An ageing workforce coupled with overseas universities'
poaching staff and students is placing pressure on the
University of Otago, and the growing disparity over tertiary
funding is the primary cause.
Universities operated in a competitive environment, and
high-achieving staff and students were increasingly being
targeted by big-spending institutions overseas, University of
Otago vice-chancellor David Skegg said.
"It is a different world from 20 years ago," Prof Skegg told
Radio New Zealand National's Nine to Noon programme
yesterday.
New Zealand universities could not match the facilities,
salaries, research funding and teacher hours offered by
overseas universities, particularly those in Australia, Asia
and North America.
Talented science and clinical medicine staff and students
were most likely to be the targets of poaching, but it
occurred across all disciplines.
"We employ staff to head-hunt as well."
He said the university had lost staff to Singapore
institutions. One staff-member continued to work part-time at
Otago as well as in Singapore.
Australian institutions were able to offer salaries and
superannuation schemes more than a third higher than that of
their New Zealand counterparts.
Funding for enrolled students was also double, he said.
"It doesn't matter how clever we try to be . . . we are not
going to compete."
If the Government wanted to transform the economy, investing
in higher education should be a priority, as education and
research were key to a prosperous future, he said.
Another growing concern for the university was the number of
academic staff in their late 50s and early 60s who were
approaching retirement age.
"I tremble [at] what is going to happen in the next 10
years."
A collaborative project across New Zealand's eight
universities, which is expected to be released later this
year, is expected to highlight the sector's staffing shortage
for the next decade.
A request by the Otago Daily Times to interview Prof
Skegg was declined yesterday.
- hamish mcneilly@odt.co.nz
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