Churchill Fellowship Report: To investigate sustainable outcomes for students of low socio-economic backgrounds in Australian Higher Education - Netherlands, UK, Ireland, Finland

Abstract

PROJECT: To investigate sustainable outcomes for students of low socio-economic backgrounds in Australian Higher Education - Netherlands, UK, Ireland, Finland. By visiting four European countries, I undertook visits and consultations to examine specific points of interest which included: * investigating the nature and impact of social inequality and social transformation (eg Netherlands), * exploring strategies of outreach, accessibility, space, support and research (eg UK); * discussing programmes that enhance and support student diversity (eg Ireland);) and * understanding the interplay between political support, cultural context and educational success (eg Finland). Over a six week period, I visited 7 universities; and met with a range of personnel that included university leaders, outreach staff, academics, policy makers and researchers. From these visits, I was able to ascertain how the Social Inclusion in Higher Education agenda was operationalized across the various institutions; explore a wide diversity of practices and programmes; identify the importance of context, messages, accessibility, position and support; and consider types of research and scholarship in terms of effectiveness, implications and limitations. In conclusion, I highlight 5 significant aspects that I consider important and which I believe are necessary to contribute to sustainable outcomes for students of low socio-economic backgrounds; and which will require ongoing deliberation.