John is joined in conversation by Salvatore Babones, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Sydney. The two discuss matters concerning Australian universities, including the rise of the expert class, politics in university departments, free speech and morality, and China's involvement in our tertiary education system. All of this is collectively referenced in Salvatore's new book "Universities: Can they reform?" '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. 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. He is an author of several books, numerous academic articles, and a contributor to Foreign Affairs, Al Jazeera English, Quadrant and Truthout. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conversations feature John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, interviewing the world's foremost thought leaders about today's pressing social, cultural and political issues. John believes proper, robust dialogue is necessary if we are to maintain our social strength and cohesion. As he puts it; "You cannot get good public policy out of a bad public debate." If you value this discussion and want to see more like it, make sure you subscribe to the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYSEGViOnb7k8ezUaWUww?sub_confirmation=1 And stay right up to date with all the conversations by subscribing to the newsletter here: https://johnanderson.net.au/contact/ Follow John on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnAndersonAO Follow John on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnandersonao/ Support the channel: https://johnanderson.net.au/support/ Website: https://johnanderson.net.au/ Podcast: https://johnanderson.net.au/podcasts/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Salvatore Babones https://twitter.com/sbabones?lang=en https://salvatorebabones.com/