Category Archives: Universities

For anyone starting university, I can highly recommend reading this comments thread, with Marginal Revolution readers answering Tyler Cowen’s question: Your kid is going away to college for the first time. What advice do you offer her?

The Department of Economics at Monash University is hiring two junior faculty, with preference given to people who do macro, international economics or experimental economics. Full job ad over the fold.

I’ve been thinking a bit about sociology lately, partly because I’ve always thought it’s a fascinating discipline (Tally’s Corner, Rituals of Blood and No Shame in My Game are three of my favourite non-fiction books ever), and partly prompted by Mark … Continue reading →

The Woodrow Wilson Center is offering a $5000/month stipend to host Australian scholars for 2-4 months in their Washington DC offices. Here’s who they’re looking for: This competition is open to men and women currently residing in Australia, or of … Continue reading →

Andrew Norton and Paul Frijters have offered contrasting views on the radical reforms to Melbourne University being spearheaded by its Vice-Chancellor, Glyn Davis. Like Andrew, I’m optimistic that the Melbourne Model will succeed, but I think it’s more important to recognise … Continue reading →

On March 28, ANU will give an honorary doctorate to former Singaporean PM Lee Kuan Yew. I have rather mixed feelings about this. True, he presided over significant growth from 1959-90 (Singapore is now richer than New Zealand). But his … Continue reading →

Perhaps concerned about the recent finding that more beautiful people do better in elections, the UK academics’ union (the University and College Union) has banned all candidates standing in their elections from campaigning with photos. (Belated hat tip: Claire Donovan)

In today’s Australian, Paul Frijters and Tony Beatton take a swipe at my ‘double standards’ in talking about ethnic diversity. Andrew Norton is kind enough to defend me (doing a far better job than I would have done myself). In principle, … Continue reading →

ANU has today announced a new form of alternative admission. Students who receive a UAI of 65 or over can increase their chances of admission by sitting a 150-minute exam on 19 January 2007 (sample questions here - they look pretty … Continue reading →

Kudos to Joshua Gans, who has not only racked up his 100th scholarly publication this year, but also received Melbourne University’s prestigious Woodward medal in humanities and social sciences.

At an Australian Academy of Social Sciences dinner in Canberra last night, I was lucky enough to win their 2006 Early Career Award, jointly with Jennifer Hudson, a Macquarie University psychologist who does some very cool work on anxiety disorders in children. It also … Continue reading →

I tend to be sceptical of international reports that put any Australian university in the world’s top 20, but one exception is the ANU philosophy group, which is extraordinarily impressive. The carefully-constructed Philosophical Gourmet lists them as the 15th best faculty … Continue reading →

The ANU RSSS economics seminar schedule for Oct-Dec is over the fold.

In ANU news just breaking: Prof Chris Reus-Smit is the winner of this year’s Last Lecture. Chris is the Head of the Department of International Relations, and the Deputy Director of RSPAS, but, more importantly, is the lecturer chosen by … Continue reading →

ANU undergraduates will vote from Tuesday to Thursday in an online poll to determine which academic will deliver The 2006 Last Lecture. To any ANU undergrads reading this, I just wanted you to know that I’m not too proud to beg … Continue reading →

The ANU RSSS economics seminar schedule for September and October is over the fold. All welcome.