Appreciating Culture 2003

St. Spyridon college Appreciating Culture Lecture 2003

contents

Programme

2

Introduction to Inaugural Speaker Professor Gavin Brown—University of Sydney

3

Mrs. E. Stefanou-haag , Head of College

Lecture : ‘The Case for Universities’ Professor Gavin Brown—Vice Chancellor, University of Sydney

4-9

Appendix 1— Invitation

10

Appendix 2— Acknowledgements

11

Appendix 3— List of Guests

12-13

Appendix 4— Gifts & Mementos

14-15

program

Appreciating Culture Lecture

“The Case for Universities in a Civilised Society�

Professor Gavin Brown Vice Chancellor University of Sydney St. Spyridon Church Hall 3rd June 2003 7.00pm 7.00pm

Registration

7.30pm

Welcome - Miss A. Kollias, Director Senior School

7.35pm

Introduction to Prof. Gavin Brown -Mrs. E. Stefanou-Haag, Head of College

7.40pm

Lecture: The Case for Universities in Civilised Society

8.20pm

Vote of Thanks - His Excellency Mr. Evangelos Damianakis, Consul General of Greece

8.25pm

Presentation of Gift to Speaker - Dr. T. Savoulis, Chairman Board of Governors

8.30pm

Supper

Introduction to appreciating culture Lecture & inaugural speaker

Appreciating Culture Lectures This year St. Spyridon College celebrates its 21st

He was appointed Vice Chancellor and Principal

birthday. While many of the commemorative events

of the University of Sydney in 1996. Previous

held are purely of a thanksgiving nature, a few have

Chairman of the Group of Eight Universities, he

been specifically designed to contribute to the future

is on the Executive of the Association of Pacific

progress of our College and community.

Rim Universities, the Business Higher Education

The first of these, is the inception of a whole series of high-level lectures, aptly entitled “Appreciating

Round Table, the Australian Vice-Chancellor’s Committee and the Global Foundation.

Culture” by His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos,

As you can appreciate even from this brief intro-

Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia

duction, Professor Gavin Brown is a prominent

and Patron and President of our College. These will

and highly respected member of the academic

be held ever year.

elite of Australia, with considerable influence and

The aim of the Lectures is to connect our College with Australia’s most prominent thinkers and policymakers, so that plans for the education of our students may be informed by current concepts and ideas. In addition, we seek to provide a forum for lifelong learning for the Community of which we are a part. Both of these outcomes serve to move our College to the next level of sophistication and maturity.

inaugural speaker It is my pleasure and my privilege to introduce to you tonight’s speaker, Professor Gavin Brown, Vice Chancellor & Principal of the University of Sydney.

Formerly Harkness Scholar in the faculty of Arts at the University of St. Andrews, and Carnegie Scholar at the University of Newcastle -upon-Tyne, Gavin Brown became Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of New South Wales in 1976.

Winner of the Australian Mathematical Society Medal, former Vice President of the Australian Academy of Science and member of the Australian Research Council, he was awarded an honorary.

It was in Adelaide that I met Prof. Brown through the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Intercultural Studies and Multicultural Education Forums

powerful connections at the State, national and International levels. We are indeed most fortunate and greatly honoured that he, has kindly accepted our invitation to be the First Speaker at this the Inaugural Appreciating Culture Lecture.

Tonight he will present to us: “The Case for Universities in a Civilised Society”.

Mrs. E. Stefanou-Haag

‘Case For Universities’ Prof. Gavin Brown—Vice Chancellor University Of Sydney It is both an honour and a very special pleasure to present this inaugural lecture in your series

"incentives for students to undertake courses in national priority areas".

"Appreciating Culture" and to have this coincide with the 21st anniversary of the College. I feel some

Under Diversity we find "provision of a range of

kinship on this occasion, for my original university

performance-based incentives not mandated re-

experience was at St Andrews in Scotland, named

quirements".

for a shared patron saint and espousing a motto which you will recognise, "Aien Aristeuein" to strive

What is there in that to make the soul rise in

always to excel".

spontaneous song?

