Australia’s Universities: Can They Reform? – With Salvatore Babones

Salvatore Babones is an American sociologist, associate professor at the University of Sydney, and an expert in the areas of Chinese and American economy and society. His research is related to macro-level structure of the world economy, with a particular focus on China’s global economic integration.

His latest book is Australia’s Universities: Can They Reform?

https://www.australiasuniversities.com/

Australia’s universities are in crisis—and this time it’s real.

Struck by simultaneous financial, pedagogical, and ideological challenges, Australia’s entire university system stands in desperate need of reform. But good reform requires good data, and each of the major players in Australia’s university debate has strong incentives to warp the data in its own favour. In this timely book, sociologist and higher education commentator Salvatore Babones delivers the insights Australians need in order to reform what are, after all, their universities.

Website link:
https://www.australiasuniversities.com/

Purchase links:
https://www.oceanreevepublishing.com/…
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09N8MTJGH/

Australia’s Universities: Can They Reform? is an indispensable counterweight to reports commissioned by trade associations, staff unions, the government, and the universities themselves. Its independent analyses offer a sneak peek into the inner workings of the university system, with a view to helping Australia avoid disaster and achieve meaningful reform. If universities are the conscience of a nation, Australia needs all the help it can get.

The Inflation Bazooka Wasn’t – Market Update 11 Dec 2021

Markets in the US had a strong end to the week, as investors reacted to the fact that November’s consumer prices gains met expectations, and continue to hope it will fall back, so easing pressure on the Federal Reserve to accelerate it taper and the timing of a rate hike.

Looking to next year, supply chain challenges will continue to drive up prices in the near term but are expected to fade as Americans shift toward more normal consumption patterns. Still, other factors, like labor constraints and housing costs, may keep inflation elevated.

The CPI report from the Labor Department showed consumer prices surged last month to a 6.8% annual growth rate, the highest reading in more than 39 years.

While that was distorted to a degree by upheavals in prices a year ago due to the pandemic, the core rate — which strips out more volatile food and energy prices – also hit a 30-year high of 4.9%. The headline rate rose by 0.8% on the month and the core rate by 0.5%, both chunky increases that suggest that companies are still able to pass on higher costs to their customers more or less at will.

CONTENTS

0:00 Start
0:17 Introduction
1:57 US CPI
4:00 Inflation – Here To Stay?
7:00 Political Reaction
7:45 Market Movements
10:29 Coffee Futures
12:03 Short Sellers Under Scrutiny
12:57 UK Markets on Plan B
15:15 You Can’t “Invest” In Crypto
17:40 China Evergrande
18:45 WCI Index Up Again
19:25 Australian Market
21:38 Summary and End

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FINAL REMINDER: DFA Live Today 8pm Sydney: Latest Household Stress And Scenarios

Join us for a live Q&A as I discuss the latest from our surveys and models, as we look at the latest mortgage stress and scenarios. You can ask a question live via YouTube chat – down to a specific post code. We will also look at the latest news, including the new HILDA report and the RBA decision today.

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

A Case Study In Corporate Capture

More than 4,000 Australians die unnecessarily each and every year due to avoidable exposure to asbestos. Yet inaction from the firms who created the problem, as well as from Governments and regulatory bodies leads to the conclusion this is probably one of the biggest and most intractable corporate scandals in Australia.

Using research from Asbestos Awareness Australia, a registered charity with the objective of raising awareness in the community, we examine how it is that companies driven by greed are able to play the system, while more people die.

The report is available here:

The worst form of the disease is mesothelioma, a cancer which has a 5 year survivability rate of just 6.5%, the worst on the cancer scale. And yet, even short-term exposure is sufficient to cause the disease to appear years later, and those doing DIY renovations are most at risk.

Public awareness campaigns are mute, and an estimated more than one third of properties across the country (homes, businesses, and Government buildings (e.g. schools) are exposure sites. In addition to rotting old asbestos, we are still importing products contains this carcinogen.

Reform is long (60 years) over due but because of corporate capture, nothing is changing. This video explains what is going. It is a classic case study.

You can find out more at the charity website https://asbestosawarenessaustralia.com.au/ where you can download a range of reports and videos on this important subject.

A Week Is A Long Time In These Crazy Markets!

This last week could be one that many investors will want to forget, stocks, commodities, currencies, inflation, and the impact the Omicron variant are all in play. Importantly the yield curve is flattening, signalling an increased level of uncertainty, and as we will see, the future could be inflationary, deflationary, or just a muddle ahead.

Then US stocks fell sharply after the November jobs report missed expectations and as more cases of omicron were detected across the globe. The US economy added just 210,000 new jobs last month, well below economists’ expectations for 550,000 new jobs. That was its smallest gain this year…

The latest edition of our finance and property news digest with a distinctively Australian flavour.

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Corrections, Rates, Steel And Risk: The DFA Daily 3rd Dec 2021

In today’s show we discuss the likelihood of a real market correction, the signs are not good; why monetary policy needs to be tightened, how China is cutting Australia’s steel throat, and risk in the banking system. Four big, but connected themes.

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

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