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Launch of the Curtin University of Technology and the University of Western Australia New Masters Degree in Public Administration
Wednesday 8 February 2006
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by I am delighted to be here today for such an important event. I know that a lot of hard work has gone into the development of this new program of postgraduate public administration courses during the past year. I am very pleased that such a constructive collaboration has taken place between Curtin University of Technology and the University of Western Australia. I must say that, as a former Chancellor of The University of Western Australia, I have the added pleasure of launching this program. These partnerships are a vital ingredient to the success of our education system in offering people diverse and relevant courses that will expand their horizons. The two new degrees on offer are designed to primarily appeal to public servants who need a policy focus in their work and in the way that they manage. I offer my congratulations to both institutions because the degrees represent a major public undertaking from Curtin and UWA at a time when the Western Australian public sector has particular demands for professional education and training. The two degrees, briefly, are: The Master of Public Administration (MPA), which will have a common core, with opportunity for specialisation in such areas as public administration, public policy, public finance and governance; it will be delivered locally by the two universities; and the Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) in conjunction with the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, a consortium which comprises a number of universities across Australia and New Zealand, including Curtin University and UWA. This degree will deliver an Executive Master of Public Administration program to candidates selected and sponsored by their public sector employers. Some of the units will be delivered locally, with the balance at other centres within our region. Education is the key to opportunity and strong communities. It underpins society and gives us the tools to move forward, grasp challenges when they arise and shape our future direction. The John Curtin Institute of Public Policy at Curtin and the Faculty of Law at UWA have worked together to develop and offer these new post graduate programs in public policy and administration in response to industry and public sector demand. The programs provide public administrators from all levels of government in Western Australia with the opportunity for further academic training and specialisation. The Master of Public Administration, which will be delivered locally on a collaborative basis by both universities, will provide an excellent grounding for those involved in public policy and support the ongoing development and enhancement of a professional and effective public service. This is something very close to my heart – I spent some 36 years in the public service and know that offering opportunities to increase skill levels can only benefit our State overall in terms of service delivery. The collaboration between Curtin and UWA will offer the Executive Master of Public Administration as part of their joint membership with the Australian and New Zealand School of Government consortium. I understand that this begins this year with 10 candidates selected, sponsored and supported by the State Government, and that it is designed to meet the needs of high potential employees within the Australian and New Zealand public services and government-related sectors. It is an exciting area of study designed for future leaders to develop management and policy skills needed in today’s public sector. It is exciting, too, because in the past, outstanding leaders travelled overseas to complete their education and management training. That will no longer need to be the case. I would like to offer my congratulations to both universities for these new initiatives that will encourage higher skills in management and service delivery, as well as policy analysis across the spectrum of public sector activities. It will boost independent research, encourage more informed debate and, I believe, ensure we keep more people in the public service in the long term by offering them advanced and exciting areas to expand their knowledge and study. It now gives me very great pleasure indeed to officially launch the two degrees – The Master of Public Administration, jointly badged by the Curtin University of Technology, and The University of Western Australia; and The Executive Master of Public Administration in conjunction with the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. |
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