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Media Release
11 August 2008
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Melbourne poised for Knowledge Capital status
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Right time, right place for Knowledge to take off in Melbourne
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Climate right for Knowledge Melbourne
In the
wake of national and state reviews on higher education and innovation, The City of
Melbourne is poised to realise its vision to become Australia’s Knowledge Capital, and one of the
world’s leading university cities.
Governor
of Victoria, Professor David de Krester, A.C., today officially hosted the launch of
Melbourne’s Office of Knowledge Capital’ (OKC), established by a jointly funded collaboration
between the City of Melbourne, the eight major universities in the city region and the Committee for
Melbourne, as the vehicle responsible for putting Melbourne on the global knowledge map.
Acting Lord Mayor Gary Singer said the climate was right for Melbourne to begin providing a vital
link in promoting effective partnerships between universities, industry and the community.
“In light of the Federal
Government’s current review on Higher Education and the National
Innovation review, we are extremely well placed having already established a strategic vehicle to
harness the globalisation of knowledge and skills. Through the foundations laid by the Office of
Knowledge Capital initiative, Melbourne is poised to
leverage our nation’s development and
competitiveness in the higher education industry,” the Acting Lord Mayor said.
The OKC
participated in both the Higher Education and the National Innovation reviews by
providing submissions and being involved in the consultation processes.
Adding to the timeliness of the OKC launch, the Victorian Government is expected to release its
Innovation Statement 2008 today.
“The opportunities and challenges flowing from globalisation and the rapid expansion of the world’s
knowledge economies are combining to increase the importance of city-regions as focal points for
innovation and creativity”.
“They are becoming the clusters of economic and social development that harness these forces to
generate common wealth and sustainable communities,” the Acting Lord Mayor said.
Melbourne’s eight metropolitan universities generate
a combined revenue of more than $4 billion
annually and export earnings in excess of $2 billion. Employing a combined total of more than
22,500 and a student body of in excess of 260,000, they sit at the core of our knowledge economy.
In 2008 Melbourne ranked fourth in the Global University City Index, up from fifth place in the 2007
index.
The Global University City Index was created by RMIT University in collaboration with the
Committee for Melbourne to highlight the world’s top knowledge economies. The index assesses
cities on a range of measures including liveability, education expenditure, number of graduates
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and how many tertiary institutions are ranked in the top 200 Times Higher Education Supplement –
Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings.
The launch also welcomes the appointment of Executive Director of the office, David Campbell.
Office of Knowledge Capital - background information:
The Melbourne Vice Chancellors’ Forum (MVCF), created by the Lord Mayor in 2005.
The first project of the Forum was to undertake an investigative report ‘Melbourne – Australia’s
Knowledge Capital’, released in August 2007. The report then formed the basis of the ‘Office of
Knowledge Capital’ (OKC) Strategic Plan 2008-2010.
The Strategic Plan was adopted by the Melbourne City Council in December 2007. The OKC has
since been established and will pursue three strategic objectives.
1.
Develop and promote Melbourne locally, nationally and globally to achieve recognition as
“Australia’s Knowledge Capital” and a “Global University City”;
2.
Facilitate collaboration between the Office of Knowledge Capital and governments,
businesses and other communities;
3.
Form links with similar ‘knowledge cities’ to enable mutually beneficial interactions
The ‘Office of Knowledge Capital’ as a jointly funded collaboration between the following
organisations: The City of Melbourne, Australian Catholic University, Deakin University, La Trobe
University, Monash University, RMIT University, Swinburne University, The University of
Melbourne, Victoria University and Committee for Melbourne.
For further information please contact:
OR
Phil Buckley
Paul Williams
Media Adviser,
Lord Mayor’s Media Adviser
City of Melbourne
City of Melbourne
+61 3 9658 8426
+61 3 9658 9484
0409 425873
0411 235 434
phil.buckley@melbourne.vic.gov.au
pauwil@melbourne.vic.gov.au
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