The Federal Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, has announced this week that the Rudd Government will fund a new Chair in Australian Literature to be established at the University of Western Australia (UWA).
The decision follows a competitive process which was open to all Australian universities. The Government sought a university that could best demonstrate its commitment to Australian literature and was best placed to further promote scholarship in Australian literature.
Though a number of universities submitted proposals, the six member selection panel unanimously found the University of Western Australia to be the strongest candidate, recognising its long-standing commitment to the promotion of literature and culture in the community.
As the University’s application noted, UWA has pioneered and remained constantly committed to the teaching and research of Australian literacy studies and is today at the forefront in this field. UWA’s proposed strategies to promote Australian literature both nationally and internationally, as well as the support of the Western Australian Government, were identified as strengths in the application.
The University of Western Australia is to be congratulated on its achievement.