This is a good time to speak of the essence of univer-

I know that I am being unfair. I know that the

sities, for we are engaged in the debate over a major

budget package is the first serious effort in over a

review of Australian Higher Education. What is it

decade to enhance the quality of public higher

that we are arguing over?

education in Australia. I know that I spent last evening asking the Senate of the University of

The Federal Labor Party is sure that 'it' should be

Sydney to consider economic reality as a key fac-

equally available to everyone. There is much less

tor in determining a response to the proposals. I

commitment to making 'it' worth having, to making

know, too, that the reason that I have devoted my

hard choices over the balance between access and

life to working in universities is not reason at all

quality. The quality, that is, of whatever 'it' should be.

The Liberal Party, on the other hand, knows that 'it' should provide for national economic development

but a romantic aspiration to higher cultural ideals.

Tonight you have given me an opportunity to explore such things.

but that 'it' confers private benefit; that the costs to the community of 'it' should be kept in check and 'it' should be delivered with business efficiency.

In 1873 Benjamin Disraeli told the House of Commons that "A University should be a place of light, liberty and learning". Let's see how far that

The recent Budget Package emphasized four themes: Sustainability, Quality, Equity and Diversity. For

takes us. I choose to interpret 'light' as open-eyed research.

each of these there were given two to five brief explanatory phrases. Let me choose one from each.

This may be in the humanities, where we seek to understand ourselves as intelligent and spiritual

Under Sustainability we find "ensure course provision addresses labour market needs".

Under Quality we find "creating incentives to promote collaboration between institutions and business/industry and local communities".

beings. This may come through poetry and literature as much as through history. Some philosophers will see their task as analysing whether questions are well-posed, whether the question is properly conceived, and whether it is in fact a question, rather than evaluating the truth or

Under Equity we find the government looking for

falsehood of the answer. Others will be bolder in thinking about and writing of eternal mysteries, mind, consciousness and moral sense. Is the so-called dismal science of economics the study of social behaviour, or should we strive for objective metrical analysis? No doubt the two must be blended. Do we learn to solve today's problems of corporate governance Enron, HIH, OneTel by evaluating contemporary models, or is true insight dependent on a knowledge of Roman commercial law and the financial practices of the British in India? The world knew a time when tulip bulbs were synonymous with wild speculation.

Does this help us understand, even prevent, our modern e-commerce bursting bubbles?

The new education minister in the UK has famously remarked that medieval historians are a waste of space perhaps we can tolerate a few for decorative purposes but certainly not at public expense. But we have all been warned that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. The precise quote is from George Santayana's 'Life of Reason', "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".

Light as open-eyed research concerns also the natural world and we do not measure the value of such knowledge by its economic potential. When I studied physics as a student, it was still called natural philosophy (and mine was an Arts degree, by the way). It was still called natural philosophy because its business was to understand nature and natural phenomena. As Thomas Barlow noted, we have learned to use words like 'precompetitive', 'enabling', or 'generic' to disguise basic science in respectable utilitarian clothes. He pointed out that the Australian Research Council, which is the major source of research funding in this country, now describes basic research as "a strategic investment in realizing national goals". The scientific researchers I know are motivated, however, by curiosity, by a thirsting desire to bring light.

It is a great bonus for a medical scientist if her work contributes to the treatment of diabetics but it is the thrill of new understanding that drives her careful experiments.

My own discipline is pure mathematics and I still write research papers in harmonic analysis. The things that I do are not far away from applications to signal processing or to the interpretation of data provided by oscillating waves. This is the theory that underpins the technology of tomography, of CAT-scans or of ultrasound diagnosis. My motivation and interest, however, is aesthetic. It is much more in the mathematics, music, poetry stream than along the mathematics, digitisation, engineering process line.

