Drivers of Change - Politics

Description: This video features a presentation by RMIT’s Executive Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement, Tom Bentley. In it, he presents to an audience, and slides appear on screen to illustrate his point.

AUDIO: Ambient music plays

VISUAL: RMIT Logo appears and fades away to reveal an Infographic with the various “Drivers of Change” the politics section is enlarged, while the rest fade away.

VISUAL: A slide appears saying “Politics: The struggle to shape public values and priorities, and determine who gets what, when and how.”

TOM BENTLEY SPEAKS: Democracy is in retreat. People in Australia and in many other parts of the world are less and less satisfied with democracy.

VISUAL: Tom Bentley is shown on stage, addressing a crowd.

VISUAL: Text reading: “People in Australia are less satisfied with democracy.”

TOM BENTLEY SPEAKS: Fewer and fewer Australian voters would describe themselves as being moderate or in the centre ground, they choose the left or the right. They feel a greater sense of polarisation.

VISUAL: A graph is shown on which demonstrates the decrease in satisfaction with democracy from 2001 to 2016. Another graph is shown, which demonstrates how there is less moderation among Australian voters now than there was in 1996.

TOM BENTLEY SPEAKS: The issus of sexual harassment, the risk of sexual assault, the university campuses and the life of university are equally as serious, equally important. If we are going to strategize, we have to be realistic about operating in a more turbulent and a more issues driven environment.

VISUAL: Imagery of young women forms is overlayed with the following text:

“Universities must deal with the issues of:

• Sexual harassment on campus.
• The risk of sexual assault.
• The safety of campuses"

TOM BENTLEY SPEAKS: And we’re also challenged to ask, in what areas is RMIT going to take a lead, in a political sense? And in what areas is it going to look for stability and expect some kind of predictable parameters from Government?

VISUAL: Three slides appear in a row. The first reads “Challenges…”

“How do we foster long term social and economic development amidst a more turbulent, issues-driven politics?” 

“How should education institutions respond to the emerging politics of inequality, identity and free speech?” 

VISUAL: An infographic appears with RMIT’s three pillars on it. Life Changing Experiences, Passion with Purpose and Shaping the World.

VISUAL: The RMIT logo appears.

AUDIO: Ambient Music Fades

[End Transcript]