Michael Spence Q&A appearance sparks protest outside ABC studios
While some may be content to tweet their discontent from the comfort of home via the #qanda hashtag, a group of dedicated Sydney University students have braved the freezing cold and rain to gather outside the ABC studios in Ultimo, protesting the appearance of their vice-chancellor Michael Spence on Monday night's Q&A.
With the panel set to address current debates around defence, diversity and higher education, Dr Spence is expected to field questions on the university's investment in arms manufacturers – along with his controversial negotiations with the John Howard-backed Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, which is seeking a platform for its western civilisation degree.
The protesters are hoping their anger over both will set the tone for the evening's discussions.
They're demanding universities cut all ties with the Ramsay Centre and the war industry, calling for more money to fund higher education and financial independence of academic institutions.
The Ramsay Centre proposal has already attracted strong criticism from within the university community, with more than 100 academics signing an open letter describing the degree as "European supremacism writ large".
The Australian National University had earlier rejected the multi-million dollar proposal on "a matter of principal", prompting an attempted intervention from the Prime Minister.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, National Union of Students Ethnocultural Officer Hersha Kadkol said the Ramsay Centre was "not giving millions of dollars to universities out of benevolence".
"This is a propaganda machine that seeks to promote racism and erase the horrors inflicted by western ‘civilisation’ on this country and around the world," she said.
"Universities shouldn’t be run by private donors with right wing agendas − we demand Spence follow ANU and ditch the Ramsay Centre for good."
The NUS is also demanding Dr Spence ditch the arms industry, which the university currently includes in its investment portfolio.
"Sydney University has over $5 million invested in the arms industry, and yet Michael Spence has the gall to present himself as a progressive figure in the media," NUS officer Con Karavias said. "Why should our fees be funding wars overseas?"
Dr Spence will be joined on the panel by Liberal senator and former Army reservist Linda Reynolds, Labor MP Tim Watts, Atlassian global head of diversity and belonging, Aubrey Blanche, and United States Studies Centre CEO Simon Jackman.
The USSC, a research centre at the University of Sydney, also has ties to arms manufacturing via a corporate partnership with US defence technology company Northrop Grumman.