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Professor John Brooks
Preparing for a knowledge revolution   7 December 2007
Only robust policies and funding will ensure a sustainable sector, says John Brooks. UK universities have a critical role to play in the development of the post-industrial knowledge-based economy.

Dr John Byron
CHASS in Ottawa   23 April 2009
Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences (CFHSS) will host a new discussion on international collaboration in research. This discussion is the result of a meeting of Canadian scholars and HASS advocates with United States and European and Australia colleagues which took place earli...

Australia Council
Australian Artist Careers   17 August 2010
Artist Careers, two research projects released by the Australia Council for the Arts, paint a comprehensive picture of the working lives of Australia's 44,000 professional artists.

Ms Denise Cuthbert
HASS PhD completions rates: beyond the doom and gloom   3 March 2008
In late 2007, the Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) convened a teleconference involving leading players in doctoral education in the humanities, arts and social sciences (HASS) to discuss the co-ordination of sectoral-wide initiatives on the HASS PhD.

Mr Ben Eltham
Reframing the cultural policy debate   15 February 2010
The Rudd Government's decision to open debate about a national cultural policy is an opportunity for a comprehensive reframing of the debate, writes Ben Eltham.

Professor Malcolm Gillies
Whose universities are they now?   25 March 2008
Even the University of Oxford no longer identifies itself as a public institution. As with Australian universities is has a range of roles and stakeholders, says Malcolm Gillies.

Mr Roy Green
Changing the World   3 March 2010
Changing the World was first published in the 'Australian Financial Review' on 22 February, 2010. It has been republished here with the kind permission of Roy Green. Can business schools change the world? Or should we simply adapt to it with varying degrees of success? Or indeed can we do both? In...

Ms Julie Hare
All aboard the innovation train   12 December 2007
The humanities, arts and social sciences will be central to Australia's national innovation system, a move that will bring it into line with some of the world's most innovative and creative countries.

Professor Iain Hay
Learning and teaching standards - history and geography   31 May 2010
This newsletter is about the Australian national Learning and Teaching Academic Standards (LTAS) project as it relates to the disciplines grouped under the general title Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (ASSH).

Professor Lesley Head
New Australian Centre for Cultural Environmental Research (AUSCCER) opens in Wollongong   26 July 2010
Environment Minister Peter Garrett recently launched the Australian Centre for Cultural Environmental Research (AUSCCER) at the University of Wollongong recognizing its substantial role in delivering new environmental thinking in the 21st Century.

Professor Jonathan Holmes
Report for the CHASS Newsletter   31 May 2010
At the Australian Learning and Teaching Council national forum on academic standards held in Melbourne in early February, 2010, the expert panel for Creative and Performing Arts recommended the development of a generic suite of threshold learning outcome statements that could be applied to the follo...

Professor Ross Homel
Taking a long-term view on participation   15 November 2009
The educational journey to university study begins early. Children learn first from their parents and siblings to lay the foundations of their cognitive, language, social and emotional development as well as their attitudes towards education in general and higher education in particular.

Ms Heidi Hutchison
Indicators consultation paper summary   14 September 2009
Consultation is sought as the ARC finalises the indicators and submission guidelines for the first round of Excellence in Research Australia evaluations in 2010.

Ms Heidi Hutchison
ARC Peer Review Process   17 November 2009
The Australian Research Council's consultation paper opens up examination of whether differing career pathways and employment environments in the HASS sector may disadvantage them in receiving grants within a system reflecting an older research structure, and which correlates more to pathways in the...

Ms Heidi Hutchison
Research Workforce Strategy   18 November 2009
In September, 2009 CHASS participated as a member of the Research Workforce Strategy Reference Group for the policy development process to represent the network of members. A second round of meetings are now underway to track progress on developing the strategy.

Ms Heidi Hutchison
The challenge of creating capable students   19 November 2009
Researchers, politicians and policy makers engaged in an energetic discussion on the issue of social inclusion in dducation and meeting the targets set for 2020, which will lead to a significant brief on relevant research to Government policy-makers.

Ms Heidi Hutchison
The challenge of multilingualism   16 November 2009
Researchers and politicians/policy makers engaged in a lively and mutually beneficial debate on English language policy and support for Indigenous students and for child and adult immigrants.

Ms Heidi Hutchison
Excellence in Research Australia   17 December 2009
The Australian Research Council released the outcomes of the 2009 Excellence in Research Australia trial of the Humanities and Creative Arts cluster and the 2010 ERA Submission Guidelines this month.

Ms Heidi Hutchison
National Cultural Policy   15 January 2010
The National Cultural Policy consultation is a major opportunity to reform and renew Australia's commitment to the arts, its creative industries and the broader areas of cultural life and value in innovation and heritage and social cohesion. The Council urges you and your organisation to contribute ...

Ms Heidi Hutchison
Excellence in Research Australia update   15 February 2010
The Australian Research Council recently briefed CHASS about the 2009 trial of the ERA process in the humanities and creative arts, and the changes which have been made for ERA 2010 in light of the trial experience.

