Reports in The Canberra Times this week that the Australian National University is considering cutbacks in education and research on the culture, history and language of Asia and the Pacific reflect a profound failure of vision and a retreat from the university's national mission. ANU has long been proud of its Asia-Pacific expertise. It has been part of its unique identity since the university's foundation in 1946. The postwar government which set up ANU recognised the nation-building importance of a deep intellectual engagement with our neighbourhood. It was a smart investment: Asia-Pacific studies is one of relatively few areas where ANU can claim world leadership. So, why are cuts being...
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