These impressionistic comments on 'Light' as a fundamental component of the University demand an effort at summary. I should try to provide some definition of the 'open-eyed research' to which I referred. It depends on pure discovery, pursued for its own sake. It is more than that because it is not mere episodic discovery, but part of a broad explanatory mosaic. It is not mere discovery of facts, however well-connected or powerful in the picture they paint of humanity and of nature, for there is an aesthetic dimension and a touch of mystery. We should be enlarging that small portion of the Universe which humans can describe and understand. We must not be seduced by reductionism.

Light in that sense is fundamental to culture, and universities bringing light are essential to a civilized society.

Disraeli's second motto was Liberty. In the second half of the 19th century, when he spoke, Oxford was still struggling with reform, Cambridge was yet to renew itself from an impoverished, although aristocratic, conservatism - impoverished, that is, compared to the "new" universities which were springing up with municipal support in less romantic cities. As an example: Cambridge medicine was underfunded and students were starved of practice, according to a contemporary witness who sang:

"When students to Cadavers are

and you lose about $21,000 per student. Under-

As eighteen is to one

shoot and you will lose load to another institution.

The dividend's inadequate,

New places will be assigned after discussions over

The thing cannot be done

man-power needs with the State Governments.

At Owens' and at Birmingham

There is enormous potential here for bureaucratic

One man, one leg's the rule:

direction from central government and a serious

And students have a head a-piece

danger that student choice will be inhibited. What

At happy Liverpool"

implications might this have for the Classics or, for that matter, for Modern Greek?

But I digress and there were exciting developments at that time in Germany. These laid the

George Bernard Shaw once said, "Liberty means

foundations of the modern research university and

responsibility. That is why most men dread it". I

the buzz-words were Lernfreiheit and Lehrfreiheit

am not one of these men.

freedom in learning and freedom in teaching. Professors were empowered to offer courses of their

I believe very strongly that universities, with

choice and students were encouraged to choose

their own governance structures imposed by Act

widely from the offerings available.

of Parliament, deliver most when their autonomy

I have to say that this contrasts with the proposals

is respected. Of course, it is part of our mission to

in the current Australian plan which is to replace

provide professional training and conscientiously

university operating grants by a new system

we are responsive to society's needs in that re-

called the Commonwealth Grant Scheme. I quote:

gard. We are charged also with laying the frame-

"The Commonwealth will negotiate with each

work for a civilized society and that extends far

higher education institution to deliver a specified

beyond second-guessing the requirement for min-

number of Commonwealth supported places in

ing geologists in 2015.

particular course disciplines. This will ensure that

Liberty means more than university autonomy. It

universities provide the courses and the numbers

is fundamental to our value to society that we

of graduates that are needed by the nation".

offer critical analysis, be it praise or blame. It is fundamental also that I do not control the minds

Let me explain this system further. The govern-

of my staff, that they are free to articulate their

ment will calculate for each discipline the number

views within their discipline areas without fear of

of equivalent full-time student units (multiplying

retribution. It is a hallmark of a free society that

students by the number of units which they take

we establish and nurture institutions which en-

and dividing the result by an average number of

courage debate and disputation, wherein the qual-

units taken by an archetypical full-time student)

ity of an argument is treasured as much as, per-

and weight that number by the assigned cost of

haps more than, its conclusion.

that discipline of each unit, ranging from law at $1,500 to agriculture at just over $16,000. If the

Students must be free to express their views even

grand total is within 1% of the calculation based

(or because) history tells us that today's radical

on the negotiated student profile then the univer-

will be tomorrow's pillar of society. Liberty does

sity will receive its money. If the variation exceeds

require responsibility, but liveliness must always

2% then there are swingeing penalties. Overshoot

be preferred to conformity.

