The start of an article from today's Australian newspaper, courtesy of John Walsh of Brannagh on Norfolk Island, who is still apparently banned from this news forum, and still wonders why. Monash was widely regarded, 7 or 8 years ago, as the future of Australian higher education: joint ventures with the private sector, branch campuses, and so on. Walsh says (I was not aware of this) that Monash was not permitted to use the word "University" in South Africa, and was simply called "Monash South Africa." --------- South African campus loss adds to pressure on Monash By Louise Perry and Michael Bachelard MONASH University's struggling South African campus has made an $8.6 million loss for 2003, bringing the total loss in the past three years to more than $21 million. However, the university has denied claims made yesterday that another of its commercial ventures has not repaid loans of $3 million. The claims come as a campaign intensifies to pressure the university to retract its decision to raise HECS fees and full-fee paying places - measures intended to raise an extra $10 million a year. The South African campus lost $8.6 million in 2003 on top of a $9.8 million loss the previous year and a $2.7 million loss in 2001. A leaked council report reveals there are just 460 students at the Roodeport campus, on the outskirts of Johannesburg. A university spokeswoman said it was "a moot point" how many students were required for the campus to break even....
The article (thank you for the link) does not mention that Monash is not allowed to call itself a university in South Africa. Is this indeed the case? And if so, why?
Monash, along with Bond University who also has a presence there, are both not allowed to use the word 'university' in their trading names. South Africa has become highly regulated in order to get rid of the shonks, but the use of the word university is standard policy and nothing out of the ordinary. I spent a wonderful 4 day site visit to Monash South Africa campus last year as part of a scoping exercise. The Vice Chancellor, Professor John Anderson is a great man and doing his best to bring it up to speed. The campus is stunning, and in a nice area outside of Jo'burg. It's a damn shame as it has great potential, but I don't see how they can pull out now with such capital expenditure. Cheers, George
Is the problem that South Africa already has plenty of government subsidized universities? Why pay higher tuition to get a degree few have heard of? Now if Oxford had a campus. By the way, Monash was a great general. If WWI lasted into 1919 Monash or Canadian, Arthur Currie, would have commanded Imperial forces. They tended to win all their battles with significantly less caualties.
Hi Dennis - While I understand the point you're trying to make, you mustn't assume that because these schools are not so familiar to the folks of Alberta, that they're not familiar to the folks of ZA. Also, it's possible that there's some status attached to having a "foreign" degree. Who knows? Jack
ZA student take manash degree because of 1. It a foreign degree and surely the school will positioning himself higher that ZA school. 2. Easier to working in Australia by manash degree than ZA degree, that why ZA student who want to further work in aus. take this degree.