Ms Heidi Hutchison
Meeting Australia's Research Workforce Needs   10 August 2010
The rationale for the Research Workforce Strategy is to match the supply of qualified and quality researchers to the demand generated by an ageing academic workforce and increased student loads towards 2020 as Australia seeks the skills to deliver the improved productivity necessary to secure Austra...

Mr Luke Jaaniste
New tax incentives for business R&D: will HASS get a fair go?   27 April 2010
In 2008 the newly elected federal government embarked on a major effort to reform the Australia's 'innovation system'. The most significant initiative was the Cutler review of the National Innovation System resulting in the Venturous Australia report (September 2008), but also important ...

Ms Rachel Lebihan
Universities call for urgent PhD funding review   14 March 2007
Universities have united in calling for an urgent review of supply. and demand for PhD graduates, larger scholarships, and a re-evaluation of university funding for the humanities, arts and social sciences cohort in a bid to raise the status of research students at a time of national innovation scru...

Dr Mary Mooney
The Arts - Initial Advice Paper   3 May 2010
Teachers, researchers and arts practitioners met recently in Sydney for the first look at the shape and content of a national creative arts curriculum. The Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA) asked for feedback on the draft of its initial advice paper for the curriculum at a semin...

Ms Helen O'Neil
Major HASS issues for 2009   12 May 2009
The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences sees 2009 and 2010 as the right time to build stronger links between policy makers and the university-based researchers working on the significant issues and challenges facing Australia.

Ms Helen O'Neil
Federal Budget 2009   13 May 2009
2009 Federal Budget roundup for the humanities, arts and social sciences - media releases and announcements.

Ms Helen O'Neil
Design Dialogue - future directions   15 July 2009
The Design Dialogue roundtable finished with strong consensus about the case for designers and design organisations as leaders in the innovation debate, and for better use of design knowledge and skills in meeting the challenges before Australia.

Ms Helen O'Neil
Indicators consultation paper   10 September 2009
The Australian Research Council has released a consultation paper on the Excellence in Research Australia initiative. The paper lists the various indicators to be used in evaluating specific disciplines in 2010, including lists of the esteem factors which will be used in addition to the indicators,...

Ms Helen O'Neil
For discussion: 2010 issues for HASS   6 October 2009
The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences has identified the following issues and policies as potential priorities for the sector in 2010. This list is to use in discussing the direction and management of the advocacy program for 2010 and is partly based on member responses to this ye...

Ms Helen O'Neil
Arts degrees qualify for renewed recognition   16 November 2009
The path to leadership in Australia - through the Arts faculty. In 2009 Australia's political leaders share a common qualification. Not an MBA, not a law degree. A Bachelor of Arts.

Ms Helen O'Neil
Strategic Framework for Research Infrastructure Investment   7 July 2010
The National Research Infrastructure Council (NRIC) is developing a Strategic Framework for Research Infrastructure Investment to guide the strategic intent, principles and approaches to investing in research infrastructure.

Ms Anna Reidy
Communicating Big Ideas   8 December 2010
On 2 December 2010, the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences launched the Communicating Big Ideas - HASS researchers informing policy and the media workshop at the University of Canberra. Moderated by Professor Peter Putnis, from the University of Canberra's School of Media ...

Professor Linda Rosenman
2010 Federal Budget and HASS   14 May 2010
It was always going to be hard to ask for new spending for innovation and research and in 2010, as it was only last year the Council and its member organisations celebrated a 25 per cent boost in investment. In the end, the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research has seen some cuts...

Professor Linda Rosenman
Canadian Congress for the Humanities and Social Sciences   7 October 2010
The Council for HASS believes Australia needs a showcase for good research, and new platforms for disseminating knowledge. In a recent visit to Canada, the Council's President saw Canada's Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences as a successful model for Australia to build new netwo...

Ms Erica Seccombe
New members of the Council's network   30 September 2010
The latest members to join the Council for HASS work in disciplines from history and heritage, research into models for sustainable societies, to design and craft. They include university based centres, TAFE providers in creative industries and museums and galleries.

Ms Erica Seccombe
New Member update   8 March 2011
The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences would like to welcome our new and returning members including: Association of NSW Regional Conservatoriums; Australian Archaeological Association Inc; Australian Screen Production Education and Research Association; The National Associatio...

Associate Professor John Spoehr
Bridging disciplinary divides to solve complex problems   6 July 2010
Australia must build disciplinary bridges that span intellectual and institutional divides for future prosperity and sustainability. A new report - Connecting Ideas - collaborative innovation in a complex world - prepared by the Australian Institute for Social Research at the University of...

James Wilsdon
At last, real creative spark   27 March 2008
Government proposals to redefine and promote innovation mark a major step forward, argues James Wilsdon in the Times Higher Education Supplement.

Ms Jenny Wilson
New research and practice in preventing youth violence   27 April 2010
In an Australian first, national and international experts met in Brisbane in April to discuss the latest research in the emotionally challenging field of youth sexual violence and abuse.