Disraeli spoke of 'Light, Liberty and Learning'.

shoulders with those who are pushing back the

Perhaps it is a commonplace that Learning must

frontiers. The paradigm is not recitation from a

be at the core of a university, but let's be clear

textbook followed by regurgitation. Our students

what learning means.

should learn together with those who are making the discoveries upon which the textbooks will be

It is true that universities act as storehouses and

based.

repositories for knowledge. At Sydney University we have the magnificent Nicholson Museum,

This image of university learning does not fit well

founded in 1860 with a donation from the first

with the word 'learned', with its connotations of

Chancellor, Sir Charles Nicholson, of what Senate

pomposity, grandiosity and stuffiness. It can be

then called "his large and valuable collection of

the child-like self within us that has the deep vi-

Etruscan, Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiqui-

sion. You have all seen the picture of Albert Ein-

ties" and which today contains masterpieces of

stein with his tongue stuck out. Some of the most

ancient art and objects of daily life from the an-

outstanding researchers in universities need time

cient Near East, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Rome

and space to be playful imps in order that Light,

and prehistoric Europe. Our library has treas-

Liberty and Learning all come together.

ures, including, curiously, the finest early Science Fiction collection in the Southern Hemisphere.

So much then for Disraeli's prompts, which I have

For all of history, impatient zealots and crude

used to give a flavour of what I find exciting about

philistines have destroyed precious and sacred

universities. Have I made a case for them as a

objects. Professor Dan Potts from our Archeology

necessary part of civilized society? If not, no wor-

Department is currently in Iraq on a frustrating

ries. As the Demtel man says, "There's more!"

salvage mission. I have read that one of the first uses of that sinister phrase 'friendly fire' de-

Not too long ago, at a business breakfast, I was

scribed the destruction of the library at Louvain

asked about the impact of information technology

by allied bombing in World War II. Ray Bradbury

on universities. The man who posed the question

gave a title to a book and to a horrible crime with

said he had read a review of a book which demon-

the specification, Fahrenheit 451, for that is the

strated that universities would soon be replaced

temperature at which books burn.

by internet courses.

The University as storehouse, both in a literal

"How far has the University of Sydney progressed

and in a metaphorical sense, is an important facet

down this track?", he asked. "Not at all", I replied,

of the University and Learning. This is but one

explaining that I believed IT to be a tool for en-

interpretation however. It is not complete, just as

hancing existing programs not for replacing them.

Umberto Eco's blind librarian - desperately pro-

"You are a hopeless "Luddite

tecting the manuscripts entrusted to him from the

",he retorted, shaking his head at my ignorance.

danger of being read is a sad future.

The University must be a place of active learning.

It is still true today that much of the learning

Unless the professors are engaged in creative

experience that a university offers, takes place

learning the students are deprived. A research

outside the classroom. It is through sports, de-

intensive environment of shared creativity is my

bates, drama, engagement in a wide range of com-

ideal of the university. We expect students to rub

munity activities, that our students mature and

develop. Employers snap up young graduates who are poised and articulate and our students create a rich developmental environment for each other by interacting and taking part in communal activities.

There are some outstanding individual successes, the World Open Water Skiing Champion is Ann Procter, one of our students, as is Loudy Tourky who won diving gold at the Commonwealth Games and recently an historic three gold medals on the world circuit in North America. Teams excel. We have won the Australian University Games for the last four years. More important, however, an amazing number of today's students combine academic success with part-time work and impressive community service or musical, sporting or other accomplishments. I firmly believe that this is a significant long term investment for society.

I am proud of what universities offer to society and reluctant to frame their achievements in ways which pander to some of the pre-conceptions that others may hold. I should add, however, that I believe that universities in general, and my own in particular, must continue to do more to tell people the good news about what we accomplish.

There seems to be a curious mixture of diffidence and arrogance in the personality of the academic. Perhaps I may illustrate this with a favourite story - which may or may not be true.

While Britain was at war in 1942, the year of my birth, an academic walked down High Street in Oxford. He was clearly from one of the colleges - bumbling, chaotic, of indeterminate age, somewhere between 35 and 55. He had a patched sports jacket, baggy flannels and unkempt hair. Under his arm he carried a pile of books. He was stopped by an inquisitive sharp-tongued woman with a born-to-rule accent which I cannot reproduce. "Young man", she said, "why are you not over there fighting to save our civilization?" With a slight stammer, but firmly, he replied, "Madam, I am the civilization of which you speak."

