Strong force for our region
THE NEW VICE-CHANCELLOR OF CQUNIVERSITY IS A FIRM BELIEVER IN REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY SUCCESS OUTSIDE METROPOLITAN AREAS, WRITES
THE idea of the university being at the core of regional cities is what keeps the CQUniversity vice-chancellor Nick Klomp up at night, and is also what gets him out of bed the morning.
Mr Klomp was appointed to the CQUniversity’s top job in February after finishing up as the deputy vice-chancellor academic at the University of Canberra.
Based in Rockhampton, the new boss is in charge of Australia’s largest network of universities, spanning 26 campuses across the nation, including the Cairns facility.
Mr Klomp has a PhD in environmental science from the University of Glasgow.
He has undergraduate degrees in biology and ecology, however he identifies a 20year stint at Charles Sturt University in Albury as the reason for his passionate advocacy on behalf of regional-based educational institutions.
“They are so important. I have to be loud and proud about it otherwise the call can be lost … you have to say it 1000 times for the politicians to hear it once,” he said.
“Post-secondary education is very important for the re- gions; (the university) is often one of the biggest employers in the region and it also creates the graduates – that aren’t just getting the jobs so the economy can thrive in regional areas, but the university is also creating jobs, which CQUniversity is very proud to be a part of.
“I am a firm believer that regional universities like CQUniversity value-add far more to economies, workforces, communities and individual graduates than our metropolitan cousins.”
Driving innovation in industry and attracting international students to regional areas was another important role the university played in adding value to the community, Mr Klomp said.
“We sit here on the door- step of some of this nation’s greatest natural, social and economic wonders. The emerging Northern Australia story, the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, the marching population growth of our regional centres, the learnings we are yet to absorb from our First Nations people. CQUniversity research has come a long way in a short time, but I see this as the start of the trajectory, not the midpoint,” he said.
“We know our mission is to continually produce new knowledge that drives the prosperity and sustainability of
NICK KLOMP WAS APPOINTED TO THE CQUNIVERSITY’S TOP JOB IN FEBRUARY AFTER FINISHING UP AS THE DEPUTY VICECHANCELLOR ACADEMIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA.
our communities and our industries, whether that’s health and ageing, tourism and regional development.”
Mr Klomp said the Cairns CQUniversity campus had a strong, continuing role in meeting the workforce gaps and servicing the research needs of the Far North.
“My vision for CQUniversity is to be the agile, responsive social engineer that the city expects, and I plan to deliver on that expectation,” he said.
When the mortarboard comes off, Mr Klomp enjoys marathon running and follows the NBL, AFL and rugby union. He is also a self-confessed Test cricket tragic.
Looking forward, Mr Klomp said he was excited at the possibility offered by a recent $10 million Labor com- mitment to help Cairns take off as a world-renowned destination for training pilots.
“It’s the next thing for CQUniversity to be concentrating on in Cairns and it’s stage two of what will see more stages in the future. What’s clear is the aviation industry is going through a really expansive time across the world. They need 650,000 pilots,” he said.
“I wouldn’t want people to think ‘ great, we have got $10 million from the Opposition and we are confident we will get that from the government and we will therefore expand our operation’ and that’s it. I think we have got to be thinking about air worthiness, airline and airport operation into the future.”
Mr Klomp said universities transformed lives for the better, not just for individual students, but for whole communities across Australia, through education and research.
“My goal is to maximise this potential, by enhancing access to our teaching programs, ensuring our research is relevant to industry and society, and engaging with communities in truly meaningful ways,” he said.
MY VISION FOR CQUNIVERSITY IS TO BE THE AGILE, RESPONSIVE SOCIAL ENGINEER THAT THE CITY EXPECTS, AND I PLAN TO DELIVER ON THAT EXPECTATION. NICK KLOMP