Fix this textThe TEC has made few recommendations
Fix this textspecific to universities other than to state that
Fix this textrecurrent grants will sustain the levels of student
Fix this textload proposed by the Commission, and that a
Fix this textSchool of Fisheries should be established in a
Fix this textuniversity.
Fix this textThe TEC is much more specific in relation
Fix this textto CAE's, recommending the merging of colleges,
Fix this texta reduction in teacher training plans, an expansion
Fix this textof basic course education in CAE's, limitations
Fix this texton introduction of new courses (particularly
Fix this textmasters courses), and disapproval of PhD degrees
Fix this textand special funds for research in CAE's.
Fix this textSome relief will.be felt by universities from
Fix this textthe TEC recommendations that 'specific provision
Fix this textshould be made in the 1982—84 triennium to
Fix this textbegin to take account of increasing superannuation
Fix this textcosts . . .' The Commission sees merit in the new
Fix this textAVCC/FAUSA superannuation scheme and
Fix this textbelieves that there would be advantage in its
Fix this textcovering not only as many university staff as
Fix this textpossible but also CAE staff'. The Australian Vice-
Fix this textChancellors' Committee (AVCC) has welcomed
Fix this textthis recognition of the problem but believes the
Fix this textTECs recommendations in this area are inadequ-
Fix this textate.
Fix this textReactions
Fix this textThe Vice-Chancellor, Professor Myers, was
Fix this textoverseas and unavailable for comment at the time
Fix this textUNIKEN went to press. The AVCC issued a state-
Fix this textment welcoming and endorsing several aspects of
Fix this textthe report’, such as:
Fix this text• the TEC's recognition of the insufficient
Fix this textfinancial provisions for universities in the last five
Fix this textyears;
Fix this text• the TEC's support tor increased provision
Fix this textfor postgraduate and post-doctoral awards and
Fix this textspecial research centres of excellence;
Fix this text• the TEC's criticisms of the continued in-
Fix this textadequacies of the Tertiary Education Assistance
Fix this textScheme (TEAS).
Fix this textThe AVCC, however, expressed regret that
Fix this textthe advice of the Universities Council, prepared
Fix this textafter critical examination of submissions from
Fix this textthe universities, was not fully accepted by the
Fix this textTEC.
Fix this textGrave shortage of
Fix this textPhD
Fix this textstudents
Fix this textThe shortage of students doing doctoral
Fix this textdegrees has been described by two senior acad-
Fix this textemics as a crisis for research.
Fix this textBoth the Dean of the Faculty of Engineer-
Fix this texting, and former Head of the School of Mechanical
Fix this textand Industrial Enginering, Professor Noel Svens-
Fix this textson, and the Head of the School of Chemical
Fix this textEngineering and Industrial Chemistry, Professor
Fix this textDavid Trimm, blame the low level of the Com-
Fix this textmonwealth Award (about $4,600) at a time when
Fix this textengineering and applied science graduates can
Fix this textcommand starting salaries of $14,000 or more.
Fix this textUNIKEN sought amplification of these views
Fix this textexpressed by the two Professors in recent reports
Fix this textto the Visiting Committees of their Schools.
Fix this textThis'gross disparity’, as Professor Svensson
Fix this textdescribed it, and the resultant lack of PhD stud-
Fix this textents was having a dual effect on research he said:
Fix this textstaff were not able to be as productive as they
Fix this textcould be, because of a shortage of students to
Fix this texthelp them; and the number of research areas was
Fix this textgreater than could be tackled.
Fix this textProfessor Svensson said another factor in
Fix this textthe PhD shortage was that, until recently,students
Fix this textcould see that there may not have been an
Fix this textacademic position available at the end of their
Fix this textstudies, because the profession of engineering
Fix this textwas going through a slump. Because of this
Fix this textshortfall, the Dean foresaw difficulties in filling
Fix this textacademic posts in the future.
Fix this textThe problem of declining PhD registrations
Fix this textis a general one in chemical engineering schools,
Fix this textsays Professor Trimm. This is happening at all
Fix this textuniversities, in any discipline where you can get
Fix this texta high salary outside', he said.
Fix this textTA le recently carried out an assessment of
Fix this textthe economics of a PhD program which showed
Fix this textthat a student could be expected to lose approx-
Fix this textimately $20,000 over his career as a result of
Fix this texttaking a PhD.'
Fix this text'Without enough PhDs', Professor Trimm
Fix this textsaid, 'the supply of people with experience in
Fix this textspecific fields will be limited. The undergraduate
Fix this textcourse is general; specialty interests like synthetic
Fix this textfuels are introduced at graduate level.'
Fix this textWith the shortage of graduates and the
Fix this textexpansion of the chemical industry in Australia,
Fix this textProfessor Trimm said, 'there is little hope of
Fix this textattracting good Australian graduate students
Fix this textunless there is a significant increase in the level
Fix this textof Commonwealth awards, or the amount is, in
Fix this textfuture, topped up to say $B,OOO by assistance
Fix this textfrom industry'. A second choice would be to
Fix this textencourage industry to send staff into the Univer-
Fix this textsity for one-year masters program in a relevant
Fix this textarea at full salary, as is the case in the USA.
Fix this textRebecca Peters
Fix this textPerry Brown and Michael Katzmann
Fix this textRobert Hegedus
Fix this textProfessor Noel Svensson
Fix this textProfessor David Trimm
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255283487
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. (1975). Uniken Retrieved June 13, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255283487
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit and University of New South Wales, issuing body. Uniken Kensington, N.S.W: University of New South Wales, 1975. Web. 13 June 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255283487>
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. 1975, Uniken University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W viewed 13 June 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255283487
{{Citation
| author1=University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit.
| author2=University of New South Wales, issuing body.
| title=Uniken.
| year=1975
| section=volumes : illustrations ; 30-43 cm.
| issn=0312-7877
| issue=1981, no. 4 (3 Apr., 1981)
| location=Kensington, N.S.W
| publisher=University of New South Wales
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255283487
| id=nla.obj-255283487
| access-date=13 June 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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