In the spirit of that Oxford Don, I have argued the case for universities from the inside, mostly for intrinsic characteristics, allowing you to deduce the benefits for a civilized society. Possibly some of you are worried that the culture of which I speak is that of the ivory tower. With the playful impishness of that place let me mix Light, Liberty and Learning by reminding you of the first use of that phrase "Ivory Tower". It comes from Holy Scripture, the Song of Solomon to be precise. Thus it appears in poetry, in a love poem no less. Let me quote:

Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. Thy neck is like a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.

After that let me assure you that those of us who work in universities are deadly serious people, working diligently to progress the national economy, conducting the research that ensures health, prosperity and quality of life, meeting the training needs of business and educating the leaders of the future. Please believe that we also preserve culture, propagate culture and help create culture.

I salute St Spyridon College on its commitment to fostering that culture.

Invitation

The Head of St Spyridon College Invites To the inaugural In a Whole Series of Lectures under the Title

Appreciating Culture in the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia

Speaker: Professor Gavin Brown Vice Chancellor University of Sydney “The Case for Universities in a Civilised Society�

St. Spyridon Church Hall Gardeners Road, Kingsford Tuesday 3rd June 2003 7.00pm for 7.30pm

Acknowledgements Warm thanks are extended to the following people for making the evening an unqualified success: •

His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos for naming the series of Lectures

•

Father Steven for promoting the lecture among the Community and leading prayers on the evening

•

Dr. Thomas Savoulis for supporting and promoting the event as well as presentation of Gifts on the evening

•

Professor Vrasidas Karalis University of Sydney for promoting the event among his University colleagues

•

Miss A. Kollias in her inimitable role as the MC

•

Mrs. M. Hamer for her assistance in planning and hosting the evening

•

Mrs. Sue Mayson and all the P&F members who provided a quality and generous Supper. It is this kind of support from our parent body that helps our college to grow academically and socially

•

The Year 11 students and their Year Adviser Mr. P. Mavrommatis for assisting the P&F and in the hospitality for this event

•

The dedicated School Support Staff who worked so hard to organise and promote the event, namely Mrs. Mary Diakanastasis, Mrs. Angela Kringas, Mrs. Donna Cross, Miss Johanna Mussolino, Mrs. Estelle Kerameas and Miss Effie Giannakopoulos.

•

The audience who attended and expressed their appreciation for the lecture.

From the left Professor Emanuel Aroney, Dr.Eleni Amvrazi, Miss Amelia Kollias, Sir Arthur George, Mrs. Mary Hamer, Mr Evangelos Damianakis Consul General of Greece, Very Reverend Father Steven Scoutas, Professor Gavin Brown, Mrs. E. Stefanou-Haag, Dr. Thomas Savoulis, Professor Hugh Clarke, Professor Vrasidas Karalis.

Parents & Friends Committee members who provided the hospitality for the event.

Mrs. Helen Penemenos, Mrs. Sue Mayson, Mrs. Thalia Baratsas and Mrs. Sofia Coplin

Students who assisted in hosting the evening’s proceedings. left to right: Katerina Pikoulas, Constantine Zois, Mark Cardamis, Denee Theodorou, Lisa Kypreos, Sara Bouziannis, Peter Karountzos

List Of Guests Prof. Gavin Brown

Mr. Anthony Condous

Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Limnios

Prof. Manuel Aroney

Mrs. Chryse Mio

Mr. & Mrs. A.P. Kaniatos

Mrs. Mary Hamer

Mr. Tony Spanos

Mrs. Irene Paraskevas

Mr. Con Pavlou

Mr. Peter Mavrommatis

Mrs. G. Anastasopoulos

Sir. Arthur George

Mrs. Lynda Kamaras

Miss. Rena Haag

Mr. Evangelo Damianakis

Mrs. Julie Savoulis

Mr. E. Hatzi

Very Rev. Father Stevens Scoutas

Miss. Dani O’neill

Mrs. Mersina Demetria

Prof. Vrasidas Karalis

Miss. Ariane Parzakonis

Mr. James Phillips

Mr. Dimitri Kepreotes

Miss. Rosanda Besil

Miss. Dimity Heretakis

Miss. Amelia Kollias

Dr. James Giallvssl

Mrs. Douxoula Phillips

Dr. Thomas Savoulis

Mr. Peter Hamer

Miss. Lee-Anne John

Mrs. E Stefanou - Haag

Mrs. Edith Aslanis

Mr. Paul Vesalas

Mr. John Hatzi

Mrs. Katherine Gallianiotis

Mr. Angelo Amditis

Mrs. Chrissie Pappas

Mrs. Olga Rochios

Ms. Fiona Pascalis

Mr. Steve Murray

Mrs. Androula Vasili

Mr. George Magoulias

Mrs. Angela Herczeg

Ms. Michele Hugomet

Miss. Karene Lucas

Mrs. Joanna Hatzi

Mr. Stelios Coudounaris

Mrs. Mary Faletas

Mrs. Rea Fatouras

Ms. M. Andreou

Mr. A. Kariotoglou

Mrs . Judith Johnson

Dr. Arthur Grillas

Mrs. Irene Passaris

Mr. Arthur Johnson

Mrs. Liz Marinos

Mr. A. Passaris

Mrs. Elsa Tsagaris

Ms. Christina Savva

Mrs. Vesna Belajcic

Mrs. Nina Theodorou

Dr. Veronica Hickie

Mrs. Mary Diakanastasis

Miss. Diane Hunter

Dr. John Coe

Miss. Johanna Mussolino

Mrs. Renie Skaifil

Miss. Natalie Jones

Mr. Paraschus Pezas

Miss. Mirjana Trifunovic

Mrs. Anastasia Neou

Mr. Bill Fatouros

Mrs. Aphrodite Arvantis

Mr. Kyriakos Mavrou

Ms. Mary F. Gomez

Miss. Aglaia Tsiora

Mr. Arthur Kollias

Mrs. Helen Coudounaris

Mr. Harry Hatzi

Dr. George Marinos

Ms. Irene Dimarchos

Mrs. Penny Hatzi

Mrs. Mary Tsamoglou

Miss. Lydia Gathrol

Mrs. D. Parric

Dr. Arthur Tsanoplou

Mr. Frank Kaldis

Mr. Nicholas Sakaris

Miss. Vicki Liakatos

Mrs. Costa Gikas

Mr. George Culits

Mrs. Jennifer Lane

Mrs. Annette Truman

Prof. Hugh Clarke

Miss. Maria Kosta

Miss. Justine Ahearn

Mrs. Emily Ginis

Mrs. Patricia Liakatos

Mrs. Maria Zafiropoulou

Mrs. Christina Kondomichalos

Miss. Katie Liakatos

Mrs. Christina Tsaconas

Miss. Tanya Radford

Mrs. Artemisia Ieroklis

Mr. Peter Souleles

Mrs. Merili Locke

Mrs. Anastasia Kipreotes

Mr. Peter Meintanis

Mrs. Patricia Souleles

Mr. Spiros Kollias

Mrs. Peter Kepreotes

Gifts & Mementos

Dr. Thomas Savoulis Chairman of the Board of Governors presents Prof. Gavin Brown with a gift of an engraved vase and a Certificate of Appreciation signed by His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia

Mr. Evangelos Damianakis, Consul General of Greece presents Prof. Gavin Brown with a gift.

Dr. Thomas Savoulis presents Mr. Evangelos Damianakis with a Certificate of Appreciation signed by the Head of College Mrs. E. StefanouHaag and a St. Spyridon paper-weight for his desk.

St. Spyridon College Presented to

Professor Gavin Brown Inaugural Appreciating Culture Lecture Tuesday 3rd June 2003

………………………………………………………………

Archbishop stylianos Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia